The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back by Juliette Vaughan

Chapter 163

As the general manager of Cloud Crest Winery's Brightmoor division, Nate knew exactly how rare an intact bottle

of Cloud Crest Reserve was.

The annual production was limited, and as soon as the wine was released, it was snatched up by wealthy buyers,

leaving no chance for ordinary people to get their hands on it.

Every bottle consumed was one less available. Even with his position, he was only able to secure one or two

bottles a year.

Now, a perfectly good bottle had been destroyed just like that.

He had planned to use it as a gift. His contract as a general manager was renewed annually, and this year his

performance hadn't been great. The assistant to the boss had been noncommittal about his prospects for

renewal.

With the year-end approaching, he had hoped to smooth things over and have someone put in a good word for

him with the boss and the assistant, increasing his chances of staying on.

While he had chunder the guise of celebrating his daughter's birthday, his real purpose had been to

retrieve this bottle of wine. Now it was gone.

In this moment, he felt like his career was shattered along with the wine. The more he thought about it, the

angrier he became. His gaze toward Paisley and Serena grew increasingly venomous.

"I'm warning you, if you don't cup with an identical bottle of wine, don't blme for what happens next.

I'll make sure you and your daughter can't stay in Harrowfell!" he shouted.

The other parents fell silent. No one dared to step forward and help Paisley. Even the children, who had been

playing happily just moments ago, now huddled quietly by their parents, who kept a tight grip on them.

Even Kevin, usually known for his kindness, shrank back this time, unwilling to provoke Nate.

To them, someone like Nate represented a level of power they could never mess with. He could destroy their

lives easily.

They wouldn't risk offending him, and they certainly wouldn't help Paisley and Serena. Even if, deep down, they

felt sorry for the mother and daughter.

Vivian got exactly the effect she wanted and secretly smiled to herself. ‘That's the price you pay for seducing

someone else's husband, you vixen. Just wait-you're going to be forced out of Harrowfell.' Leo had been

observing the commotion at the long table. He frowned slightly. He thought to himself how bold Nate's claim

was, casually saying he could make someone leave Harrowfell.

He glanced at Paisley and her daughter sitting alone and helpless, with no one standing up for them, and felt a

pang of sympathy.

Just as he debated whether to step in and support them, he heard Paisley speak, calm and composed. "What a

bold claim. I'd like to see how you plan to makeleave Harrowfell."

Sparents subtly signaled to Paisley, suggesting she should stop and apologize humbly to avoid further

escalation. After all, ordinary people couldn't go head-to-head with those in power.

Leo chuckled softly. He admired her backbone but thought she wasn't being smart. What good could cfrom

butting heads with powerful people in this situation?

He called the restaurant manager over, gave him a few instructions, and then returned to his private room.

"What's going on outside?" Max asked.

"The host family seems to have sinfluence. They're not letting this go and don't want money-just the wine.

They've even made sharsh threats," Leo said with mild disdain. "So petty. It's just a bottle of wine. Is it

worth all this?"

Max didn't comment, only gave a simple order. "Have the person picking up the wine hurry."

"Got it," Leo said as he made the call.

Back at the long table, the atmosphere was suffocating.

"We were all here to celebrate Millie's birthday, but now it's ruined," Isabella grumbled loudly enough for

everyone to hear.

Her words successfully made Millie burst into tears. Her birthday had been completely ruined.

"Rena, | hate you! | don't want to be your friend anymore!" Millie yelled at Serena.

Serena panicked. Millie was her first friend at kindergarten, and they'd been fine until now. It was all her fault for

accidentally knocking over the wine.

"I'm sorry, Millie. It's all my fault. My mom will pay for the wine," Serena said anxiously, clutching Paisley's hand

tightly.

Just then, the restaurant manager arrived with a technician holding a laptop.

"What are you doing?" Vivian asked, suddenly feeling a sense of dread.

The manager, polite but firm, announced something that stunned everyone present. "Due to the noise

here, we've received complaints from other guests. I've taken the liberty of investigating the situation and pulled

up the surveillance footage."

Paisley raised her eyebrows. This was something she had overlooked. Since Serena had admitted to knocking the

bottle over, Paisley hadn't looked into it further.

Vivian's heart raced. "That's not necessary."

But before she could finish, the manager gestured for the technician to play the video, even slowing it down for

clarity.

The footage showed Serena's hand brushing against the pedestal holding the wine bottle. However, the real

culprit was a foot that had suddenly jutted out from the corner and nudged the base of the pedestal. At the exact

moment Serena touched the pedestal, the foot's subtle movement caused it to wobble, tipping over and making

the bottle fall.

While the camera angle didn't capture the person attached to the foot, it clearly showed the shoe. It was a new

release from a famous brand, with a logo so prominent that anyone with eyesight could identify it. Among all the

parents present, the only person wearing those shoes was Vivian-Vivian. All eyes turned to Vivian. She sat stiffly

in her chair, completely frozen.

The restaurant manager, having accomplished his goal, nodded politely. "The truth has been clarified. Enjoy the

rest of your meal."

After he left, an awkward silence filled the room. Everyone glanced at each other, their discomfort evident.

"Mommy, so | didn't break the bottle?" Serena's innocent voice broke the silence.

Paisley nodded. "That's right, it wasn't you. You were wrongly accused."

Serena nodded back. "Then shouldn't Vivian and dad apologize to us? Mommy, you said if someone makes a

mistake, they should admit it."