Chapter 153

**Sarah**

As we entered the hotel, my family was greeted by the fragrant air freshener smell.

Rowan and Iris seemed excited to leave Serenity Pines Estate finally. Their outings from the villa had been limited for the past four years, but on the last day I brought the twins to the Luminary Productions' office, we were photographed getting out of the car.

The uproar was immediate and intense. Social media exploded with speculation, gossip columns spread theories, and even respected news outlets couldn't resist the story. As much as we wanted to keep them anonymous, we knew staying silent would only lead to more speculation. After hours of deliberation and consultations with our PR team, Philip and I decided to address the public.

Just a week later, we were at my father, Chairman Benner's, high-profile birthday party. It was our first public appearance as a family, and I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

"Miss, your invitation, please?" asked the doorman as we approached the enormous hall.

I handed over the invitation. He glanced down at my children. Rowan was holding my hand while Iris was with Philip. They were dressed in the formal attire required for the gathering, so I wasn't expecting any issues.

"The children have their own designated area this evening," he informed us. "Chairman Benner has arranged a special kids' party and entertainment in the Lily Blooms ballroom. It's fully staffed and secure."

I exchanged a worried glance with Philip, uncertain about leaving our children without either of us watching over them outside the villa. We were accompanied by Trey and three other highly trained bodyguards, but still...

"I'll stay with the children," Philip offered, his smile warm and comforting. "You should go talk to your dad. I know he's been looking forward to seeing you."

"Thanks, babe!" I wanted to tease him because I knew Philip didn't like children's parties, but he was determined to fulfill his daddy duties that day.

Iris tugged at Philip's sleeve, her brow furrowed in confusion. "We're not allowed to go inside with Mommy?"

"Daddy will stay with you in a special room just for kids," I explained gently, pointing towards an ornate door to our left. "There'll be games and other children to play with."

Iris looked at Rowan in confusion.

"It's probably because we're still small! Mommy, I promise I'll join you at every party once I'm big enough!" Rowan said.

His declaration made me smile, and I noticed Philip trying to suppress a chuckle.

Philip leaned in, kissing my cheek softly before guiding the two children, followed by Trey and another bodyguard, into the other hall.

As I entered the grand ballroom, my eyes immediately fell on Margarette and Lila. The two women's gazes narrowed upon seeing me, their animosity barely concealed behind forced smiles.

Lila had married a man who was utterly dependent on his family, and to this day, she blames me for ruining her reputation. Unfortunately, no respectable bachelor wants to marry her. She even tried to seduce Bronn, but she found her experience with Emily far more satisfying.

Amir was also there with his pregnant wife, Sienna Blake. The sight of her brought back memories of our chance encounter at the airport years ago, when she had helped me during the shocking discovery of my pregnancy.

Funny enough, Sienna had moved to Dubai to work for TerraTraxx and became Amir's subordinate. Their relationship took an unexpected turn, and I remember Jessica making things difficult for them before Amir finally decided to marry Sienna.

"Brother!" I called out, making my way towards Amir. I greeted him and his wife with a kiss on the cheek.

"Where are the twins and Philip? Why are you alone?" he asked with a frown.

I explained the situation, "Philip took the twins to the other hall. They've arranged a separate area for the children."

"Ahh, yeah, I forgot."

"Please forgive him, Sarah. The baby isn't born yet, so he's not quite tuned into these things," Sienna said with a giggle.

Before I could respond, a woman approached us. "Ms. Mitchell!" she greeted enthusiastically. "May I introduce you to some friends?"

Recognizing the networking opportunity, I agreed. As I had anticipated, many business partners were in attendance.

Amidst these interactions, a man's voice called, "Hello, sister-in-law!"

He was thin and conventionally handsome, but Philip was far more appealing.

"I'm sorry... who are you?" I asked, my brows furrowing. As far as I know, my only sister-in-law is Jane.

"Sister-in-law, ouch! I've heard about you, Ms. Sarah Benner. If I'd known Chairman Benner had a daughter like you, I might have thought twice before marrying Lila."

Ah, so this was Lila's husband. His identity suddenly made sense!

"What do you need from me?" I asked directly.

His smile widened, a predatory glint in his eyes.

"You're smart. I plan to open a casino business and want strong support. And perhaps, we can do more than just partnership..." he said, his tone suggestive.

Is he flirting with me? Yuck! I almost felt like throwing up.

I winced at the man's bold proposal, but years of handling tricky social situations had taught me to keep a calm exterior. Despite my growing irritation, I forced a polite smile.

"I'm sorry, but my schedule is full, and my funds are tied up with various companies. I'll talk to your wife when I have an opportunity in the future."

Before he could respond, I swiftly added, "If you'll excuse me, I have an urgent matter to attend to."

I pulled out my phone from my clutch purse, making it clear that I wasn't interested in continuing the conversation.

The screen lit up with several messages from Jane.

***Jane****: 'Love, I've decided to end my relationship with Brody. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but I feel he shouldn't have given me problems in the first place if he truly respected me as his wife. I've already given him chances over the past months; I hope this doesn't make me seem heartless.'*

I wondered if I had done something similar to Jane. No matter what Philip did, I gave him a chance. I didn't want to justify his actions because he hurt me, but I would also suffer if we ended up apart. Philip's love for me and our children had only grown stronger.

Wasn't that what truly mattered?

Lost in thought, I hardly felt the ache in my feet as I typed a reply to Jane. Suddenly, a firm grip on my arm pulled me back to reality. I looked up to see Lila, her face twisted with barely hidden anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, "This is your father's party, and here you are, shamelessly using it as an opportunity to seduce anyone you can!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her accusation. If she was referring to her husband's advances, her anger was severely misplaced. I was tempted to point out that even our bodyguards were more appealing prospects than her philandering spouse.

Lila poured wine from her glass and then screamed,

"Ahh! Ms. Benner, I'm not at fault. What happened between us was a long time ago; are you still angry?" She put on a teary act.

I glanced around; people were staring. Most of the guests were my business partners, and I quickly realized that Lila's outburst was meant to embarrass me in front of everyone.

As if on cue, her mother was quick to intervene.

"Sarah, what on earth do you think you're doing?!" Margarette shrieked, her voice carrying across the ballroom.

"I'm not entirely sure. Your daughter approached me and started making all sorts of accusations," I replied, keeping my tone flat.

Lila raised her voice even further. "It's true! You're just upset with us because we're the ones Dad truly loves."

I raised an eyebrow. What I hated most was pointless arguments. Without another word, I turned my back on the mother-daughter duo, determined to extricate myself from their baseless accusations and petty drama.

But Margarette wasn't finished. To everyone's surprise, she lifted her wine glass and aimed it straight at my back. Everything happened so fast that I barely had time to react.

No, not me-my dad! The splash of deep red wine that was meant for me instead doused Chairman Benner's impeccably tailored suit.

"H-honey," she stammered, "It's Sarah's fault! She poured wine on Lila first!"

Chairman Benner gave her a steely glare, particularly at her wine-soaked dress. "It seems some lessons were missed today I saw exactly what transpired here. Lila, are you absolutely certain about your accusation?"

Lila's eyes widened, and she looked away. Chairman Benner coughed, and I couldn't help but worry. That's when I noticed Amir had also come over.

Before anyone else could speak, my father's assistant stepped forward. "Ms. Sarah, Chairman Benner just recovered from the flu. He needs to change immediately.""

Amir then suggested, "Could you escort him to the suite? I'll handle these two."

I nodded and led Chairman Benner to the suite. Little did I know that the true test of the night was yet to come.