Jason's grandfather took Annabelle towards the stage and cleared his throat before speaking.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope we are having a great time. Thank you all for coming to this banquet."
A loud round of applause filled the hall.
The old man smiled before continuing.
"I am here to introduce my granddaughter-in-law, Annabelle Bradford, who is now a member of the Grayson family."
Another round of applause filled the hall.
Annabelle, who was standing beside him, smiled slightly. She found the old man's excitement both cute and funny.
After the brief introduction, Jason's grandfather took her around the hall, introducing her to some of the important members of the Grayson family and a few of his close friends.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," Annabelle greeted a middle-aged woman.
"Good afternoon, girl. Welcome to the Grayson family."
"Granddaughter, this is my first daughter," Jason's grandfather introduced them.
The woman looked at her father.
"Father, I thought you had forgotten that you had a daughter."
Her father laughed.
"How can I forget my own daughter?"
The woman turned her attention back to Annabelle and studied her face carefully.
"You look very familiar."
Annabelle smiled politely.
"Maybe we have met before."
The woman continued staring at her for a few seconds.
Then she asked a question Annabelle wasn't expecting.
"Who was your mother?"
Annabelle's smile faded slightly.
"My mother?"
"Yes. What was her name?"
Annabelle hesitated for a moment.
"Her name was Maria. Maria Bradford."
The woman's expression suddenly changed.
Her eyes widened as she looked at Annabelle, then at her father.
For a brief moment, she seemed unable to say anything.
Annabelle noticed her strange reaction.
"Are you alright, Aunt?"
The woman quickly composed herself.
"Yes. I am fine."
She forced a smile.
"Welcome to the family once again."
Jason's grandfather had also noticed his daughter's reaction.
His expression became serious, but he said nothing.
Instead, he continued introducing Annabelle to the other guests.
The banquet continued for some time. The guests ate, talked, and enjoyed themselves, but Annabelle couldn't completely forget the strange reaction she had seen earlier.
She wanted to ask the woman what was wrong, but she decided against it.
Then suddenly, a commotion came from the entrance.
"Let me in!"
Everyone in the hall turned towards the door.
"Let me in!"
Jason immediately walked towards the entrance.
When he got there, he saw his bodyguards trying to stop an old man from entering the hall.
"I am going to kill him!"
The old man struggled against the guards.
"I will kill him! Let me in!"
The people around the entrance stared at him in confusion.
Who was he talking about?
And why was he trying so hard to get inside?
More guests began moving towards the entrance to see what was happening.
The moment Annabelle's grandfather saw the old man, he froze.
He knew him.
They had once been close friends.
The three of them had been inseparable for years before their friendship fell apart because of a woman.
His eyes remained fixed on the old man.
After all these years, why was he here?
Jason's grandfather had also recognized him.
Unlike Annabelle's grandfather, however, fear immediately appeared in his eyes.
His daughter, who was standing beside him, noticed his reaction.
She was afraid too.
The old man suddenly looked past the security guards.
His eyes landed on Annabelle.
His expression changed.
"I will kill you!"
His voice became louder as he struggled against the guards.
Annabelle stepped back in shock.
"What is happening?"
The security personnel quickly held the old man and forced him away from the entrance.
Jason watched until they had taken the old man out of the hall before turning towards the guests.
"I apologize for the disturbance."
His voice was calm and controlled.
"Please, let us continue with the banquet."
The guests slowly returned to their seats.
The music began playing again, and conversations resumed.
But the atmosphere was no longer the same.
Everyone had questions.
Annabelle was confused about the old man who had threatened her.
Her grandfather was unusually quiet.
Jason's grandfather looked troubled.
And for the first time, Annabelle began to wonder if the things she knew about her family were only part of the story.
Whatever had just happened, she knew there was something about her past that she did not know.