Today, the "On the Water's Side" club had been exclusively booked by Carson Holden. By eleven in the morning, nearly all the expected guests had arrived.
Ivy Holden walked slowly from the lounge to the main hall, her grandfather's arm in hers. In the short walk of just a few dozen steps, four major figures from the music world had already come up to greet them.
After she escorted Mr. Holden to the small, semicircular stage in the banquet hall, she glanced back and was nearly startled by the sight.
The banquet hall was not only packed with the giants of the music industry but also with legendary singers who had been active for the past two decades. Ivy usually only saw these people on a screen; it was a rare event to see even one or two of them on the same show. But now, here they were, standing right before her, impeccably dressed. If Ivy hadn't been aware of her grandfather's prestige, she would have thought she was dreaming.
"Everyone, thank you all very much for coming today to celebrate my father's sixty-sixth birthday." Carson Holden raised his voice, interrupting the private conversations. Once the crowd had quieted down, he bowed slightly and said, "I offer you my deepest gratitude."
"You're too kind, President Holden! It is our honor to be here for Mr. Holden's birthday," a man in his forties with a thick beard replied.
A man in a tuxedo standing next to him also raised his wine glass, smiling. "Indeed. It is a student's duty to celebrate his teacher's birthday."
Carson Holden gestured for quiet with his hands. Once the room settled, he announced, "And now, I invite my father to say a few words to everyone."
The hall immediately filled with applause.
However, just as Mr. Holden was about to speak, the club's owner, Susan Spencer, hurried over to Carson Holden. Sensing that something was amiss, Edison Holden held his tongue and watched her silently.
"President Holden, a Mr. Thorne has arrived. He insists on coming to wish your father a happy birthday. But he doesn't have an invitation, so..." Susan Spencer was a woman of some influence in the city; otherwise, she could never have run a private club like this on her own. For her to be this flustered, Carson Holden couldn't think of any "Mr. Thorne" it could be other than the incredibly well-connected Zachary Thorne.
Carson Holden frowned slightly. "Zachary Thorne?"
"Yes." Susan Spencer looked at Carson Holden, her expression troubled.
"What is he doing here?" Carson Holden's frown deepened.
"He says he's here to wish your father a happy birthday," Susan Spencer explained in a low voice.
Carson Holden's expression darkened, but he maintained his composure. He knew full well that Zachary Thorne was a man to befriend, not to make an enemy of. He nodded and said, "A guest is a guest. Please show him in."
"Of course." Susan Spencer gave a slight bow, then turned and left.
"What's wrong?" Brooke Morrison asked Carson Holden in a hushed voice.
"Zachary Thorne is here."
Upon hearing the name, Brooke Morrison's expression also soured. She frowned and said, "Why would he come here?"
"I don't know." Visibly agitated, Carson Holden picked up his wine glass and took a shallow sip.
The sound of hurried footsteps was followed by a hearty laugh from the edge of the crowd. "I apologize for my late arrival and for disturbing the festivities! I do hope Mr. Holden and all you esteemed celebrities will forgive me!"
The crowd parted to reveal a burly man in a charcoal-gray wool overcoat striding forward. Following behind him was a girl of sixteen or seventeen in a red dress.
Carson Holden straightened his back and went to meet him, asking in a polite yet distant tone, "Mr. Thorne, how does a man as busy as yourself have time to attend my father's birthday banquet?"
"Ah, if your daughter hadn't saved my little girl last night, I would regret it for the rest of my life! So I had to come and thank you in person, no matter what. It just so happens that today is Mr. Holden's birthday, so I prepared a humble gift and brought my daughter along to wish him a long life, and to thank you as well, Mr. Holden. You're more successful than I am! You've raised a wonderful daughter!" As Zachary Thorne spoke, his gaze drifted past Carson Holden's shoulder and locked onto Ivy. He sighed, "The resemblance is uncanny."
That single remark—"The resemblance is uncanny"—instantly darkened Carson Holden's expression. 'Back when Zachary Thorne pursued Sylvia Zimmers, he was relentlessly persistent.' The memory still made Carson's skin crawl. He shifted his body to block Zachary Thorne's line of sight and said with a frown, "Mr. Thorne, since you are here to offer birthday wishes, please, take a seat. Today is my father's banquet; we can discuss other matters when it is over."
"And who might this be?" Edison Holden walked over slowly, interrupting the standoff between Carson and Zachary Thorne.
"I am Zachary Thorne. I heard it was Mr. Holden's birthday, so I've come to ask for a celebratory glass of wine. But first, please, Mr. Holden, accept my gift." Zachary Thorne gave a slight bow to Edison Holden, then glanced sideways at Tanya Thorne.
Tanya Thorne took a mahogany box from a bodyguard behind her and presented it to Carson Holden with both hands. Zachary Thorne lifted the lid, revealing a seven-inch piccolo carved from green jade, nestled on a bright yellow silk lining. The jade was translucent and lustrous, catching the light from the magnificent chandeliers with a soft, clear glow. It was obviously an extraordinary piece.
Edison Holden waved a dismissive hand. "Your gift is far too valuable. An old man like me, with one foot in the grave, cannot accept such a thing."
"Oh? Is Mr. Holden looking down on me?"
Tanya Thorne stepped forward with a smile. "Grandpa Holden, please just accept it. Even if you won't do it for my dad's sake, you can't just turn us away, not with my friendship with Ivy."
"Oh?" Edison Holden glanced at Ivy Holden beside him.
Ivy had been quiet the whole time, but 'I know they don't mean any harm, even if they did show up uninvited,' she thought. So, she gently tugged on Mr. Holden's arm and whispered, "Grandpa, perhaps you should just accept it for now."
Mr. Holden nodded slightly. Carson Holden glanced at Brooke Morrison, who reached out to accept the box. "Thank you, Mr. Thorne," she said. "Please, take a seat."
'Even though Zachary Thorne brought an incredibly valuable gift, Dad and Grandpa clearly don't welcome him. They're just keeping up appearances. Is it just because they're academics who look down on men like him, or is there some hidden story here?' Ivy couldn't guess the truth, so she resigned herself to being a detached observer.
"Ivy!" Tanya Thorne grabbed Ivy Holden's arm and asked cheerfully, "Is there any strawberry mousse today?"
Ivy glanced at the exquisite makeup on Tanya's face, shaking her head with a sigh. "It's a Chinese-style banquet, so there probably won't be any cake."
"Then I want... shrimp dumplings. Do they have those?" Tanya asked again.
"They should," Ivy replied, raising an eyebrow helplessly. "Are you two really here to celebrate his birthday?"
"Of course not."
"..." Ivy stared speechlessly at the girl in front of her.
"I'm here to thank you—for last night. Thank you. And as for all that messy stuff online, don't worry about it. Thorne has already taken care of everything," Tanya said with a smug smile.
"That's good to hear. I'll take you to find something to eat." Ivy pulled Tanya away from the crowd and toward the side.
Despite the banquet being packed with guests, Edison Holden was not one for fanfare. Before the feast officially began, he stood on the small stage, offered a few simple words of thanks, and declared the party started, adding with a smile that everyone should relax and not stand on ceremony. The guests raised their glasses for a collective toast to Mr. Holden, after which people began approaching him for individual toasts or broke off into private conversations.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the boisterous activity, Ivy found a corner, sat down with her plate, and began to eat slowly.
However, peace was not to be.
Ivy just wanted to eat in peace, but she had barely taken two bites before she heard someone calling out for her.
"Ivy? Where are you, Ivy?" It was Leila Lane's voice, and Ivy immediately frowned.
Carson Holden had a poor impression of the Zimmers Family, though he always maintained a polite facade. He couldn't recall sending the Zimmers an invitation to the banquet and was puzzled as to how these two had managed to get in.
"Leila Lane is here? And this is..." Brooke Morrison said, looking at the young man beside Leila. He had a delicate, androgynous beauty and seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.
Leila Lane glanced at the handsome young man by her side and smiled. "Why, this is James Zimmers. How could you not recognize him, Auntie Morrison? Ivy is quite fond of him, you know. Since today is Grandpa Holden's birthday, I made a point to bring him along to pay his respects."