Chapter 16 Someone Is Missing

Every person in attendance was dumbstruck upon hearing that. George asked, “Which Larson family is that?” Many people had the same question on their minds. There were no Larsons in George’s social circle. “It’s the Larson family, the most influential one in Waltz City!” said the person delivering the message. His face had turned scarlet and his body was shivering with anticipation. “What?” George was bewildered. In his panic, he knocked over a plate in front of him and it crashed onto his foot. The pain was excruciating, but he had other things on his mind. He widened his eyes and said, “Chase! Is this a mistake? Is that person genuinely one of the Larsons, the first family of Waltz City?” Chase gulped and nodded vigorously. He said with unprecedented seriousness, “Grandpa, I’m 100% positive!” George hissed as he inhaled deeply. The rest of the family felt like they were in a dream as well. They could not believe that this was real, and it took a long time for them to recover from the shock. Some thought that they were hallucinating. They pinched their thighs or slapped themselves. “Oh god, that hurts. It can’t be a dream!” George said anxiously, “What are you doing there staring into space? Go ahead and welcome them quickly. Go and welcome them right now!” They had no idea why the supreme Larson family would come to extend their wishes to George. It was akin to royalty deciding to send gifts and well-wishes to their subjects in ancient times. “I couldn’t have misheard, right? The Larsons, with a few billion dollars worth of properties, are here to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday? Since when was Grandpa such a reputable figure?” “We hit the jackpot, we hit the jackpot! They are the Larsons. If we can form an alliance with the Larsons, our Carter family will certainly rise to fame, hah-hah-hah!” “Everyone must be on their best behavior when the group from the Larson family arrives. We must do our best to flatter them. This is the chance for the Carters to climb up the social ladder!” All the Carter family members were elated. Just as everyone was speculating as to why the Larsons would come and celebrate George’s birthday, Ruby suddenly slapped her thigh and shouted aloud, “I knew it. The Larsons are here to offer birthday wishes to Master Carter out of respect for Ethan!” Her comment made everyone shift their gaze to Ethan. It was apparent that Ethan was stunned. He had no history with the Larsons. All he had was that brief conversation with Adrian Larson on the previous day. Was he so worthy of their respect? Moreover, it was the Larsons’ patriarch Jordan personally paying a visit. Faye’s eyes widened as she looked at Ethan. She found it incredible. Was Ethan held in such high esteem? George bought it. He said excitedly, “Ethan, was it you who invited the Larson’s patriarch to my party? You truly are the best grandson-in-law of mine, hah-hah-hah!” Ethan was walking on air upon hearing the praise. He assumed that the Larsons had actually come there to offer birthday congratulations to George out of respect for him. He quickly cleared his throat and said, “Grandpa, I have a rather close relationship with Adrian. I took the liberty to invite Adrian here to your 70th birthday party, yet I didn’t expect that he would actually have Jordan tagging along as well. That’s not a problem, is it, Grandpa?” George’s face was beaming with joy. He said ‘very well’ three times to express his utmost satisfaction with Ethan. He quickly told Faye, “Faye, Ethan is a fine man and he is countless times better than your useless ex-husband! You must take good care of Ethan as your husband and educate your children well after you marry him, okay?” The other women of the Carter family members were envious and jealous of her. They wished that they were the ones marrying Ethan. Faye bit her lower lip softly and did not speak. For some reason, she was reminded of Zayn. She remembered Zayn telling her that day that he would boost her reputation. She also recalled what Zayn said earlier about Adrian letting Thomas off out of respect for him and not Ethan. Ten minutes before their arrival, Jordan was seated in a Rolls-Royce Phantom on the way to George’s birthday party. “Dad, are we really going to offer birthday wishes to George? I’ve looked into George Carter, and he is but a minor business owner and the Carters are just a small family. Their company got into a serious financial crisis recently, and they are on the verge of bankruptcy. As the Larson’s family patriarch, giving birthday wishes to George is just going to be trouble for you. If news of this were to spread, you’re certainly going to end up as a joke,” Shane Larson, Jordan’s son, said with a frown. With a sigh, Jordan replied, “The Carters are facing a financial crisis, but so are the Larsons, aren’t we? That old fool grandfather of yours transferred over seven billion dollars to Zayn prior to his death. Without that money, our company no longer has an income stream. If we don’t get back the funds, we’ll be in deep trouble.” Jordan heaved another sigh and said, “You must be on your best behavior when you meet Zayn later. Apologize to him properly. Even if he were to beat you up and scold you, you must bear it, okay?” “I really don’t like that…” Jordan and the others arrived at the three-star hotel, but he did not enter right away. First, he passed a message to a Carter family member to announce their arrival. The goal was not to inform George, of course, but to tell Zayn they had come and they were very sincere. Jordan composed himself, put on a wide smile, and walked into the banquet hall in long strides. “Jordan Larson is here to convey his well wishes by sending over a box of white Alba Truffles, a set of Kenneth Noland’s paintings, an antique Black Forest cuckoo clock, and a gift of one million dollars in cash to Mr. George Carter for his birthday. We hope the coming years bring even more happiness, health, and wealth to you!” Every member of the Larson widened their eyes in surprise and held their breath in shock upon hearing the list of gifts! All else put aside, the cash gift of one million dollars was enough to stop anyone’s heart! That was on top of the numerous luxury presents mentioned previously. It was definitely a feat only a genuinely wealthy man was capable of! George was so delighted that his old face flushed scarlet upon hearing what he would receive. The smile on his face could not be hidden. Who claimed his 70th birthday party was cold and cheerless? With Jordan’s presence, he was already a winner in life. If news of this incident were to travel, would there still be anyone in all of Waltz City that would dare to criticize him? They say joyous occasions put people in good spirits. Indeed, George felt that he had become at least 20 years younger. Meanwhile, Ethan was excited beyond comparison as well. He swelled up with pride. Had all this not happened, he would not have known he was so highly regarded! If this were his and Faye’s wedding, would he receive a cash gift that was a hundred times more? Waine and Ruby were already grinning widely. After driving Zayn away, it was finally time for some good fortune. Then, Jordan walked over in quick strides. He immediately saw George and said heartily, “Mr. Carter, it’s your 70th birthday today. I hope you don’t mind me turning up at your party without an invitation.” George had seen Jordan in business magazines prior to this and could only admire him from afar. He never believed there would come a day that he would get acquainted with him personally. He was so ecstatic that he could hardly speak. “Mr. Larson! It’s my honor to have you here for this humble meal!” George held Jordan’s hand and could not contain his excitement. Ethan seized the opportunity to walk over in quick strides and said to Adrian, “Mr. Larson, I didn’t expect for you to show your courtesy to me by coming to my Grandpa’s birthday party. I’m truly grateful for your favor!” He talked loudly on purpose so everyone could hear him. He stood up straight and puffed out his chest akin to a triumphant rooster. He was as proud as one could be. Adrian furrowed his brows and felt that something was off. He said, “What are you talking about? Who said that I’m here out of courtesy to you?” The smile on Ethan’s face froze instantly and he was a little embarrassed. Meanwhile, Jordan expressed his displeasure on his face and glared at Adrian because he had not seen Zayn around. Adrian immediately trembled in fear. He swiftly asked Ethan, “Someone is missing from this party, right?”