Chapter 76: Governor

Enzo scratched his hair, feeling that the Stanley Family’s dignity was slowly being stripped away.

A family like theirs shouldn’t have to endure a situation like this.

He couldn’t help wondering whether his presence was the cause, considering that he had experienced the loss of dignity himself before.

"Lady, this must be Oliver’s doing. He owns shares in the limousine company, and it’s no secret that the company has installed certain systems in its vehicles that allow them to be remotely controlled through a computer," Gracie said with an angry expression.

She couldn’t imagine how people would look at them after they arrived in a damaged car.

"Little sister, this is exactly why you should have taught that man a lesson earlier. We showed him kindness, but he clearly has no intention of returning it. He’s probably laughing at us right now," Aaron added.

However, Miya remained silent, her eyebrows knitted together as though she had nothing to say.

Enzo observed her.

Miya had been holding herself back because she didn’t want to put innocent civilians at risk. However, for someone accustomed to dominating her enemies, being provoked again after deliberately restraining herself was worse than having salt rubbed into an open wound.

Enzo suddenly realized that forcing Miya to keep holding herself back would probably only frustrate her.

Once he understood this, he reached out and held her slender hand.

It didn’t matter that they were in front of other people. As her husband, helping her calm down was his responsibility.

Miya was slightly surprised by his action, but she immediately smiled. Meanwhile, the others looked at him strangely.

"You’re the one who understands me best. No wonder you became my husband," the woman said with a chuckle.

Aaron, Gracie, and Eva could only stare in confusion after hearing that.

Enzo felt awkward and wanted to slap his forehead, but he forced himself to maintain a calm expression.

If Miya hadn’t tied her hair into a bun, he might even have stroked her hair.

"We’ve arrived," Aaron suddenly announced.

After saying that, he turned the car into the courtyard of a large glass building surrounded by numerous entrances, each approximately ten meters apart.

It appeared to be a venue specifically designed to host large events.

Enzo noticed that there were more guests at this event than at his wedding. There were also plenty of reporters wandering around because they hadn’t been prohibited from approaching the venue or entering the grounds.

After all, the governor ultimately lived off the people’s taxes. Naturally, he couldn’t hold an event completely closed to the public. Although the news claimed that his children had organized the event simply to celebrate their father’s birthday, that was probably nothing more than a convenient excuse to maintain a positive public image.

Even so, the event still seemed excessively extravagant.

A huge screen mounted on the building displayed the image of an elderly man dressed modestly, wearing a warm smile.

Anyone arriving at the venue would inevitably see his enormous portrait and feel insignificant in comparison.

As it happened, just five meters beyond the turn stood Alex and the governor’s youngest son, Aaron Lopez.

They stared at the limousine with its missing hood in confusion.

Other people who noticed it also turned their attention toward the vehicle.

Even the reporters began taking pictures.

A damaged car would attract attention even at an ordinary person’s birthday party.

Even if the damage had resulted from an accident on a road not far from the venue, wouldn’t it have been better to switch to another car rather than become the subject of gossip?

Aaron was naturally too arrogant to park in the parking lot. Instead, he drove straight to the main entrance and stopped the limousine there.

Gracie was sitting closest to the door, so she opened it and stepped out first. Eva followed, maintaining a cold expression, while Gracie smiled at everyone around them.

"Everyone, I’m here with Lady Stanley and her husband. We just had an unfortunate accident, but since the car can still run, we decided to continue our journey," she explained, addressing the situation.

However, the accident was hardly an interesting topic once people heard that Lady Stanley was involved.

Everyone’s attention turned toward the car door. Then, a pair of long legs emerged from the vehicle.

Miya stepped out first since she was sitting closer to the door.

Enzo followed, but he didn’t attract much attention because everyone was focused on Miya, who was practically the most famous person in the region.

"Hahaha! Young Lady Stanley, it’s been a long time! I’m truly honored that you’ve come to celebrate my birthday!" A hearty, welcoming laugh echoed from the building’s entrance.

An elderly man appeared alongside a group of men in black suits, each carrying an air of distinction.

’The governor...’ Enzo recognized him immediately because he had often seen the man on television. Although the elderly man dressed modestly, there was something about his smile that suggested he was far from an ordinary person.

He quickly walked toward Miya.

"Mr. Lopez..." Miya greeted the governor.

Although her voice was soft and her expression mostly indifferent, her greeting at least showed a trace of respect.

The governor smiled brightly upon hearing it. He had been worried that Miya would remain completely cold and indifferent toward him.

That would have made him look insignificant in front of everyone.

"You’ve grown into such a mature woman. The last time we met, you were still a young lady. I apologize for not attending your wedding. Unfortunately, I had so much work at the time that I simply couldn’t leave," the governor said enthusiastically.

"Oh, I shouldn’t be calling you Young Lady anymore, should I? My apologies, my apologies..." He chuckled.

"It’s fine. After all, you’re a good friend of my father’s. Besides, I suppose I’m still quite young," Miya replied with a faint smile.

"That’s true. You’re still young..." The governor nodded.

"Is this your famous husband?" he asked, looking at Enzo.

"Yes..." Miya nodded. "Mr. Lopez, could we go inside now?" she asked.

The governor had no choice but to nod repeatedly.

"Of course, of course! Come, come! A special table has already been prepared for you," he said.

"Governor, aren’t you going to greet me? Have you forgotten who I am?" Gracie suddenly chimed in, a cheerful smile on her face.

From the beginning, the governor had seemed to deliberately ignore her, even though her status as the wife of the Solace Family Head was extremely prestigious.

The Solace Family wasn’t merely wealthy. In City Z and the Southeast American State, their cultivation strength was probably second to none except the Stanley Family.

"Hmph!" The governor immediately snorted in response.