?Chapter 1681:


    “Thank you!” Sandra replied, her tone softening. For a moment, genuine warmth touched her eyes. “Please,e in, Mr. Barton.”


    Jordy exchanged a few polite words with her before stepping inside. A single nce at the setup told him everything. He believed the event Sandra hosted was disappointing, failing to reflect the Harper family’s stature.


    By half past seven, everyone who was going to attend the party had already arrived. The emcee stepped up and began the usual routine for a birthday celebration.


    Sandra found it dull. Only a handful of the people she had invited had bothered toe, and those who did were hardly close to her. Out of all the contacts she’d added on Facebook during her wee banquet, merely two had shown up.


    The cheerful greetings and smiles around her rang hollow. She could tell most of the guests were there out of obligation. The Harper family had clearly pulled strings to keep the ce from looking deserted.


    The entire situation made her look like aughingstock in front of both the Harper family and the guests.


    Regret gnawed at her. She wished she had never thrown the party in the first ce.


    Just then, a burst ofughter echoed from the entrance, loud enough to turn every head in the room.


    Sandra, who had been about to make a wish, froze and looked toward the doorway.


    Her heart sank. It was Keira—her mother—apanied by a small crowd of middle-aged women, her usual circle of friends.


    “Wow, this really is a five-star hotel! It feels like walking into a pce!” one of the women eximed.


    Keira, beaming with pride, waved her friends forward. “Come on in, everyone! It’s my daughter’s birthday today. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves. If you see something you like, take it home. My girl spent ten million on this celebration!”


    “Your daughter’s impressive, Keira. If it weren’t for you, I’d never get to set foot in a ce like this.”


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    “That cake looks incredible. I’m definitely helping myself to a few extra slices!”


    To Keira and her friends, the venue was dazzling. The crystal chandeliers, the floral centerpieces, the buffet—it all looked grand enough to belong in a movie.


    A few guests didn’t bother to mask their contempt toward them, their sneers in for all to see.


    But Sandra believed the ten-million setup was splendid.


    Though she hadn’t included Keira on the guest list, she hadn’t exactly forbidden her froming, either.


    She turned toward Shepard and Giselle, only to find their faces stiff and clouded with displeasure.


    People at the party were ncing at Keira in an odd way. Some guests even began to whisper among themselves.


    “Wait, isn’t that the nanny who got involved with Shepard before?”


    “Seriously, what’s Miss Harper thinking? She’s already part of the Harper family—why did she still invite her biological mother?”


    “No wonder she’s not in good standing inside the family. If I were Shepard, I wouldn’t tolerate this, either.”


    “She’s gotta choose—her mom or the Harper family. Even if she wants to be a good daughter, she should do it quietly. She actually brought her mom here to embarrass Shepard? That’s ridiculous. This should be entertaining.”


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