Chapter 26


    Madeline Grant was in a daze. Did her son really just gift her a helicopter? She had to admit it was a


    rather sweet gesture on his part, but she could not help but wonder where he got the money from.


    She thanked the pilot before returning to her room and contacting her son.


    “You little punk, where did you get the money to buy a helicopter?!” she scolded Thomas through the


    phone.


    “I see you’ve received your present, Mommy. What do you think? Are you impressed with your son


    yet?” Thomas said cheekily on the other line.


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    “I’ll decide whether or not I’m impressed once you tell me where the money came from,” Madeline said


    sternly.


    “Oh, it was a gift from my dear Auntie Angie,” Thomas chuckled.


    “Well, your dear Auntie Angie is about to realize that she’s been fooled very soon. You’d better watch


    out,” she warned her son whilst rubbing her temple. How was her young son such a genius conman?


    “Well, Mommy, are you impressed now?”


    Thomas asked once again.


    “Yes, yes. Very impressed…,” Madeline trailed off as her cellphone indicated an iing phone call


    from Albert. She wished her son a quick goodbye before she picking up Albert’s call.


    “Ms. Grant, it’s almost time to head to the charity dinner. Your gown is ready and ced just outside


    your room,” Albert notified her, ever so professionally.


    “Alright,” Madeline said in response.


    ……


    Angie Grant had arrived at the VIP lounge of the Imperial Hotel together with her mother, Suzanne. She


    was ahead of schedule, well excited for the charity dinner happening that night. After all, she was the


    phnthropic darling of Imperia. She would not let the citizens of Imperia down, knowing they were


    eagerly waiting for her appearance tonight.


    After receiving the Global Ambassador of Phnthropy award tonight, she was also going to announce


    the news of her engagement to Noah Quincy. The mere thought of it made her giddy with excitement.


    “Mother, what do you think of my dress? Is it a little too in?” Angie was posing in front of Suzanne,


    doing a little twirl to show off her dress.


    She chose a pearl white ball gown adorned with beautiful pink pearls. It was elegant yet sexy at the


    same time.


    Suzanne was seated on the sofa, seemingly distracted as she sipped a cup of tea. She snapped back


    to reality as she saw her daughter approaching. “Darling, you’d look beautiful even if you were dressed


    in rags,” she assured her daughter.


    “Oh, Mother, stop with the empty ttery! There’s only half an hour until the dinner, I must be ready!”


    Angie was beginning to feel slightly anxious.


    “You look fine just the way you are. Come here and sit down with me,” Suzanne persuaded her


    daughter.


    “No, I can’t sit down. The dress will be crumpled!” Angie replied.


    “Alright then, you can continue standing. I have something to ask you,” Suzanne told her daughter


    while simultaneously signaling for the assistants and make-up artists to leave the room.


    They hastily packed up and left, leaving Suzanne and Angie alone in the room.


    “But Mother, my hair’s not done yet! Why did you ask them to leave?” Angie asked with a hint of


    impatience in her voice as she turned around to call the hairstylist back in.


    Suzanne grabbed her daughter by the arm before she could leave. “Angie, didn’t we agree on using


    only 400 million dors? James told me yesterday you took 600 million dors. What are you doing with


    all that money? That was meant be the start-up capital for Shallow Bay. You must return it immediately


    before your father finds out!” Suzanne was clearly panicked.


    James was thepany’s Chief Financial Officer. If he was asking around, it could very well mean


    there was a cash flow problem. Grant Corporation spent too much effort on this project for it to fail now


    because of a cash flow issue. A disaster of that magnitude would shake Grant Corporation to its core.


    There was too much on the line for Suzanne.


    “Oh, don’t worry about it, Mother. I took the money for the wedding! I’m going to be Mrs. Quincy


    very soon, and what’s a mere 6 million dors to the Quincies?” Angie brushed the matter off.


    Angie was determined to be an engaged woman by the end of tonight. Once the news got out, she


    would be married to Noah Quincy in no time.


    “Fine, but you must act quick. If your father finds out about the money, you and I both will be in trouble.


    Angie, I’m counting on you,” Suzanne urged her daughter. The one thing she had faith in was her


    daughter’s ability to charm a man. Everything will be right again once Angie bes a Quincy.


    Guests started filling the hotel ballroom as the charity night began. Angie was still affected by the


    Facebook incident, but she reminded herself that she was still an influential character within the


    phnthropic circle of Imperia. As she waltzed into the ballroom, Angie was relieved to catch plenty of


    heads turning and looks of admiration thrown her way. It was like a dreame true.


    She felt a huge sense of self-importance as she signed the event registry with a ck fountain pen.


    Her signaturemanded honor and respect from everyone present here today. On the red carpet,


    she was directed by the ushers to the very front row for the VIPs. As she found her name te


    indicating her seat, she was especially pleased to find Noah’s next to hers. Everyone in Imperia would


    know the man belonged to her!


    She took a seat, as elegant as ever. She had practiced her soft smile and angles prior to tonight, so the


    cameras were having a field day capturing her beautiful features. She was slightly worried as Noah had


    yet to show up although the dinner was about to begin. She should be used to it by now, but she could


    not help feeling disappointed at times like this.


    “Mr. Quincy!”


    “Mr. Quincy is here!”


    “Oh, look, it’s Mr. Quincy! Still as handsome as I remembered!”


    There was a flurry of activity at the entrance of the ballroom. Piecing together themotion and the


    excited whispers all around her, Angie knew Noah Quincy had arrived. She stood up excitedly, eager to


    get to his side so the crowd could see what a good-looking couple they made.


    As she turned around, she caught sight of the most eye-catching gentleman in the entire ballroom. He


    looked tall and regal in his fitted tuxedo,manding everyone’s attention. As she stepped forward to


    get closer to Noah, Angie suddenly noticed a woman by his side.