Chapter 4

The next day, I went to the Gibbs house as promised.

When Gina walked over in her trailing wedding dress, I was squatting in a corner fixing Isaac's little suit.

"Lewis, you came. Perfect, there's something I'd like your help with."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what trick she was pulling.

She clapped her hands, and two bodyguards in black emerged from behind her, grabbing my arms on either side.

"The kitchen is short-handed today. The dishwashing lady ran off at the last minute. Lewis, you're not doing anything anyway, so go help out."

I frowned.

"Gina, you invited me to your wedding just to have me wash dishes?"

She looked me up and down, her gaze full of condescension.

"Kitchen work isn't hard. Washing plates, wiping floors—you can't tell me you can't even do that? You're not the pampered daughter living in luxury at the Gibbs house anymore."

The two bodyguards dragged me toward the kitchen.

Isaac rushed over and hugged my leg.

"Don't touch my mom!"

She gestured to the bodyguards, and another one came forward, grabbed Isaac by the back of his collar, and lifted him away from me.

"Gina!" I struggled and shouted. "Let go of my son!"

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything to him." She adjusted her veil, her tone light and airy. "When you finish your work in the kitchen, I promise your son will be returned to you safe and sound."

She paused, then leaned close to my ear and lowered her voice.

"Of course, that's assuming you do the job well. If you break even one plate, you and your son will have to go home naked today."

The bodyguards dragged me into the kitchen and threw me in front of a pile of greasy plates.

"Finish washing before you can leave." The door locked from the outside.

I took a deep breath, rolled up my sleeves, and started washing.

I washed for almost an hour, my hands turning pale and wrinkled.

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from the distance.

Then came Gina's scream:

"How is that possible? I was wearing it on my hand! That diamond ring cost fifty million!"

"How could it disappear!"

My heart sank with an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

I looked out through the crack in the door.

The next second, I heard Gina continue speculating:

"Just now... just now a child got pretty close to me. He even bumped into me, and then my ring disappeared."

Before Gina finished speaking, bodyguards walked out with Isaac in tow.

Isaac was still holding half a macaron, his cheeks puffed out, looking a bit confused by the sudden attention.

"I didn't!"

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

Isaac began struggling violently.

Gina stepped forward quickly, apologizing with false concern:

"Isaac, I'm sorry."

"This ring is really too valuable. I can't afford to lose it. I just want to make sure—just to check if you have it on you. If you don't, I'll have them let you go immediately!"

Under the gaze of everyone present, the ring was pulled out of Isaac's pocket.

The entire banquet hall instantly erupted in an uproar. Contemptuous and scornful looks came from all directions.