Chapter 284: What Is She Doing Up There?

The Fosters and the Daltons had agreed not to hold the twins’ and Alexander’s actual birthday celebrations at the same time.

Although their guest lists were different, there were several people who belonged on both—including Isobel.

More importantly, Kristoff wanted Alexander to be there.

His little boy was, after all, related to the twins by blood through Isobel. Kristoff had no intention of allowing that connection to be overlooked, especially on such an important occasion.

There was another reason as well.

Morgan and Kristoff had another business collaboration in the pipeline. Their families attending each other’s celebrations was therefore more than a matter of courtesy. It was another quiet step toward strengthening the alliance between two powerful families that had spent generations on opposite sides of the business world.

At first, Henry and Mary Dalton strongly objected.

The Fosters had been the Dalton family’s fiercest rivals for as long as anyone could remember. The feud between the two families had been passed down from one generation to the next, becoming almost a tradition in itself.

But Kristoff had refused to let the old grudge dictate his decisions.

"Dad. Mom. Whatever feud you and Grandpa had with the Fosters has nothing to do with me."

His stern words had left both Henry and Mary speechless.

Kristoff was no longer a boy they could order around. He had built his own reputation, made his own decisions, and proven that he was more than capable of handling the affairs of the Dalton family.

After that, they stopped interfering in his business dealings.

As far as they were concerned, there was little reason to fight him over it—especially when the Dalton Conglomerate’s real estate division was booming under his leadership.

Business was thriving.

And if working with Morgan Foster could make the empire even stronger, perhaps the old feud was no longer worth preserving.

After all, times had changed. The next generation had no reason to inherit a war they had never started.

And so, for the sake of family, business, and the future, the Fosters and Daltons agreed to put their differences aside—at least for the children’s birthdays.

Since Kit and Kat were older than Alexander, their birthday celebration was held during lunchtime in the lavish banquet hall named Hansel and Gretel.

The moment the guests stepped inside, they were transported into a fairy tale.

The entire hall was filled with the warm, intoxicating scents of vanilla and cinnamon, mingling with the mouthwatering aromas of freshly baked pastries, roasted meats, glazed fruits, and other delicacies prepared for the occasion.

At the center of the hall stood a magnificent stage designed to resemble the gingerbread house from the famous children’s story.

It was enormous.

The walls appeared to be made of gingerbread, the roof covered in layers of white icing, and the windows framed with colorful sugar decorations. Even the chimney seemed to have been sculpted from chocolate.

Every table carried its own miniature wonderland.

Vibrant mosaics of gumdrops, candied cherries, chocolate pieces, and rainbow sprinkles surrounded the centerpieces. Crystal jars overflowed with brightly colored sweets, while tiny gingerbread houses served as decorative accents.

From the main entrance all the way to the stage, a whimsical pathway had been created from multicolored peppermint discs and powdery white marshmallows wrapped carefully in clear plastic.

Above them, fluffy clouds resembling enormous cotton candies floated beneath the ceiling, surrounded by clusters of pink and blue balloons.

It was the kind of place children could only dream about.

Yana and Randy were completely captivated. They could not believe such a place could exist.

Their eyes widened as they stared around the hall, barely knowing where to look first.

"Wow..."

Randy’s mouth fell open.

Yana tugged excitedly at Alena’s hand.

"Mom, Look! Look over there!"

Alena smiled despite herself.

She and Leon remained cautious, keeping a close eye on the children. But neither of them had the heart to stop them from enjoying the magical world the Fosters had created for the twins.

For once, the children were allowed to simply be children.

Carlos arrived with Denise and his sister-in-law, accompanied by a nanny.

He appeared attentive to the conversation around him, occasionally responding with polite smiles and nods.

But his attention was not entirely on them.

Every so often, his eyes drifted across the crowded hall.

Toward Alena.

She had deliberately chosen a seat in a quieter corner, hoping to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

For the occasion, she had chosen a simple cocktail dress—elegant but understated, the kind of dress that allowed her to blend into the crowd rather than draw attention to herself.

Carlos’s gaze lingered on her.

He had never seen her dressed like this before.

Back in the small apartment where he had kept her, she was almost always in comfortable loungewear, looking relaxed and completely at ease. The only exception had been those nights when she deliberately dressed up in sexy lingerie for him.

But this was different.

There was nothing provocative about the dress, yet somehow, it made her look even more alluring.

Carlos found himself studying her longer than he intended.

She wasn’t wearing one of the magnificent ball gowns that some of the female guests had chosen for the occasion. There were no diamonds glittering at her throat or elaborate jewels drawing attention to her.

She didn’t need any of that.

The simplicity of the dress only seemed to emphasize her natural beauty.

For the first time, Carlos realized that perhaps he had never really seen her like this before—not as the woman he knew inside the confines of that apartment, but as a woman standing quietly among a crowd, completely unaware of how much attention she had captured.

His eyes remained on her for another moment before he finally looked away.

The birthday ceremony eventually began.

When it was time to blow out the candles, the children were called toward the stage.

The entire Morgan family gathered together for the candle blowing, the birthday song and the photographs.

Judy Foster had flown in from Fiorenza with her husband, Pierce Brusman, a strikingly handsome man with ash-blond hair and piercing electric-blue eyes. They had arrived that very morning, determined not to miss such an important milestone in the lives of the Foster family’s little prince and princess.

From the many’s perspective, together, they looked like a picture-perfect family.

Yet, standing among them was another woman who did not share their blood, their wealth, or their name.

Isobel.

What is she doing up there?