chapter1169

Erik frowned and shot Gianna a look. "Keep an eye on them. Don't let them stir up any trouble."

Gianna nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

She honestly didn't like the look of those three at all.

Not long after Lydia and her friends headed inside, Lucinda arrived with Yara and Tina.

The moment Lucinda appeared, everyone froze in shock. "Miss Norwood!"

She was the heiress to the richest family in the country. Erik hadn't even tried to send an invitation to the Norwood family for his grandmother's birthday. He figured the Bland family just wasn't in the same league.

He never expected Miss Norwood would show up on her own.

Lucinda gave a graceful smile. Mr. Bland, my parents heard about your grandmother's birthday and sent me with a gift to wish her well."

Yara smiled too. "We actually bumped into Miss Norwood at the hotel entrance, so we just came in together."

As soon as Gianna realized the girl in front of her was the Norwood heiress, she rushed over to flatter her. Miss Norwood, your visit is such an honor. Please have fun."

Lucinda smiled politely. "Everything's lovely. You two must be busy, so I'll go inside and wish Mrs. Bland a happy birthday."

"Of course, of course."

Gianna watched Lucinda walk away and couldn't help but huff. "That's what you'd expect from a billionaire's daughter. She's so approachable. Not like those three from earlier..."

But what Gianna didn't realize was that Lucinda absolutely loved being treated like royalty.

Inside the banquet hall, everything glittered under the lights. Guests chatted in little groups. Lydia walked in with Juna and Lincoln, listening closely to the gossip swirling around them.

As expected, the Bland family was the talk of the party.

"Have you heard? Krista used to get picked on by Mrs. Bland all the time, just because she couldn't give birth to a son. She made her life miserable.

"I know, right? And now look. The mistress and her illegitimate daughter have moved in and Krista's stuck alone in the old house. Erik's such a jerk. Without the Rocks family's help back then, where would he be now?"

Lydia listened, quietly sizing up the situation. On the surface, the Bland family looked impressive, but inside, it was a mess Mrs Brand acted tough, but once the mistress moved in, she was powerless. She really was the type to pick on the weak.

So, Erik was the one running things now.

Which meant... if anyone had been replaced by a clone, it was probably him.

While Lydia was lost in thought, Lucinda, Yara, and Tina walked into the hall.

Lucinda spotted Lydia right away and gave her a satisfied little smile.

Yara was stunned to see Lydia here. She'd asked Marilyn, who promised she hadn't

sent Lydia an invitation. So how did Lydia get in?

Great. Just great.

Lydia glanced at her but didn't

bother to react. She took a seat with

Juna and Lincoln in one of the

busiest spots. After all, she was here

to dig up information, so the more crowded the better.

Juna knew Lydia well, and Lydia's odd behavior caught her attention. She gave her a curious look. "Lydia, what's so interesting about the Bland family?"

Lydia's tone was thoughtful. "The Bland family... has the same problem as the Lowe family."

"What?"