<h4>Chapter 373: Julian’s arrival 1</h4>


    Towards Donald, Davis nodded subtly in greeting.


    Donald had been standing beside his mother ever since she had left her room, his lips curved in a warm, constant smile..


    At the sound of Davis’ voice, Lady Matilda pulled slightly away from Jessica and turned toward him. Her expression brightened, her gaze softening.


    "Thank you very much for taking such good care of her," she said warmly, sincerity and gratitudeced into every syble.


    Davis returned a small nod. "That’s what I should do."


    A nce over his shoulder brought Ethan forward, carrying a neatly wrapped box. Davis epted it, then stepped forward and extended it with both hands.


    "Congrattions on finding your granddaughter. I hope you remain healthy enough to care for her for many more years," he said evenly.


    Donald moved quickly to take the gift, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. Lady Matilda’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she watched him hand over the gift to Donald.


    "You didn’t have to go this far," she murmured, smiling through the emotion. "I’m already grateful just knowing she’s in good hands."


    Davis shook his head lightly "It is just tonics and supplements," Davis replied, shaking his head gently. "Nothing extravagant."


    Jessica eased back from Lady Matilda, her eyes lifting to meet her husband’s. Her smile bloomed softly. "Hubby... thank you."


    The week had been exhausting for him with meetings, travel, and unexpected events and yet he had remembered details she herself hadn’t considered.


    The thought left her both touched and quietly ashamed; though she hade in the car with him, it had never crossed her mind to prepare a gift for Lady Matilda.


    She was beautifully unaware and she hadn’t even thought of it until now.


    "Even supplements and tonics aren’t easy toe by," Lady Matilda said, turning to her son. "I hope you keep this carefully."


    Donald nodded and passed the box to his assistant for safekeeping, mindful that with so many guests, miscing it would be far too easy.


    A few metres away, clusters of guests watched the exchange with thinly veiled curiosity as they tried to guess the rtionships between them.


    Their murmurs rippled through the air, as if gossips were the evening’s true entertainment.


    With Davis’ reputation for being cold and expressionless, seeing him so respectful and measured toward the Santiagos’ matriarch puzzled many.


    "Don’t you think something is... off?" one guest whispered.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Didn’t you hear Davis and his wife call her ’Grandma’?"


    "That means nothing."


    "You can’t honestly believe that. Without a close connection, do you think Davis Allen would use that word?"


    "She’s old enough to be anyone’s grandmother, so plenty of people probably address her that way."


    "Still... Why do I see traces of her features on Davis’ wife?"


    "You’re suggesting they’re rted?"


    "Just my suspicion."


    "That’s impossible."


    "Maybe she just came out to wee Davis because of his family’s standing."


    At the front, Lady Matilda’s eyes narrowed slightly as the murmurs shifted tone.


    Though she had called for this banquet to wee her granddaughter home in a grand manner, yet her years of navigating the mall and society had taught her differently.


    She had learnt to live discreetly and wisely.


    For that reason, she had chosen not to reveal Jessica’s identity outright. A vague introduction brought more peace than a public deration.


    Guests had even been instructed not to take photographs as an extra precaution to shield Jessica from unnecessary attention.


    The olddy’s reasoning was simple: she didn’t want to thrust her granddaughter into the unforgiving and scrutinizing re of the limelight.


    She wouldn’t want Jessica’s peaceful life disrupted in any form or by any chance.


    "Let’s go in first," she said, turning to lead the way.


    Davis held Jessica’s hand as they moved forward, but the next moment, they halted in their footsteps as the noises from outside the hall drew their attention.


    Lady Matilda’s eyes narrowed slightly. She took a deep breath. "I will be right back," she murmured as she walked towards the door.


    Outside, two sleek ck cars glided to a stop at the edge of the red carpet. From the first, an assistant stepped out briskly; from the second, a uniformed guard emerged to open the rear door.


    A polished leather shoe touched the ground first, followed by a tall figure alighting from the car in a slow, measured pace. His actions exuded grace and charisma.


    He was dressed in a pristine, custom navy suit, a sky-blue shirt, and a navy-and-white striped tie.


    A well-polished shoe stepped down first, followed by a body frame alighting the car Fully alighted from the car, a tall young man stood in a pristine custom-made navy blue suit, sky-blue shirt, and well-knotted navy-blue-and-white striped tie.


    His features were sharply defined and distinctive: a straight, patrician nose, onyx-gold flecked eyes as cold as winter, and an expression carved from stone...totally expressionless.


    A light breeze blew through the trees, slow and quiet, as it fanned his face lightly like a luby; his skin felt cool for the moment. A wave of relief washed over him.


    Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward.


    The gathered crowd erupted into murmurs.


    "Such a handsome young man... whose son do you think he is?"


    "I think I just fell in love."


    "That car doesn’t have any insignia. Do you think he’s here for business rather than show?"


    "Or maybe the Santiagos have started inviting random people from the street?"


    "I guess that’s right, Santiago’ s family seems to have given out their invitation to a random person they met on the street?"


    "Wait! Isn’t that thetest design of Patek Philippe?"


    "Hold on... the car is custom-built too?"


    "Wow. Looks like the Santiagos really called in the city’s power yers."


    "But I doubt he’s from any family in Country Y."


    Lady Matilda stopped in her tracks at the entrance, just a few metres from the courtyard, as she watched the figure approach her.


    Jessica’s heart lurched painfully. Her breath shortened; her hands trembled. "Julian?" she whispered to herself.


    A thousand thoughts collided in her mind.


    "What happened?"


    "Has he been recognized by the Santiagos’ family?"


    "How did hee here?"


    "He never mentioneding to the Santiagos’."


    "Though I never told him about the banquet."


    "But did he know the facts about this banquet?"


    Davis noted the slight change in herposure, had his eyes narrowed as the young man approached.


    But with Jessica’s nerves throbbing in his hand, he retracted his gaze and attention, directing it to her. Quietly, he patted her back.


    Jessica found herself losing her breath from the shock. Despite how she tried to act normal, she couldn’t.


    With no option left: "Hubby, I want to sit down for a while."


    Davis nced onest time at the approaching figure, which was just a few metres away, and he led Jessica back into the main hall.