Saving the Villain

Two days later, the Quinn family threw a large party for Maynard\'s first son. All business associates, partners, close family friends, and even some well-known personalities and celebrities. Everyone came with their most expensive cars, wearing formal suits as if it was a fashion gala.

It was only Asher\'s graduation from high school, but everything was prepared as if he already got his degree. Yet, no one showed the slightest sign of questioning it. Everyone knew Maynard was a grandiose man, and he was a proud father. So, of course, he wouldn\'t mind spending millions in a single night just for his son.

Asher graduated as the top of their class and from the most prestigious school in the country. Even if he was a high school student, graduating from that academy was an achievement already. What more, as the valedictorian?

Of course, Cosette and Conrad were invited. The Blacs were always at the top of the Quinn Family\'s priority list. Conrad didn\'t want to come first after Maynard gloated at him through the phone about how he treated the kids to lunch. Treating the kids was not a problem to Conrad, but the way Maynard delivered the news before inviting him felt as though Maynard just wished Conrad wouldn\'t come.

However, since Cosette wanted to come, Conrad had to come as well. Not that he didn\'t trust his daughter that she could carry herself in such an event. Matter of fact, Conrad had no problem with his daughter attending an important event all on her own.

Cosette might\'ve drastically changed in the past year, but she could still socialite like a mature young lady. Conrad\'s only concern was that Maynard would drag his daughter into a situation and run that damn mouth of his.

And just like that, two days had gone by and the night of the celebration rolled in faster than everyone expected.

"Conrad, my friend!"

Conrad\'s expression instantly turned sour as soon as he heard Maynard\'s cocky voice from the side. When he turned his head in Maynard\'s direction, all he saw was the latter with his arms spread wide open while approaching him.

"It\'s good to see you here, my friend!" Maynard grinned, laughing loudly and shamelessly. "It\'s a good thing I handed Cozie the invitation. Else, you\'ve torn it in half! I didn\'t want to ask someone to make a hundred copies and send them your way."

Cosette chuckled, covering her lips with the back of her hand. "Thank you for inviting us, Uncle Maynard," she expressed, bowing slightly.

"Thank you for coming and dragging your father here, my daughter —" Maynard nearly bit his tongue when he felt death glaring at him. "I mean, my favorite niece. I should be the one thanking you for giving us your time."

Maynard cleared his throat with his fist before his lips. He then shifted his eyes at Conrad, only to see the latter\'s unchanging, cold front. He was already used to his friend\'s face and expression that he didn\'t mind, even though Conrad\'s face screamed how he desired to leave now.

Meanwhile, as Maynard behaved himself while welcoming Conrad properly, Cosette glanced at the few people following Maynard. There were at least five men a step behind Maynard. When she made eye contact with them, she bowed and greeted them quietly.

The men smiled at her warmly before she shifted her eyes to the other person with Maynard. Asher smiled at her; his smile was bright, as if relieved to see her attendance. His smile, however, slightly faded when Maynard asked Conrad a question.

"Where is Maxen?" Maynard darted his eyes between Cosette and Conrad, cocking his head to the side. "He didn\'t come with you?"

"Why are you suddenly looking for Maxen?" To Maynard\'s surprise, Conrad\'s tone grew colder, as if someone just insulted him or he was just being overly protective of Maxen.

"Woah, woah…" Maynard raised his hands as a gesture of surrender. "I\'m just asking since you always take him with you everywhere you go. Why are you suddenly mad? Don\'t kill me!"

Cosette furrowed her brows as she assessed her father\'s side profile. Confusion instantly swirled in her eyes. Conrad was never soft to Maynard, but her father was being serious right now. Why did he suddenly get angry?

\'Now that I think about it, he didn\'t ask me if Maxen was going…\' she thought, recalling that Conrad would habitually ask who she would go with or if Maxen would be with her whenever she would ask for his permission to go somewhere. Especially if it required sleeping over. But last time, Conrad didn\'t.

Cosette assumed it was because she told him that Maxen didn\'t want to go afterward.

"I\'m not mad. I\'m just not in the mood." Conrad waved dismissively before his eyes landed on Asher. As he gazed at Asher, Cosette also instinctively moved her eyes to Asher.

\'Huh?\' the lines in between her brows deepened, seeing that Asher was also wearing a complex expression. It was hard to pinpoint what that look was about, but it felt like he also didn\'t like Maynard\'s question.

\'I\'m just overthinking, am I?\' she told herself, mentally shaking her head. \'My dad had been busy recently, and Asher is probably annoyed that his father is being loud again.\'

Cosette didn\'t dwell on it that much since it just didn\'t make sense to her. Maynard\'s question was a harmless question. If anything, she appreciated that he remembered Maxen and expected his attendance.

"Your mood is getting worse and worse, my friend." Maynard clicked his tongue continuously while shaking his head, looking at Conrad with pity. "Anyway, since you\'re already here, I would like to introduce you to a few of my friends. I\'m sure you already knew them or probably met a few of them, but I still want to make it look like I\'m the bridge…"

Maynard went on and on, stepping to the side as he laid his hand in front of the main who approached Conrad and Cosette with him. Like usual, Maynard went through the formalities, and with his humor, he gave some good laughs to his \'friends\' while introducing the respected Conrad Blac.

Conrad apologized to them about his interaction with Conrad previously but made acquaintance with them with a much more tolerable attitude. He also introduced his daughter, and Cosette greeted them the second time, this time much more formal.

"Anyway, since we\'ve come to this, why don\'t we talk somewhere else, eh?" Maynard proposed, which everyone already expected. He then cast his son a look, winking at him. "Asher, my son, please accompany my little Cosette."

Conrad cast Cosette a look, and the latter flashed him a smile.

\'I\'ll be alright,\' she mouthed before she watched her father getting reluctantly dragged by Maynard. "Gosh… sometimes, I feel like I should attend to all the events he attends since I\'m starting to worry about his social skills."