"I happen to have a task that day, but once I’m done, I’ll come pick you up, or I’ll have Caleb go with you," Kyle Kinston said.
"I can go by myself. It’s not like it’s a dangerous place," Mabel Quinn smiled.
"If anything happens, just call me," Kyle Kinston said.
"Okay, I got it," Mabel Quinn responded.
For Granny Taylor’s birthday banquet, the Quinn Family had naturally prepared meticulously, inviting many guests, including some relatives from the Quinn Family’s various branches and quite a few prominent figures from society.
On the day of the banquet, Kyle Kinston sent a driver to take Mabel Quinn over. Standing in front of the Quinn Family’s mansion, Mabel felt a hint of nostalgia, as she had visited here with her father before.
Every time her father visited the Quinn Family mansion, even if he didn’t bring her mother and older brother, he would always bring her along.
Presenting her invitation, Mabel walked into the banquet hall and went straight to Granny Taylor, offering her a gift.
"Granny, I wish you happiness as vast as the East Sea and longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain! Since the weather’s getting cooler, I chose a scarf. I hope you like it," Mabel said.
Alessia Quinn was standing right next to Granny Taylor and, upon seeing the gift box containing the scarf that Mabel had brought, sneered disdainfully, "Who knows which no-name brand this belongs to. It’s amazing you dared to give such a gift."
Granny Taylor cast a slightly displeased glance at her granddaughter, while Alessia’s mother, Camille Grant, quickly pulled on her daughter’s arm, signaling her to keep quiet and not cause any more trouble.
Reluctantly, Alessia clamped her mouth shut.
Granny Taylor held Mabel’s hand and said with a cheerful smile, "A gift is a token of thoughtfulness. Whatever Mabel gives Granny, Granny is very happy." Then, somewhat wistfully, she added, "Time flies, and you are a grown woman now."
Granny Taylor and Mabel chatted casually for a few more minutes, but Granny never asked about Mabel’s mother, Evelina, or her older brother Cecil Quinn. Mabel guessed that Granny might already be aware of some of the things that had happened between her and her mother and brother.
After finishing her conversation with Granny Taylor, Mabel found a seat and began to observe the people at the banquet. Not long after, there was some commotion near the entrance of the hall. Mabel looked intently and saw a dashing middle-aged man walk in; it was Edward Quinn, the current head of the Quinn Family.
Granny Taylor and her husband had two sons. After her husband passed away, the elder son, Edward Quinn, took charge of the Quinn Group, becoming the family leader. However, he remained unmarried all his life and had no heirs.
Edward Quinn was naturally handsome. Even now, as a middle-aged man, he possessed a mature charm that surpassed young men of today. Many women wanted to cozy up to him, yet it was never heard that he got close to any woman. Rumors even suggested Edward might be interested in men, which was why he never married and had no heirs.
Consequently, many believed that the future of the Quinn Family would invariably be handed down to Christopher Quinn’s son. Christopher had two sons, born respectively from his wife, Winifred Wright, and his mistress, Camille Grant.
The contention between both sides wasn’t new—they both eyed the position of Quinn Family heir intently. Yet, to this day, Edward Quinn had never declared who would inherit the Quinn Family legacy.
Edward Quinn walked into the hall, and Christopher Quinn stepped forward to greet him, "Big brother, the banquet will start soon."