Chapter 333
The Lawrence family estate stood near the historic city center.
Its dark bricks and gray tiles spoke of timeless elegance.
Two stone lions guarded the entrance in silent vigilance.
The vermilion doors opened to a spacious courtyard.
Seasonal vegetables grew along the bluestone pathways.
Tender spinach and vibrant chives thrived in the winter sun.
Hannah Morse’s eyes widened.
“A vegetable garden in the city center?”
Marcus Lawrence greeted them with a warm smile.
“Come inside, it’s cold out.”
His red sweater made him look especially spirited.
Mr. Lawrence, Jingsheng, waited under the corridor’s eaves.
Dressed in a dark gray suit, he carried an air of refined intellect.
Mrs. Lawrence, Lihua, approached with a fruit platter.
An emerald cheongsam and cashmere shawl complemented her gentle smile.
They welcomed the girls warmly.
Hannah nervously twisted the hem of her coat.
Sophia Sullivan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
In the main hall, an elder sat in a traditional armchair.
His presence commanded respect and authority.
Hannah inhaled sharply.
Sophia remained composed as she presented her gift.
It was a set of fine calligraphy tools.
Marcus accepted it with delight.
“How did you know I’d love this?”
Sophia simply smiled.
Hannah offered a limited-edition gaming console.
Marcus’s eyes lit up even more.
“Thank you both.”
The birthday dinner was held in the east wing.
Only two tables were set.
One for the Lawrence family and their relatives.
The other for Marcus’s friends and classmates.
Sophia and Hannah were seated at the second table.
Several other young guests were already there.
Marcus made the introductions.
“These are my childhood friends.”
A young man in a black sweatshirt extended his hand.
“I’m Zachary.”
Sophia shook it lightly.
Hannah, mid-bite with a pastry, offered an apologetic smile.
The man beside Zachary spoke up.
“You look familiar.”
Sophia glanced up.
It was Benjamin.
Ethan Roscente’s business partner.
She recognized him.
Zachary asked curiously, “You know her, Ben?”
Benjamin smiled suggestively.
“Aren’t you Mr. Roscente’s—”
Marcus cut him off.
“It’s my birthday, Ben.”
His tone held a clear warning.
Benjamin immediately backtracked.
“My mistake, sorry.”
He raised his glass in apology.
But his eyes lingered on Sophia.
She lowered her gaze to her tea.
Noise erupted from the main table.
A painted screen separated the two groups.
Benjamin took his drink and moved behind it.
An enthusiastic voice carried over.
“Professor Shaw, I’ve heard so much about you…”
Sophia’s hand stilled.
Professor Shaw?
She looked toward the screen.
Silhouettes moved behind the ink-wash painting.
Their features were unclear.
Marcus placed a osmanthus cake on her plate.
“Try this, our chef’s specialty.”
Hannah leaned in and whispered.
“That Professor Shaw… could it be…?”
Sophia shook her head gently.
She signaled not to ask.
Halfway through the dinner, a chair scraped behind the screen.
A familiar figure stepped into view.
A charcoal gray overcoat. Gold-rimmed glasses.
Alexander Laurent approached with a glass in hand.
His gaze fixed directly on Sophia.
“What a coincidence.”
Sophia Sullivan lowered her gaze, quietly picking at her food.
The Lawrence family banquet was of the highest standard.
It was said they had specially hired a former White House executive chef.
Every dish was as exquisite as a work of art.
Even the dessert was the famously delicate almond tofu.
Hannah Morse's eyes sparkled as she ate.
"Sophia, this is incredible… that one is amazing too… you have to try it…"
Her cheeks were stuffed full, but she still remembered to recommend dishes to Sophia.
Sophia chuckled softly. "Okay, I'm eating it."
Marcus Lawrence suddenly stood up. "Sophia, Hannah, come with me for a moment."
They both looked up simultaneously.
Hannah: "What for?"
Her face was a mask of reluctance that clearly said, "Don't interrupt my meal."
Marcus: "To go greet the elders at the main table."
Hannah really wanted to refuse.
They weren't familiar with those people.
There would be nothing to talk about.
It was better to just eat a few more bites.
But Marcus had personally come to get them.
And they were the Lawrence family elders.
It would be impolite to decline.
They picked up their drinks and followed him to the main table.
Behind the screen, Sophia immediately spotted Alexander Laurent.
Her steps faltered slightly.
The elder Mr. Lawrence sat at the head of the table.
On either side were Mrs. Lawrence and Liam Evans.
Alexander Laurent sat next to Liam Evans.
What surprised her even more was that Sebastian Evans was also there, seated right beside Alexander.
"Marcus—" The old lady beamed upon seeing her grandson. "Are these your two classmates?"
Sophia and Hannah said in unison, "Hello, Grandma."
"Good, good, such good girls."
Liam Evans walked over to Marcus, smiling as he gestured to Sophia and Hannah. "These are Marcus's classmates. Comrades from the lab."
He introduced everyone at the table one by one.
Neglected to the side, Zachary Wang watched this scene, grinding his teeth in frustration.
After the introductions, Liam smiled at the three of them. "You brought your glasses, right? Go offer a toast to your uncles."
He then looked at the others. "The kids are still students. They'll use drinks instead of alcohol. The sentiment is what matters."
Someone immediately chimed in. "Of course we can't let the kids drink. Drinks are fine. We're family; we don't stand on ceremony."
Sophia and Hannah exchanged a look.
They had no choice but to follow Marcus and offer toasts to each person in turn.
When it was Alexander's turn, Sophia couldn't bring herself to call him "Uncle."
She only softly addressed him as "Professor."
Alexander's expression darkened slightly.
As he picked up his glass, he shot a glance at Liam Evans.
Liam: "?"
Why did it suddenly feel cold?
Alexander's presence today was purely accidental.
The elder Mr. Laurent and the elder Mr. Lawrence were old friends of many years.
But the two families hadn't interacted frequently in recent times.
For this Lawrence family banquet, Frederick Laurent had originally planned to attend himself.
But he was suddenly hospitalized for an asthma attack.
The eldest son, Mr. Roscente, was to represent him.
But his status as a businessman was sensitive.
It wasn't suitable for him to associate closely with the Lawrence family.
The second son, Mr. Winston, was a lawyer.
His status was even more sensitive.
In the end, only Alexander could go.
When Mr. Roscente made the suggestion, he was fully prepared to be refused.
To his surprise, Alexander actually agreed.
"…You're really going?"
Alexander nodded. "Yeah. Your jaw's hitting the floor."
Mr. Roscente silently closed his mouth, his expression one of sheer disbelief.
He immediately went to find Sylvia Laurent. "Mom, I think something's wrong with Alexander."
Sylvia: "?"
Mr. Roscente: "Should you find a mystic to check on him?"
"Check what?"
"I suspect he's been possessed."
Sylvia: "…"
Alexander offered no explanation.
He just wanted to see if she would come.
Now, facing Alexander, Sophia could still get away with calling him "Professor."
But when it was Sebastian's turn…
Calling him "Uncle" was absolutely impossible.
Marcus and Hannah also looked extremely awkward.
During the lab's establishment, they had dealt with Sebastian frequently and were quite familiar with him.
They usually called him "Mr. Evans."
How had he suddenly become "Uncle"?
Liam, unaware of the situation, urged, "Marcus, lead the way. Greet him."
Marcus: "…"
Sebastian smiled and raised his glass. "Don't. I'm not that much older than them. Calling me 'Uncle' makes me feel ancient."
His gaze swept over Sophia, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "Just call me Sebastian."
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. "Sebastian, a toast to you."
"Thanks. But… 'Sebastian' doesn't sound right. I prefer 'Bash.'"
Hannah readily adapted. "Bash."
Finally, it was Sophia's turn…
She felt a laugh bubbling up.
This man really never missed a chance to gain an upper hand.
Fine, he won this round.
Just as she was about to open her mouth and call him "Bash," Alexander suddenly spoke—