Chapter 12
The dinner party was held at Wiltspoon Hotel, a place Serenity had never had the chance to visit. The Wiltspoon Hotel was known as one of the finest in the city, with some even claiming it was a seven-star hotel. However, Serenity had no way of verifying that claim, as she wasn’t one to follow such luxury news. Jasmine’s aunt, Rachel, arrived at the hotel ahead of the girls and greeted her friends before instructing her children to enter while she stayed outside to wait for Jasmine and Serenity.
As the car Rachel had arranged rolled in behind others, she smiled, her lips curling slightly in satisfaction. A few minutes later, Jasmine, with Serenity following closely behind, approached her aunt.
“Aunt Rachel.”
“Mrs. Lowe.” Serenity and Jasmine greeted Rachel.
Rachel wasn’t entirely happy about Jasmine bringing Serenity along, as she had met Serenity before. Despite coming from a middle-class family and having lost her parents at a young age, Serenity was undeniably more attractive than her niece. Serenity carried herself with a natural grace and elegance, even without the trappings of wealth. At first, Rachel had worried that Serenity might outshine Jasmine, but upon hearing that Serenity was married, she felt some relief.
When Rachel saw Serenity had chosen to wear common clothes, skipped the jewelry, and kept her makeup light, she relaxed. At least Jasmine’s glamorous appearance outshone Serenity’s natural beauty, and it was clear that Serenity understood her place.
“Come with me. I’ll take you in,” Rachel said. “Jasmine, take out your invite. The security will check it for registration.”
Jasmine immediately produced her invitation, and Rachel instructed them, “Mind yourselves once you’re inside. Talk less, observe more. When the time is right, I’ll introduce you around. Seren, I trust you more than Jasmine, so keep an eye on her and make sure she stays out of trouble. The Wiltspoon Hotel is owned by one of the wealthiest families, and their heirs might be here tonight.”
Rachel leaned in and whispered to Jasmine, “It would be a blessing to our family if you could win the heart of one of the heirs. They’re a family who keeps a low profile and values family values. You won’t hear much about power struggles with them. Most importantly, the men in that family are decent and don’t have mistresses.
“My daughter isn’t at the age to marry yet. Otherwise, I would have saved the chance for her.”
Rachel’s bond with her daughter was much closer than with her niece, though her daughter, being only seventeen, was not at the legal age to marry.
