<h4>Chapter 194: An Uninvited Guest</h4>


    Since it was a close friend’s birthday with only a few guests invited, there was no need for formal attire; something casual would do just fine.


    Eric followed E out of the car, quickly catching up to her. He watched herposed demeanor and the way her lips pressed together like a delicate flower, and his gaze darkened slightly. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, unable to resist the surge of desire.


    Suddenly, Eric grabbed E’s arm, pulling her abruptly in front of him. With one hand securely holding the back of her head, he pressed his heated lips against hers.


    E’s eyes widened in shock. Her face flushed as she struggled against him—after all, they were right in front of Richard’s house. How embarrassing would it be if their friends saw them like this?


    But Eric’s kiss only grew more intense.


    E was overwhelmed by his powerful masculinity, nearly breathless, until he finally let her go, his gaze fixed on her now-red lips.


    Eric chuckled lowly. "You’d better behave, or I’ll punish those pretty lips of yours anytime, anywhere."


    "Eric, when did I misbehave?" E asked, exasperated.


    "Don’t walk ahead of me," he replied.


    "When did I do that?"


    "Just now!" Eric raised an eyebrow. "This is just a warning. If you want something more intense, I don’t mind punishing you in front of everyone. Then everyone will know that you belong only to me, Eric."


    E was leftpletely bewildered by his seemingly nonsensical words.


    What on earth did Eric mean by all this? Was he hinting that she had attracted some unwanted attention?


    Considering the incident with the Davis Group’s quality report, E was genuinely in the dark. She had no idea who had helped her take down Robert so quickly since it wasn’t part of her original n.


    Before she could dwell on it further, Eric led her into the Martinez family’s grand hall, where a few small groups were already gathered. Eric’s close friends, including Richard, were present. These friends had grown up together and even attended the same schools.


    Seeing Eric arrive with E, the room filled with warmughter.


    "Eric, you’re finally introducing your woman to us, huh?" Adam teased with a grin. E had met him before, but her memory of him was a bit fuzzy.


    "Shut up, you’ve already met her," Eric retorted with a dismissive snort, his expression one of pride as he pulled E onto the sofa beside him.


    Amelia joined them, sitting next to E with a bright smile. "E, I’m so d you coulde. I’ve been looking forward to this!"


    E smiled shyly. "Amelia, no need to be so formal with me. It’s an honor for me to be here."


    Amelia wasn’t having it. "Don’t be so modest. I really do like you. Come on, let’s go over there and chat with the other girls!"


    Amelia took E’s hand and led her away, leaving the men to their conversations. On the other side of the room, two young women were already engaged in lively discussion.


    One of them, a girl with a wild, curly hairstyle, looked to be around twenty years old and had a bubbly personality. She was Jenny Perez, Adam’s sister. The other, a woman with long, flowing hair, seemed to be about twenty-two. She was lovely, with a serene beauty, and her name was Nicole Morgan, Adam’s girlfriend.


    E found that she could get along well with them. They were all straightforward, genuine people, very different from someone like Leah, who was the epitome of a "white lotus"—beautiful but deceitful.


    Servants bustled around, preparing lunch. Amelia had indeed only invited a small circle of close friends for her birthday, avoiding arge, formal gathering because it wasn’t her style.


    Her n was simple: after lunch, everyone would head out to enjoy a day and night on a yacht, with Richard nning to take the group out to sea for an overnight cruise.


    But sometimes, the people you least want to see are the ones who show up right in front of you.


    Lunch wasn’t even ready when another guest arrived. E looked up to see Leah, smiling broadly as she walked in, arm in arm with an elderly man with graying hair.


    The lively atmosphere in the room suddenly quieted down.


    E was well known as Eric’s girlfriend, and everyone had heard about her history. The elderly man Leah brought along was none other than E’s maternal grandfather, Sean Carter.


    Amelia’s expression darkened, and she muttered under her breath, "What on earth was Richard thinking, inviting that awful woman?"


    Richard quickly stood up and approached the neers, his expression calm. "Old Mr. Carter, what brings you here today?"


    Sean nced around the room, his gaze settling on E. The girl looked almost exactly like Isabe!


    "I heard your grandfather wasn’t feeling well, so I came to check on him," Sean replied, his tone indifferent as he looked away from E.


    In truth, it was Leah who had persuaded him toe. She wanted to attend Amelia’s birthday party but hadn’t been invited. Unable to resist his beloved granddaughter’s request, Sean hade up with a simple excuse to bring Leah along.


    Richard frowned. "My grandfather is fine. He’s upstairs painting right now!"


    "He’s better? Well, that’s good. Now that I’m here, you’re not nning to kick me out, are you?" Sean huffed, giving Richard a haughty nce, exuding the air of an elder demanding respect.


    "No, of course not. Please, go upstairs. My grandfather is there," Richard replied, though internally frustrated, he refrained from acting on his irritation. Sean was an elder, and it wouldn’t be right to turn him away.


    Leah, spotting E among the group, blinked and smiled warmly. "E, you’re here too? This is my grandfather. Aren’t you going toe over and greet him?"


    The room fell silent again, as everyone exchanged nces. Eric’s eyes narrowed in displeasure; Leah was clearly trying to provoke E again.


    To everyone’s surprise, E remained unbothered. She stood up calmly and nodded at Sean. "Hello, Old Mr. Carter."


    Sean’s face hardened. Though she was his estranged granddaughter, E’s cool demeanor showed not a trace of the respect he expected. Yet, since she had greeted him, he couldn’t find any fault to express his displeasure, so he simply gave a curt nod in return, not sparing her another nce.


    Leah was visibly disappointed. She had hoped E would be rude to Sean, or at least ignore him, but E had handled the situation with grace. Leah had clearly underestimated her.


    Leah then escorted Sean upstairs.


    Once they were out of sight, Amelia let out a frustrated huff. "Who leaked this to that wretched woman?"


    Richard quickly defended himself, his face a picture of distress. "Babe, it wasn’t me, I swear!"


    E gave a small, serene smile. "Amelia, don’t get upset. Leah was just looking for an opportunity. Even if she hadn’t shown up today, she would have found another time to try and bother me."