The Heiress They Lost Came Back Overpowered
Chapter 23 - 22: As Expected of the Lowell Family

Chapter 23: Chapter 22: As Expected of the Lowell Family

Victoria was a stunning beauty of mixed Itrian heritage, with blonde hair and blue eyes. The moment she saw Yvonne Lowell’s face, she froze, completely captivated. Snapping out of it, she immediately walked over and gently hugged Yvonne.

"OMG! Darling, you’re gorgeous! Just looking at your face is giving me so much inspiration. You’re my muse!"

Caleb Lowell pulled her away. "Get to work. Keep your hands to yourself."

Victoria pouted. ’He’s so protective. He’ll probably have a heart attack when his sister starts dating.’

Yvonne Lowell obediently sat in the chair, letting Victoria have her way, her ears filled with the makeup artist’s constant chatter.

"Darling, you’re a perfect canvas. Your face doesn’t have a single flaw."

"And your skin is amazing—so smooth."

"Hmph. I think your brother just wants to see me fail. In his dreams! I’ll make absolutely sure you’re the star of the show!"

"Honey, this gown looks like it was made for you. It’s gorgeous!"

...

More than an hour later, her hair and makeup were done. Victoria stood before her with arms crossed, gazing at her masterpiece with satisfaction. "Honey, can I be your personal makeup artist? Free of charge and on-call, 24/7. What do you say?"

"But I don’t wear makeup very often," Yvonne Lowell said with a helpless smile.

"That’s okay. Anytime, anywhere. For your wedding, for instance," Victoria said with a mischievous grin.

Yvonne Lowell looked a little flustered. "We’ll see about the makeup part, but I’d love to be friends."

"Oh, I’d love that!"

They exchanged contact information, and after finally managing to send Victoria on her way, Yvonne Lowell stood on the upper floor, looking down at the three hypocritical faces below with a blank expression.

The Sutton Family had been in dire straits lately. A string of canceled contracts, on top of the massive funds they had sunk into the bogus contract with Avis, had left Sutton Construction as little more than an empty shell. Their status had plummeted to that of a third-rate family.

When he first received the invitation from the Lowell Family, Hector Sutton had hoped to leverage his collaboration with Avis to climb into the upper echelons of society. Now, however, all he wanted was to find a few business partners at the banquet to cozy up to.

Hector Sutton arrived at the Lowell estate with Marilyn Walsh and Holly Sutton. Before they went inside, he made sure to whisper to Holly, "You must get on good terms with Eldest Miss Lowell and the Lowell sons. Whether it’s Pluto or The Lowell Group, if you can latch onto just one of them, our family can make a comeback. Holly, you’ve always been your father’s pride. Don’t let me down."

"Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll make sure our family rises to new heights," Holly Sutton replied, a determined glint in her eyes.

As soon as they entered, the Sutton trio was met with a flurry of mocking and disdainful gazes.

Hector Sutton tried to speak with some of his former partners, but they all made excuses and turned him away. His face turned livid for a moment, and the three of them had no choice but to retreat to a corner.

Holly Sutton took his arm reassuringly. "Dad, don’t worry about them. They aren’t our targets anyway. Once we win over the Lowell heirs, these people will come crawling back to us with their tails between their legs."

"You’re right. You must be at your best tonight." Hector Sutton’s frustration began to fade as he gave her hand a gentle pat.

Suddenly, all eyes turned to the entrance, and a murmur went through the crowd.

"He actually came? Even the others rarely show up to these kinds of parties."

"The whole family of four is here this time. Even Elder Grant came in person. That’s the kind of respect the Lowell Family commands."

"It seems Eldest Miss Lowell’s status is even higher than we thought!"

"Tch. Forget the Lowell Family, she’s got Pluto. How could any of us possibly compare?"

The great houses have their own hierarchy, and the legitimate children of the same tier tend to stick together and exclude outsiders. The Grant and Lowell Families were in a league of their own, seemingly untouchable. The only ones who could socialize with them were the heirs of the three top-tier families—the Su, Crawford, and Forrest families, which happened to be the maiden families of the three Lowell wives.

Their only shortcoming was in pure financial might, as the Su family came from a scholarly lineage, the Crawfords were in politics, and the Forrests were in the military. Still, they occupied the top three spots among the first-tier families. Moreover, they knew their place, never throwing the Grant or Lowell names around to boast. Their internal affairs were well-managed and harmonious, which was why their families remained close.

Today, Leo Grant was dressed in a smoky-gray suit, his hair neatly combed back. He still wore the same string of black Buddha Beads on his left wrist, giving him a cold and ascetic air. His eyes were currently scanning the grand hall, as if searching for someone. Perhaps not finding his target, he lowered his head with a hint of disappointment and pulled out his phone.

...

At seven in the evening, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight on the stage.

Old Mr. Lowell and Grandma Lowell, both dressed in traditional Tang suits, walked to the front of the stage and took the microphone. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the homecoming banquet for our darling granddaughter. The youngest granddaughter our Lowell Family has spent fifteen years searching for has finally returned. Today, we mainly want to formally introduce her to all of you. My granddaughter has just returned to the country and is new to everything here. I hope this old face of mine still carries enough weight to ensure my precious girl isn’t bullied here in Kingsland."

That speech sounded less like a welcome and more like a warning.

The guests below began to applaud, murmuring words of agreement.

’Hilarious. Who would dare bully his granddaughter? As if any of us could. She’d probably wring our necks before we even tried.’

A spotlight illuminated the staircase as Yvonne Lowell descended slowly, arm in arm with her parents. The rest of her family stood to the side, their eyes filled with joy as they watched her.

The young woman’s skin was snow-white. She had a pair of unique and captivating, slightly upturned fox-like eyes, a high-bridged nose, and full, natural lips. Her every expression held the charm of a classic Eastern beauty. With her hair swept up, she wore a champagne-colored, spaghetti-strap mermaid gown that perfectly accentuated her figure—simple, yet undeniably elegant.

’Good heavens, did she inherit only the best features from her parents?! She looks like a goddess!’

Leo Grant watched the figure on the staircase, a doting look in his eyes that even he himself didn’t notice.

Yvonne Lowell walked to Old Mr. Lowell’s side, letting go of her parents to take her grandparents’ arms. She spoke into the microphone, "Hello, everyone. I’m Yvonne Lowell."

The crowd below burst into applause again. ’Tsk, I haven’t even finished yet.’

She gave her grandfather a helpless look. ’So... am I supposed to keep talking?’

Grandpa Lowell gently patted her hand before gesturing for silence. "Today, we have another announcement to make. As many of you know, after my wife and I retired, we retained 15% of The Lowell Group’s shares. We will now be transferring those shares, in their entirety, to our darling granddaughter."

The entire hall erupted, and the more gossipy guests eagerly turned to see how the other members of the Lowell Family were reacting.