Chapter 30: You’ll Take My Place
“Let go of me!” Molly was pulled back, falling down hard, her scalp tingling with pain.
“Miss Clarke, why so agitated? Oh, maybe you haven’t had your birthday cake yet. Here, let me treat you.” Paige smiled innocently, then smeared the remaining cake in her hand all over Molly’s meticulously done makeup.
“Ahhh!!!” Molly screamed uncontrollably as the cake splattered all over her face, her hands frantically trying to wipe it off.
“Miss Lautner, isn’t this going too far?” Malik approached with concern.
Paige glanced at him, slowly saying, “Oops, slipped.”
Malik’s face turned pale with anger, but he felt powerless. He had decided not to antagonize the Lautner family…
Molly, never before subjected to such humiliation, cried uncontrollably, tears washing away her makeup and mixing with the sticky cake, ruining her once radiant face.
Paige refocused her attention on Molly, gripping her hair tightly, forcing her to look up. “Look closely.”
Molly reluctantly opened her eyes, seeing the entire venue in ruins. All the decorations were destroyed, flowers trampled into mud, the gourmet food and wine from the tables scattered on the ground. Even the six-tiered cake tower lay toppled by the security guards.
A scene of devastation.
“Like what you see?” Paige asked, looking down at her.
Molly trembled, tears streaming down her face as she stared at Paige. “What… what do you want?”
“I want to see you embarrassed, to ensure you won’t have it easy,” Paige replied frankly, grabbing her hair again and forcing her to look at Nancy and the others. “You usually enjoy being the center of attention in this crowd, don’t you? Tell me, will you ever have such good days again?”
Molly looked at Nancy and the others, who had all backed away, avoiding eye contact, afraid of being associated with her. She closed her eyes, not wanting these people to witness her downfall.
“Open your eyes and look at all of this!” Paige’s voice was soft but chilling.
Molly shivered again, reluctantly opening her eyes to witness the most embarrassing and undignified moment of her life.
“Boom!” A loud crash.
Several outfits Molly had prepared to change into that evening were thrown in front of her, dresses torn into pieces, stuck in the spilled drinks and food all over the floor.
Malik stood aside, watching his daughter being treated so cruelly, feeling deeply pained. He forced a smile and addressed Paige, “Miss Lautner, indeed my daughter has gone too far today. I apologize.”
Upon hearing this, Molly choked up, adding, “Miss Lautner, I’m sorry. Please forgive me… I’ll make it up to you.”
“Can’t take it anymore?” Paige chuckled softly, locking eyes with her. “Do you finally feel trampled and humiliated?”
“I…” Molly couldn’t find the words.
Paige lowered her head slowly, whispering in her ear, “Molly, everything today is your doing. You could have smoothly hosted a birthday banquet, but you chose to play games with me.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Lautner,” Molly apologized tearfully.
“Do you think you’re clever? Let me tell you, I know that silver-haired boy likes you. I deliberately got him, deliberately provoked you to come after me,” Paige whispered softly in her ear.
At these words, Molly knelt on the ground, staring at her in shock. “What do you mean? Who are you?”
“Guess,” Paige smiled and looked at the wealthy present.
Molly was in disarray, staring at her blankly. What did she mean? Who was she really? Paige? Joss Lautner?
Molly knelt on the ground, grabbing her hand excitedly. “You are Paige, right? Joss Lautner wouldn’t go to such lengths to deal with me!”
“Paige? Who’s Paige?” Paige looked at her with a puzzled expression, then turned to the group of wealthy heirs present.
Before Molly could respond, Malik lifted his leg and kicked her. ‘Idiot. Saying such things in front of these wealthy, in front of the descendants of the Lautners, does she want the whole country to know that I raised an adopted daughter to save my own daughter’s life?’
Molly was knocked down. Malik glared at her furiously, she dared not speak again.
The entire venue was in chaos.
This birthday banquet might be something Molly remembered until the day she died.
“That’s enough for today,” Paige stood up leisurely, addressing Malik, “Senator Clarke, you really should discipline her properly. If you can’t even educate your own daughter, how can you be a senator?”
Malik’s face turned pale.
Paige then looked down at Molly, who was now a mess, and said with a smile, “However, regardless, the cake today was quite good.” She said the last sentence slowly and sarcastically. Then turned and walked out, and the people quickly split into two lines, clearing a path. Paige walked calmly along the empty aisle towards the exit.
All eyes were on her.
Mechanisms set at the top suddenly opened, showering down pink petals and balloons as if it were raining. Petals fell on Paige’s shoulders, hair, and dress, creating an incredible sight.
But she didn’t pause for a moment, didn’t even brush them off. With an unchanged expression, she stepped on the balloons underfoot and continued walking forward, step by step, disappearing through the venue’s entrance.
…
Malik, with a grim expression, went to help Molly up. Suddenly, Molly realized something and grabbed him, “Dad, who is she? She just told me…”
“Stop talking about it, Paige isn’t like that,” Malik interrupted her, lifting Molly up from the ground.
“But Dad… You’ve seen how much trouble I’ve been in since she appeared.”
Upon hearing this, Malik’s expression darkened. After a moment’s thought, he instructed the bodyguard who had followed them, “Keep an eye on her See where she goes, what she does, who she meets.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
“Yes, Sir,” the bodyguard hurriedly responded and left.
Malik then left with Molly.
Jaden, who had been observing from the sidelines, slowly emerged from the crowd. He opened his phone’s photo album and, in just a short time, took hundreds of pictures and recorded several videos.
This woman… is incredible. One is the manager of the Heaven Hotel, the other is a senator, accompanied by his internet-famous daughter, all manipulated by her. She’s really something.
Stunned, he stood there for a while before realizing he needed to report back.