A startling and sudden voice echoed across the room, grabbing everyone's attention.
"What are you all doing? You all seem to be in a good mood.I hope I didn't miss any of the fun."
Gwendolyn and Quince looked up.Their eyes instantly lit up with excitement when they saw who the
person was.
Seeing that everyone revealed dramatic looks all of a sudden, Melody decided to take a look out of
curiosity.
A middle-aged man casually walked towards them.His footsteps were accented by the sound of his
leather boots hitting the floor.
The man had an upright posture, with his back parallel to the ground as he walked.He had a solemn
expression on his face.He had an eagle-like sharp gaze that scanned the crowd with piercing intensity.
Even if he was not angry, his majestic appearance was enough to leave people in awe.
Sarah immediately introduced the man to Melody, who was quietly observing on the side.She leaned
closer to Melody and whispered, "Mellie, this is Uncle Kieran.He is one of the most promising people in
our family.And did you know that he is now the commander of a military troop? Even though my uncle
is an amazing person, he may come across as somewhat serious since he is in charge of military
soldiers all throughout the year.Even if it's like that, don't be intimidated by his serious look, okay?"
‘Why should I be afraid?’ Melody thought to herself.
Sarah had always been silly.
Melody always had a hard time figuring out the things that were running inside her sister's head most of
the time.
Melody noticed that Kieran’s physique was indeed that of military personnel.
He was indeed the commander of the army that Sarah mentioned since it was noticeable that he did
not have the gentle and elegant demeanor of an ordinary civilian worker.
Because he had been a soldier for quite some time, his heightened senses made him aware of the
stinging energy near him.It was as if he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Kieran grabbed the chance to peer over his shoulder, but all he saw was an odd little girl sitting on the
side.She was giving off an unsettling aura.
As he continued to observe the girl, he felt that the girl's demeanor was very domineering.She was
different from his other nieces that he had met before.
At first glance, it was apparent that she was uninterested in all the things that were going on around
her, as she sat idly on the chair without maintaining proper posture.
Looking at the girl's remarkable facial features, Kieran somehow had a rough guess about the girl's
identity.
The Sullivan family’s first grandchild, Reagan, was highly adored and widely acclaimed as being the
most beautiful person in the family.
It was unmistakable that she had definitely inherited the elegance and attractiveness of Elizabeth, who
had once been regarded as the most beautiful woman in California.
Looking at how things were now, it seemed like those people who proclaimed such things were wrong.
In the presence of Melody, Raegan's charm and beauty were not even worth mentioning.
Apart from the fact that Melody resembled Elizabeth more than Reagan, she also had full access to
every benefit that the Sullivan family had.
All of which were worth much more than Raegan’s.
In particular, the two elderly members of the Sullivan family were overjoyed by Kieran's sudden
appearance.
Gwendolyn immediately walked towards her adopted son to greet him.
"Kieran, you are so busy with work.Now that you have been promoted, you will get busier.It'll get harder
to contact you every now and then.But I understand, okay? I know that you are busy, so you shouldn't
have come.Anyway, I have received your gift! Thank you for being so thoughtful.I really liked that
necklace made from freshwater pearls and coral.You really know what your mother wants."
Gwendolyn's words were all about flaunting and showing off, but she also made a conscious effort to
appear as if she were talking about her everyday life.
The art of flaunting without being blatantly evident was something that she was Clearly skilled at
doing.She even made the announcement of Kieran's promotion in just a few words.
At the same time, she showed off Kieran’s love and his respect for her by showing off the strong bond
that existed between them as adopted mother and son.
There was no other way to put things into words and perspective as she showed off her lavish life as if
she was following the footsteps of a Versailles lifestyle pioneer.
Despite the fact that Kieran was well aware of her mother's true intentions in showing off, he still
cooperated with her and said, "Mom, today is your 70th birthday.This is a special milestone for you.No
matter how busy I am with my work, I have to make time for you.You don't have to request my
presence because I will always do that willingly.That is the least that I can do as your son."
He had a very warm and pleasant attitude towards Gwendolyn.It really showed his deep love for his
mother.
Kieran hadn't contacted her mother for about half a month.
But since Gwendolyn’s birthday celebration was approaching, she left several messages that hinted at
Kieran that he should visit the Callahan main residence under the pretext of reminding him to eat three
meals a day.
Gwendolyn made sure that Kieran wouldn't be able to make any excuses about being unable to visit.
Kieran was not a blood relative of the Callahan, nor was he a biological child.He was the son of a long-
time friend of Quince.
Additionally, he was also a student of Gwendolyn when he was younger.
Kieran's mother and father passed away because of an accident when he was still young.
This was when he was adopted by the Callahan family and became an adopted child.
No one expected that an orphan like him, who was sheltered by the Callahan family, would become this
successful.
Since Kieran had already been known to be a member of the family, he naturally became a person
whom the people of the Callahan family would follow.
Considering how well the Callahan family had raised and educated him, there were still several things
that Kieran had to deliberately ignore as well.
Since both the elderly members of the Callahan family were already in their golden years, it was natural
for them to enjoy bragging about themselves.
Gwendolyn's smile grew wider and brighter the moment she saw how Kieran responded to her.
It was almost comical how clear and bright her sharp eyes were at the moment.
She motioned a few of her grandchildren, who were standing near her, to come forward and greet
Kieran.
"I know that a lot of you haven't seen your uncle in a very long time, right? Make your way over here
and say your greetings.Your Uncle Kieran is a busy man.All of you shouldn't just sit on the sidelines
and wait for things to happen.Take this opportunity to get to know him better."
Despite being a foster son, Kieran held a position of considerable influence and authority in the
Callahan family.
Even Raegan and Charles felt compelled to approach him and express their greetings.
Sarah was unable to squeeze in, so she joined Melody and waited on the side until they got their turn.
No one predicted that someone like Kieran, who had always been distant and did not enjoy socializing
with others, would express any interest in Melody at all.
"And you are...?” Everyone followed the area where Kieran was looking, they saw that he was talking
to Melody.
It didn't take long for Gwendolyn’s smile to become stiff, and her expression no longer appeared to be
pleasant.
"Kieran, this is Melody.She is the daughter of your younger sister.She grew up in the countryside far
from California, so she is not educated about anything in this city.I would like to ask you to understand
her situation."
It was obvious that she wanted to infer that Melody was a country bumpkin and that she was someone
who shouldn't be given any attention.
Sarah simply couldn’t stand it any longer.She was well aware that she might insult her grandmother
with what she was about to do, but she knew that she had to make a stand for Melody.
Being the older sister, Sarah wouldn't let anyone bully her younger sister.
"Hello, uncle! It's been a while.This is my younger sister, Melody.As you can see, she is a bit shy.She
has also recently returned to our home, so it's possible that she has not fully adapted to the place
yet.Uncle Kieran, please don't blame her if she is lacking in some things."
After saying her greetings, Sarah pulled Melody beside her.She gestured to the person in front of them
and said, "Mellie, come and say hello to our uncle!"
‘dumph! What a bummer"
‘It looks like he is also a cunning old fox.Doesn't he get tired of pretending every single time?’ Melody
thought to herself.
The pretentiousness of Kieran's approach irritated Melody since she knew that it was impossible for
him to be utterly oblivious to the fact that she was a member of the Sullivan family.
It would be understandable if he didn’t have a clue of who she was before.
Still, Melody knew that Kieran was already aware of who she was the moment he entered the room.
If this wasn't the case, then he would not have kept his eyes fixated on her every move.
Even though other people might not have recognized it, Melody had been observing everyone in the
room.Seeing the anticipation on Sarah's face, Melody didn’t want to let her down.
She smiled faintly and said, "Hello, Uncle Kieran."
Melody’s bitterly cold demeanor attracted Kieran’s attention, along with the glint of mockery that could
be seen in the corner of her eyes.
It was something that he found interesting.
Compared to those who had approached him earlier, Melody was exceptional.
She was not like the rest who tried so hard to impress him on the surface but would say a lot of things
behind his back later on.
Also, he had the impression that Melody was surrounded by an unusual aura of some kind.
A little frigid, even overbearing and domineering, if he was to describe it.
Despite the reality that he was unaware of what Melody had gone through, he was confident that this
lady was not a harmless sheep, but a vicious wolf.
She was the kind of beast that would pretend to be a wolf in sheep's clothing just so she could devour
the flock later on without even sparing the bones.
"Hm.Nice to meet you," Kieran replied.
His nonchalant demeanor did not appear to reflect his disinterest in the situation.
It just so happened that his approach gave everyone the impression that that was how he usually
acted.
After all, Kieran was such an influential figure.
How could he possibly be interested in someone like Melody? However, for the sake of his relatives, he
planned to ask her a question.
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