Chapter 11 A Socialite's Birthday Celebration

• Cecilia.
• His beloved.
• The enduring love he had pursued for a decade.
• In Larry's world, all paled beside the woman before him, even if her heart remained unmoved.
• Their union itself, an imposition of kin, mattered not to Larry.
• He held fast to the conviction that sincerity would one day dissolve all barriers and win Cecilia's heart.
• But now, in his absence, Cecilia had faced indignity. This affront was unacceptable!
• She dismissed it as mere grit in her eye, but Larry found it hard to accept.
• "Darling, shall I assist you in rinsing it away?" Larry's voice carried soft concern.
• For now, he chose to overlook those who had wronged Cecilia, mindful of the occasion—it was her birthday, and he sought no discord.
• "No ... it's not necessary!" Cecilia shook her head. "I'm fine."
• A distance lingered in Cecilia's heart towards Larry. In truth, affection for him found no home within her.
• "Cece, earlier remarks were but jests. Don't let them get to you," Laura intervened, stepping closer, her eyes meeting Larry's briefly, a subtle smile of mockery dancing on her lips.
• To her, Cecilia's courteous treatment by Zacharias hinted at an affair with some luminary at Heaven International.
• Indeed, other explanations would have defied logic.
• "Yes, let us set aside earlier incidents," Claus interjected with a smile. "Today, Laura takes centre stage. Let's move past any unease. Here's to our leading lady!"
• With those words, Thomas snapped his fingers. "Bring forth the cake!"
• Two servers wheeled in a trolley bearing a three-tiered cake, adorned with a doll holding a chocolate plaque.
• Happy Birthday. Laura'
• Perhaps only Mr. Steele could conceive such a grand confection! Celia mused, her gaze flickering towards Larry.
• "I heard someone mention arrangements for Cece's birthday outside. I wonder how that went!"
• Mockery was dripping from her voice.
• "Celia, enough. Cecilia is my best friend!"
• Laura's laughter rippled through the air like the tinkling of crystal chandeliers. "I did mention earlier, today marks the shared birthday of both Cece and myself, hence this splendid cake is rightfully ours!"
• None could miss the subtle implications woven into her words.
• Laura, radiant and confident, saw herself as the leading lady of the evening.
• Cecilia, by comparison, seemed but a fleeting shadow cast upon Laura's vibrant stage.
• "I invested a sum of nearly twenty thousand in this confection, a treasure few could afford. You, dear friend of Laura's, find yourself bathed in its glow," Thomas remarked nonchalantly by her side.
• "Oh, come off it, Thomas. She's my closest friend, regardless of cake affordability," Laura shot back, her eyes flashing with playful reproach while inwardly relishing the moment.
• Tonight, the limelight belonged to her.
• The minor hiccup earlier notwithstanding.
• Laura seized Cecilia's hand without hesitation, guiding her towards the cake. "Cece, let's blow out the candles together!"
• "No need, this cake was curated by your beau," Cecilia's eyes gleamed with a touch of pallor, her countenance betraying unease.
• She detected, with acute perception, Laura's veiled jest at her and her husband.
• Though she hadn't entirely embraced Larry, publicly, he was already her putative beau.
• Thus, a natural disquiet settled upon her.
• "Cece, you truly don't appreciate the gesture," Celia observed Cecilia, her gaze piercing. "Tonight, Laura acknowledges it's your birthday as well, extending the offer to share her cake with you. Yet, you decline!"
• "Indeed!" Jessica Vine interjected. "Didn't you hear? Mr. Steele spared no expense on this exquisite cake. You're merely riding on Laura's coattails!"
• Soon, several classmates joined in the chorus of agreement.
• She thinks she's better than us just because she hooked up with a filthy rich guy? Hmph, nothing but a kept woman, anyway.
• Such was the unanimous sentiment among their peers.
• "Larry, let's depart," said Cecilia sadly.
• Cecilia gazed at Larry with a pang of melancholy in her heart.
• Not far off, Thomas swirled a glass of 1982 Lafite Rothschild and queried nonchalantly, "Who among you has savoured the '82 Lafite?"
• His tone exuded arrogance.
• Yet, to the onlookers, Thomas's airs were no surprise; his lineage spoke volumes.
• "Strike up the music ... "
• As Cecilia and Larry neared the threshold, a sharply dressed young man interjected.
• A procession of musicians followed, serenading with the strains of 'Happy Birthday.'
• With a flourish, the young man made his announcement:
• "Official legal advisor, Conrad Mauve!"
• "Chief Justice, Jonathan Libera!"
• "Justice Secretary, Boston Froste!"
• "Internationally renowned artist, Xavier Light!"
• "Military Lieutenant Colonel, Nathaniel Lynch!"
• "General Hoff Gaia!"
• "President of Steadfast Bank, Mickey Ziegler!"
• " ... and others of their ilk."
• Their names resonated through the hall, each a luminary of Shoresea, entering with stately poise.
• Within the hall, students stood transfixed.
• Rarely had such luminaries graced Shoresea, each possessing global acclaim.
• Yet tonight, they convened here unexpectedly.
• "What's the meaning of this? Could Thomas wield such influence?" Celia Claus, and their peers turned to Thomas in unison.
• But Thomas, glass in hand, stood rooted, as confounded as the rest.
• Clearly, these luminaries from Shoresea had not been summoned by Thomas.
• Laura, poised to slice the birthday cake, found herself frozen in a moment of utter disbelief.
• "Mr. Steele, you've truly surpassed yourself!" Claus, after a prolonged silence, couldn't help but applaud. Besides Thomas, who else could summon such a gathering?
• Cecilia halted in her tracks nearby, equally taken aback.
• "Ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honoured by your presence to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday!"
• Thomas rushed forward to welcome them, but his efforts were met with indifference, leaving him once more red-faced and awkward.
• The distinguished guests brushed past Thomas, purposefully approaching Cecilia near the doorway, their smiles radiant.
• Meanwhile, Larry stood quietly beside Cecilia, his smile serene.
• The Shoresea dignitaries glanced briefly at Larry, their expressions unchanged, standing in disciplined formation.
• "Wishing you a joyous birthday, Ms. Faraday, and may your beauty continue to flourish!" Conrad, the eminent lawyer, bowed gracefully, extending his hand with utmost deference.
• Cecilia stared in disbelief, utterly bewildered and seemingly frozen in place, struggling to grasp the unfolding spectacle.
• Thomas shuddered.
• Laura's gaze betrayed not just surprise but profound awe.
• Claus, Celia, and Jessica stood motionless, stunned beyond words.