“Alright then,” Sun said, “We’ll go downstairs. Remember to tell us when Mommy wakes up!”

“Mmhm. Go and play!” Adrien shooed the children out of the room.

“Timothy,” Alana crouched in front of the boy and said to him, “The three boys are downstairs. Weren’t you complaining you were bored earlier? Why not bring them to the garden?”

“Yes, Timothy,” Alondra added, “You’re the only kid here, and all the adults are drinking wine and dancing. If you want to have some fun, you should bring them to the garden.”

“Alright then.” Timothy thought the banquet was getting quite boring. He took the three boys to the garden.

Alondra exchanged glances with Alana. “Now’s our chance!”

“Be careful, Auntie!” Alana was feeling uneasy.

Alondra lifted her gown and followed the four children into the garden.

“Mr. Ryker.” Alana elegantly walked up to Abel’s side. “Shall we dance?”

Even though Abel was downstairs, his heart was still upstairs. He could not shake off the image where Adrien was so concerned about Emmeline.

He wanted to take care of Emmeline too, but he did not have a good reason as Adrien did.

Alana came to ask him for a dance at a bad time, and he was feeling annoyed about it.

He was about to decline when Rosaline walked over.

“Abel, you’re bound to marry Alana some time in the future. What would others think if you don’t dance at least once with her?”

“Yes, Mr. Ryker,” Alana said while lowering her head to look pitiful. “I’d feel absolutely humiliated.”

“Mm.” Abel stood up reluctantly, took Alana’s hand, and entered the dance floor with a sullen face.

Alana could sense the anger emanating from Abel’s body, but she was nonetheless happy that Abel was physically close to her in front of so many influential individuals and families of Struyria.

Suddenly, someone shouted at the back door. “Oh no! One of the boys fell into the pond! Will somebody save him?”

His voice was drowned by the music in the hall.

Alana clung to Abel tightly and led him to a far corner of the dance floor.

The people near the back door stopped dancing and ran outside.

“What’s going on over there?” Abel frowned slightly.

“It’s none of our concern. Let’s continue dancing.” Alana turned Abel around.

“No, something seems to be happening,” Abel said.

“What could possibly happen on this joyous occasion?”

At that moment, the music suddenly stopped.

Abel heard someone yelling, “One of the boys fell into the pong!”

One of the boys? Is it one of the three or Timothy?

Abel immediately shoved Alana aside and walked quickly toward the back door.

Emmeline and Adrien also heard the commotion and went downstairs.

“What happened, Mother?” Adrien asked Julianna, who seemed very flustered.

“You should go to the back garden quickly! Someone said one of the boys fell into the pond. It’s either Timothy or one of my three grandchildren!”

Adrien was surprised. What? How did that happen?

When Emmeline heard that, she flipped over the banister and ran to the garden.

“Help, someone!” The nanny was kneeling next to the pond. “Someone please save Hesperus!”

“Don’t die, Star!”

“Mommy will come and save you! Hang in there!”

Sun and Moon were also crying next to the pond.

Timothy was wiping tears from his face. “I’m sorry, Star. I didn’t mean to shove you. I thought someone shoved me from behind, and I accidentally shoved you too. I didn’t mean to do that, Star. Boo hoo…”

Alondra was cackling while hiding in the bushes. “Heh! You happened to be standing in the perfect position. No one would suspect that I shoved you! They will only think you’re the one who shoved Hesperus into the pond! Hahaha!”