After Claire had treated him twice, even though he still harbored doubts about her ability to make him walk again, feeling had miraculously returned to his legs.
Because of that, he was willing to put his faith in her.
"We've met. I treated his legs," Claire said, seeing no reason to hide it.
The fact that Ewan was out and about proved he was no longer completely isolating himself.
"Who would have thought? When Hillary mentioned her cousin was coming, we were all wondering why Ewan would suddenly want to show his face in public," someone remarked.
"Turns out it's all because you treated him."
Before the group could exchange more than a few pleasantries, a knock sounded at the door.
Without waiting for Owen to respond, the door was pushed open.
"Mr. Hudson, you can't go in there. This private room is occupied..."
A server was desperately trying to block the way.
But Waylon had already shoved past them.
Ironically, Waylon and Ewan were distant relatives, and Waylon spotted him the moment he stepped inside.
"Ewan? What are you doing here? I thought you hated leaving the house now that you're a cripple."
Waylon was nothing if not obnoxiously blunt.
"Your mouth is as foul as ever, Waylon!" Hanson snapped before Ewan could even react.
Hanson was the one who had just been treating Waylon's recent mishaps like a running joke.
Waylon's expression darkened. "I haven't done anything to you, Hanson."
"I just stated a fact. Why is everyone so sensitive?"
"If you're crippled, you should just stay home. If something else happens out here, you won't be able to protect yourself."
It was an incredibly ugly thing to say. Ewan let out a cold scoff.
"I'll go wherever I please. Is there a new rule at Mistral Manor that bans wheelchairs?"
Waylon opened his mouth to argue, but his cousin, Quentin Dale, grabbed his arm.
Quentin was here today because he wanted a piece of Luminate. The Dale family had always been heavily involved in business.
After seeing the brand's massive potential, Quentin wanted in.
But to his frustration, Luminate belonged to Owen.
Even though Owen was running it himself, he had the backing of the
Veľ
Gfamily. He, didn't lack
money resources, or distribution channels.
If the Dales wanted a slice of the pie, it all depended on whether Owen was willing to do them a favor.
Quentin had already reached out, and he had been firmly rejected.
Left with no other options, he dragged Waylon along, hoping Owen would cut him a deal for his cousin's sake.
To his surprise, even using Waylon's name hadn't worked. Owen had turned him away and immediately sought out other partners.
Quentin knew these new partners weren't people he could easily afford to cross.
But he also knew Luminate's true value, and he wasn't about to give up that easily. So, he brought his cousin straight to the source.
If they gave him a chance out of respect for his uncle, Quentin would be able to reap Luminate's massive dividends.
If they refused again... Quentin glanced at his cousin.
Waylon wasn't completely useless.
He might not be smart, but he was incredibly persistent and knew how to make a
scene.
More importantly, he was an only child. No matter what kind of mess he made, his parents would always clean it up.
"Ewan, Waylon and I just came by to make friends tonight. He lacks a filter, so please don't take it to heart."
"Deep down, he's just worried about
you you two grew up together after
no bound to be some
underlying affection."
"Seeing you step out of the shadows makes him genuinely happy."
Quentin was a seasoned businessman, and it showed. He was far more eloquent
than Waylon.
Waylon and Ewan had despised
each other since childhood, yet
Quentin
tale of lifelong brotherhood
ffortlessly spun