Chapter 752


    When Cody was dered not guilty and released in court, the entire room erupted in cheers.


    Not only were there official media reporters present, including Sylvia and her group, but also some of


    Cody''s friends and former colleagues who hade early due to their concern for him.


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    Outside the courtroom, a crowd of reporters who couldn''t get inside swarmed towards Cody and


    Franklin.


    "Mr. Wright, how do you feel about being released in court?"


    "Going from a high-ranking figure to a defendant, what does that feel like?"


    "Your future as the head of Larro is probably in jeopardy. How do you feel about bing an ordinary


    person?"


    "How do your family and friends view you now?"


    The reporters fired off questions at Cody like rapid gunfire.


    Franklin frowned, exuding an aura of coldness.


    His powerful presence felt like an army of thousands. He stared at the reporters, his eyes filled with a


    chilling gaze. In a cold, unemotional tone, he said, "Please make way. My client will not be taking any


    interviews."


    The reporters were momentarily stunned by theck of warmth.


    So icy...


    So frigid...


    It was only at this point that they instinctively turned to Franklin, whose face was cold as ice, as if he


    were covered in ayer of frost. Just one look from him sent shivers down their spines, making them


    feel uneasy.


    For a moment, no one dared to utter another word.


    "Cody!"


    Just then, Mrs. Wright suddenly pushed through the crowd.


    She was dressed in a deep blue velvet suit, wearing low-heeled shoes.


    Her face had a lightyer of makeup, and although she seemed carefully dressed, it couldn''t hide the


    exhaustion and thinness on her face.


    It seemed she had been going through a tough timetely.


    Her flight had been dyed, and she hurriedly made her way here, waiting outside since her arrival.


    She was growing anxious.


    Now, seeing Codying out unharmed alongside Franklin, her anxious heart finally found some


    relief.


    With tearful eyes, she held Cody''s hands. "Cody, you''ve suffered."


    "It''s nothing, as long as our family is back together," Cody replied with a soft smile, looking at Mrs.


    Wright. "You''ve lost weight. Why did you lose so much weight?"


    "It''s because I''ve been worrying about you. I couldn''t eat or sleep properly."


    Mrs. Wright looked away, tears rolling down her cheeks.


    It had been too long, feeling like their family had been apart for a century. The taste of it was truly


    unbearable, something she never wanted to experience again in her lifetime.


    "Mom, don''t cry here. Dad''s been acquitted; this is a happy asion. Let''s go celebrate," Brayden


    walked over and gently patted Mrs. Wright''s shoulder. "I''ve reserved a private room at Balfax Hotel for


    us. Let''s have a meal, wee Dad back, and thank Franklin for helping with his exoneration."


    "Brayden, you''re absolutely right," Mrs. Wright nodded. "Let''s go."


    They moved forward, and the journalists surprisingly didn''t dare to crowd around. Under the imposing


    presence of Franklin, they instinctively made way, watching as the group got into two ck cars and


    drove away, leaving them in the dust.


    Sylvia and Franklin took one car, and the Wright family took the other.


    Cody''s acquittal brought immense joy to Brayden, who promptly booked several tables at Balfax Hotel.


    He excitedly called some of Cody''s old friends andrades to join the celebration. However, the


    responses were unexpected.


    Many of those who had once considered Cody a close friend turned down the invitations.


    Brayden fell into silence for a while, his voice tinged with guilt. "Dad, there''s something I need to tell


    you."


    Cody, with a gentle expression, asked, "What is it?"


    Brayden struggled to find the right words.


    Mrs. Wright nced at him sideways and asked, "Are those uncles and aunts of yoursing?"


    It was only then that Cody realized his wife and son had invited other people. Given his current status,


    having been acquitted but without a job, he immediately understood his son''s unspoken words.


    Now that he was no longer in power, those people probably wanted nothing to do with him, even


    though he had been proven innocent.


    But to Cody, it didn''t matter.


    "Today''s wee-back feast might not have many attendees, just our family and Franklin," Brayden


    said, his voice heavy with disappointment.


    Cody''s eyes dimmed briefly, but he smiled and understood his son''s intentions.


    He was acquitted, and Brayden wanted to throw a grand celebration to show everyone that he was


    innocent. However, these people now had thin skin and weren''t willing to attend without a sense of


    obligation.


    "Dad, I thought you''d finally be out, proven innocent, and I wanted to make it a cheerful event. But...


    many people said they had othermitments," Brayden said, growing more disheartened as he


    spoke.


    Cody didn''t care about these superficial matters and didn''t let them bother him. He said, "It''s okay, it''s


    just a regr family dinner, right? Fewer people make it morefortable. I just wanted to have a chat


    with our own people; the rest doesn''t matter."


    Brayden sighed and didn''t say anything more.


    Jenna was also feeling the weight of the situation, and she softlyforted Cody, "Godfather, I... I can


    y the piano for youter, okay? What song would you like to hear?"


    Her attempt atfort might have been a bit awkward, but it touched both Mrs. Wright and Cody


    deeply. They could tell that she genuinely cared about the Wright family.


    Mrs. Wright wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and said, "Jenna is such a sweet girl."


    She held Cody''s hand and continued, "Cody, it''s okay. If no onees, we''ll have our meal together.


    We''ll have a couple of drinks to shake off the bad vibes."


    Meanwhile, Brayden lowered his head to send a message to Franklin on Facebook.


    Sitting in the other car, Sylvia noticed Franklin let out a sigh and leaned back in his seat. She couldn''t


    help but ask, "What''s wrong?"


    Franklin replied, "Nothing, Brayden called to invite people for dinner, but not many areing. I was


    thinking of inviting a few of my MI6 members to liven things up."


    He leaned his head back, his handsome face clouded with frustration. Cody''s release from prison had


    been meant to send a clear message to Urgford and others, letting them know that the Wright family


    hadn''t been defeated. However, with so few attendees at the weing feast, it felt like the message


    had been lost.


    Franklin began sending messages on Facebook, reaching out to MI6''s core members and other friends


    he knew. As Cody had lost his job and position, with only Brayden remaining outside the world of


    politics, Urgford and others likely assumed the Wright family was done for and wouldn''t rise again.


    While Brayden was the CEO of Maskelyne Group, the real power rested with Franklin, making Urgford


    and his associates believe that attending this feast was a waste of time.


    So, one by one, they found excuses to decline. Now, they probably viewed Cody as dispensable, and


    the Wright family as incapable of making aeback.


    Franklin couldn''t help but let out a wry smile. He couldn''t stand seeing his close friend''s family


    mistreated like this. Those who chose not to attend now might regret itter.


    Sylvia had simr thoughts to Franklin. Shezily sat in her seat, reaching out to her acquaintances


    through Facebook.


    She wasn''t particrly fond ofrge gatherings, but her sister and brother-inw were hosting this


    feast, and someone had to show up, right? The absence of guests was a sign of disrespect, and she


    was not pleased.


    An inexplicable sense of anger swelled within her, especially when she thought about Mrs. Wright''s


    tears and her recent weight loss. It made her even more furious.


    Disrespecting Mr. and Mrs. Wright equaled to disrespecting herself.


    Sylvia directly posted a message in the Secretly, Greatly chat group:


    Zero: [Lunch at Balfax Hotel, who''s free to join for a meal?]


    Wind: [Me, me, me! I''m in!]


    Alby: [I just arrived in Urgford for business, just got off the ne. Share the address with me.]


    Ward: [Darn it! Another dinner invitation? I''m in Aettosa!]


    Chad: [I''m still in Middle Evroya, really want toe back! Annoying!]


    Sylvia shared the address in the group: [Waiting for you all.]


    After posting, she called Jonathan, "Lunch at Balfax Hotel at noon. It''s my brother-inw''s wee-


    back feast, and my sister is there too. Bring your mom; they used to be great friends."


    Jonathan, Jasper, and Franklin had all met before. Jonathan was the young master of the Bet


    family and a well-known esports yer.


    She then called Adriel, "Old man,e over to Balfax Hotel for a meal."


    Sylvia wasn''t finished. She made another call, "Weston,e to Balfax Hotel for a meal."


    They all knew Weston, the owner of that auction. He had extensive connections in Urgford and was a


    prominent figure.


    But even such a person had to listen when Sylvia called.


    Still not enough, Sylvia dialed another number, "ke, are you in Urgford? How about joining us for a


    meal?"


    ke...


    The name sounded strangely familiar, and Jasper had a vague sense of déjà vu, but he couldn''t recall


    where he had heard it.


    The calls continued, and after ke, there was someone named Arian, from the Dawson family?


    Jasper felt a bit overwhelmed.


    It seemed that Miss Andrews knew quite a few people in Urgford.


    Jasper also thought of something else: their Howlett family had a reputation in Urgford, and he decided


    to invite Mrs. Howlett for lunch. He sent her a Facebook message, "Mom,e to Balfax Hotel for


    lunch at noon and join the gathering. Yes, Miss Andrews is here. Mr. Maskelyne is also here."


    Franklin watched Sylvia closely. She was flipping through her phone contacts, her delicate and


    beautiful face slightly lowered, her sharp chin giving her an extra touch of charm. Her demeanor was


    exceptionally cool, yet impossible to ignore.


    At the entrance of Balfax Hotel, Katie and Kareem, the siblings, sat in a corner of the lobby, gazing out


    of the window casually.


    "It''s your birthday today, and Uncle invited many celebrities to celebrate with you. Why aren''t you


    happy?" Kareem took a sip from his water ss.


    Katie pouted, "It''s the same every year, just eating and banquets. It''s so boring."


    Her eyes nced toward the entrance, where a familiar face was greeting guests. When she saw that


    face, her whole body tensed, and her voice cracked.


    "Why is he here?"