Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Taking Stand

Meanwhile, Sebastian turned toward Lucian with a practiced smile.

“I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation,” he assured him, before shifting his gaze to the guard.

“As for you, you’re fired. Leave immediately. I’ll also make sure you’re blacklisted.”

The words struck the guard like a thunderbolt.

It felt as if the ground beneath his feet had collapsed.

Panic flooded his face as he stumbled forward, his voice trembling.

“I won’t do it again! I swear I won’t!”

He almost dropped to his knees, bowing repeatedly, desperation thick in his movements as fear squeezed the breath from his lungs.

At that moment, Lucian, who had been standing quietly beside Lana, noticed the subtle tension in Lana’s face.

He turned toward Sebastian with a faint smile that carried a sharp edge.

“I thought you were more level-headed,” he remarked lightly. “Not someone who treats everyone else like fools.”

Sebastian’s expression stiffened instantly. He realized his words had likely offended Lucian.

Quickly re-evaluating the situation, it dawned on him that Lucian wasn’t interested in harshly punishing a mere guard.

The real target was the mastermind behind the scene.

Without hesitation, Sebastian corrected himself.

“You won’t be blacklisted,” he said to the guard. “But you’re still dismissed. Leave.”

The guard, having narrowly escaped a devastating punishment, felt his knees go weak with relief.

He bowed repeatedly, voice shaking as he thanked Lucian and Lana over and over.

Having lived his life reading people’s expressions, he understood the subtle difference in this outcome.

He had clearly seen that Miss Lana disagreed with the initial punishment, and Lucian, catching her intent, had interrupted without hesitation.

Only then had Sebastian changed his decision.

Regret washed over him. He had made things difficult for such a good lady.

Lana, on the other hand, was genuinely stunned by the sudden turn of events.

She couldn’t help but think, ’Lucian is really something else.’ Without her saying a single word, he had understood her intentions perfectly.

Sebastian then straightened himself.

“I’ll find the real mastermind behind this and give you a proper explanation,” he promised.

Lucian laughed softly.

“That’s exactly what I expect from you. Too many people say they’ll investigate, but never bother to dig to the root of the problem.”

Sebastian felt the warning hidden beneath those words and nodded quickly.

“Of course. Absolutely.”

With that, he personally led Lucian and Lana inside.

As they walked, Sebastian’s thoughts grew darker.

He realized this matter couldn’t be brushed aside so easily.

He even began to wonder who in his mansion had been foolish enough to offend someone so important.

When his thoughts landed on his eldest daughter, Betty, irritation flared sharply.

It was because of her attempt to suppress Sophia’s guests that this trouble had escalated. The urge to discipline that troublesome girl surged within him.

Meanwhile, Betty was anxiously waiting for her friends.

So far, only Wade, Richard, and Quinn had arrived.

Fay was on the way, and there was still no word from Layla.

She stood there, uneasily scanning the crowd, secretly hoping that at least Lana would show up.

Her reputation among the upper circles was pristine, and Betty had worked hard to maintain an image of restraint and dignity. Being constantly surrounded by men could easily damage that reputation.

Just as she was lost in thought, she saw Lucian and Lana entering together.

She didn’t recognize the man beside Lana, but as the hostess, she had every right to greet familiar faces. She walked toward Lana with a polite smile.

The moment she approached, Sebastian’s face darkened abruptly. He pointed at Betty, anger blazing in his eyes.

“What were you thinking?” he demanded harshly. “Trying to keep Miss Lana outside?”

Betty froze, shock flashing across her face. Lana was equally taken aback. She frowned and looked at Sebastian.

“Do you even know who invited me?”

Sebastian paused, sensing something was wrong. He forced a flattering smile and replied,

“I truly don’t. Perhaps Miss Lana can enlighten me?”

Lana smiled faintly.”It was Betty. She’s my friend.”

The words hit Sebastian like a slap. Rage surged violently in his chest.

He had nearly humiliated himself just now, and it was all because of that mother-daughter pair.

Earlier, he had merely tolerated them, but now he realized they were capable of dragging him into serious trouble.

Suppressing his fury, he looked at Lana apologetically.

“I didn’t know,” he said quickly. “But rest assured, I’ll make sure Sophia is punished.”

Lana ignored him completely. She didn’t even know who Sophia was, though based on what she knew about Betty, she guessed it was either the stepmother or stepsister.

She walked over to Betty and smiled gently. “Happy birthday.”

Betty’s smile bloomed instantly. Relief surged through her chest as she realized she had narrowly dodged disaster.

Sophia would likely bear the consequences this time.

Although Betty didn’t harbor deep hatred toward her, the constant trouble Sophia caused had long irritated her.

Now that punishment was coming, excitement flickered in her heart.

As the thought lingered, she even found herself secretly wishing that Sebastian would be punished as well.

However, Betty knew it was still too early to think that far ahead. For now, she simply stayed by Lana’s side. Seeing the two girls chatting naturally, Lucian calmly withdrew.

He knew Lana was no longer alone, and Betty was more than capable of standing beside her. More importantly, Sebastian should have already understood how much Lana mattered.

With Lucian present, Sebastian would never dare let Lana be humiliated again.

With that thought settled, Lucian walked unhurriedly toward the wine counter.

Across the hall, several businessmen had been quietly observing everything that had unfolded.

Some of them couldn’t help but gloat inwardly, convinced that Sebastian would pay dearly for this mishap in the business world.

At the same time, shock lingered in their eyes.

’How did Sebastian manage to invite someone like Lucian?’

They had exhausted every possible connection, spent outrageous sums, and still failed to even secure a meeting.

Yet Sebastian had managed to invite him to a private banquet.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep