Sweet Subterfuge

Sitting at the main head table were the three Rogers brothers and their sons. The women and grandchildren were arranged to sit
at the next head table close by.
The moment Kevan got closer, Anthony stood up and waved at him, “Kevan, here!”
The gazes of everyone else at the table only fell on him then.
There was an empty seat next to Anthony, which had clearly been left for Kevan.
Kevan did not take his seat at once but went over to Bemard to give him the prepared gill. “Happy birthday. Uncle Bernard.”
Kevan smiled faintly, his voice hac a rare trace of gentleness when faced with all these people he was always good with pulling
superficial
performances, even during the years in which the relationship of his side and theirs was at its most strained. He never did
anything that could allow anyone to hold leverage over him when it came to public and social settings.
It was just that ever since he “lost” his memory, he was colder to his family and friends. So, his attitude today surprised Bernard
quite a hit
*Thank you. Kevan!” Bernard was in a good mood as it was his birthday today, so he did not deliberately show displeasure to
Kevan as he usually did. Instead, he laughed joyfully as he hugged the exquisite wooden box, and his crow’s feet deepened
when he felt the sloshing lould inside the bax.
Kevan had given him alcohol, which was basically him pandering to Bemard’s desires. Bernard drank like his fe depended on it,
but he was very unbearable once he got drunk. Therefore, he’d embarrassed himself multiple times because of this.
Maria’s shrill voice from the next table demanded. “You gave him liquor?!” Her voice was quite loud, and the high volume easily
cul through the surrounding chatter, which scared everyone into shutting their mouths.
Bernard’s smile froze on his face immediately.
Kevan stopped smiling and turned to look at Maria, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“Don’t you know that your uncle has stomach and liver problems? The doctor said that he can’t drink!” Maria glared at Kevan
angrily. hatred burning in her garr as if Kevan was a murderer who enjoyed taking the lives of others.

To Kevan, Bernard was just an arrogant loser who used to live off his parents, and now lived off his son. Although he had big
ambitions, he could not make any huge waves. Because of thal, Kevan never sent anyone to monitor Bernard’s actions.
Therefore, he was naturally unclear about Bernard’s health condition.
“My apologies, I was unaware.” Although Kevan was unhappy with Maria’s rudeness, he did not show it. He apologized politely
before discussing it with them, “I will pick a different gift for Uncle Bernard another day. As for this bottle of liquor...”
Bernard cut him off at once. “Let me lake it home as a decoration! It’s not that bad looking to be one!”
Based on the wooden box alone, Kevan’s liquor was not cheap. Bernard was naturally reluctant to part with it. It was true that he
had all kinds of health issues, and the doctor did instruct him to not drink too much-but this was “not too much. Having an
occasional cup or two was fine. He glanced at his wile over at the other table and grumbled to himself internally. “This st upid bi
tch, always overreacting and
being a drama queen!”
However, Kevan had not yet spoken when a hand covered with rings and bracelets stretched in from nowhere and sna tched the
box away.
Bernard frove for a moment. When he finally came back to himself enough to try to get the liquor back, a loud smash could be
heard as the Low was thrown hard onto the floor. The purplish-red liquid seeped through the box very quickly and started
brickling out of IL The smell of liquor overtook the whole banquet hall swillly too.
“What the heil are you doing?!” Bernard roared angrily as it someone had taken his lifeline from him.
Maria was not to be outdone either as she put her hands on her hips and shouted back, “Do you want to die?”
The banquet hall fell silent for good this time as all the guests burned to where they were with curiosity.