The Graham Heir—I Am Not An Adopted Nobody

Chapter 15: Before the Doors Open

Professor Darby stood alone on the upper balcony, his palm resting against the cold glass railing as he stared down at the grand hall below.

The soft and elegant music continued to play.

But his mind was far from relaxed.

He had watched Malcolm, Azeez, and the three girls earlier. He had seen the tension in their bodies, the way their conversations dropped into whispers whenever Robert’s name came up.

That alone disturbed him.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Two large men in black suits stopped a few steps away. Their posture was rigid, they were professional security personnel.

Professor Darby didn’t turn around.

“Any report on the boy yet?” he asked quietly.

“No sir." one of the guards replied. “Nothing yet.”

Darby inhaled deeply. “And my daughter?”

The guards exchanged a brief glance.

“Still the same sir. No sign of her around the venue.”

Darby finally turned to face them. His eyes were restless. “She should’ve been here by now.”

“Yes sir.”

“Why isn’t she here yet?” he muttered, more to himself than them, with his teeth clenched.

The guards remained silent.

Darby exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “That’ll be all for now.” he said after a moment. “Stay alert and keep me updated.”

“Yes sir.”

They stepped away, disappearing back into the crowd.

Professor Darby remained where he was for a few seconds, staring at nothing. Then he let out a tired breath and turned toward a nearby table. He pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.

He rubbed his eyes as if waking from a nightmare.

Earlier that day replayed in his mind again.

The confrontation at the reception, the way Steve disrespected him, Robert displaying powers that defied logic, and that car.

He shook his head slowly.

“It doesn’t make sense." he whispered.

Robert was supposed to be nothing. An orphan, nobody but a background character.

Yet everything about today said otherwise.

Darby leaned back in his chair, staring up at the chandelier above him. He needed answers. Real ones, and if Robert wouldn’t give them willingly

Then maybe he could use Avery to get them.

Down on the main floor, the atmosphere was very different.

Laughter echoed from the VIP section.

Morris Emmett stood proudly among his family, champagne glass in hand, greeting guests with practiced smiles and confident nods.

Edward and Jane stood close by, enjoying every second of attention that came their way.

Their world was simple tonight.

They were winning.

“This night just keeps getting better." Edward said, grinning as another group of guests passed by to greet them.

“It should be." Morris replied. “We’ve worked hard for nights like this.”

Edward chuckled and lightly bumped his father’s shoulder. “So." he said casually, “how’s the party going, Dad?”

Morris smiled. “So far? Perfect.”

Edward nodded. “I can’t complain about that.”

Morris glanced around the hall, scanning faces, entrances, and balconies. His smile faded just slightly. “Guests keep arriving." he said, lowering his voice, “but I’m starting to get a bit impatient.”

Edward raised a brow. “About?”

“The Graham representative." Morris replied. “We’re over thirty minutes in, and there’s still no sign of them.”

Edward waved it off easily. “Relax, Dad. You know how the Grahams are. They don’t rush.”

Before Morris could respond, a youthful female voice cut in behind them.

“What are you guys talking about?”

They both turned.

Jane stood there with a playful smile, hands clasped behind her back. She looked relaxed and confident.

Morris smiled warmly. “We were just wondering when the Graham representative might arrive.”

Jane nodded thoughtfully. “Oh. That’s a good thing to wait for." she said. “When they show up, it’ll be good for us.”

She paused.

“At least that bastard Robert isn’t here yet.”

For a moment, there was silence.

Then all of them burst out laughing.

Edward shook his head. “Honestly, he should show up." he said. “So he can beg for change for his dying mother. He’s starting to get on my nerves.”

Jane smirked. “Last night, he nearly tried to put on a show at the BGMH Hotel.”

Edward laughed harder. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure Malcolm dealt with him so badly he wouldn’t dare show his face here.”

Jane took a sip of her drink. “And that little Anna." she added casually. “She’s probably dying, hoping that when we get the deal, something might apply to her.”

Edward grinned. “I’d pay to see her humiliated in front of everyone here.”

They laughed again, louder this time, drawing a few glances from nearby guests.

Morris shook his head with an amused smile. “Alright, you two." he said. “I’ll be off. More VIP guests are arriving, and it wouldn’t be nice if I didn’t host them properly.”

Edward lifted his glass. “Go shine Dad.”

Morris clinked glasses with him and walked off into the crowd, his shoulders squared with confidence.

Jane watched him go, then turned back to Edward. “By the way." she asked, “where’s Chloe? I haven’t seen her anywhere.”

Edward smiled mysteriously. “Relax. She’s working on something.”

Jane tilted her head. “Working on what?”

“Something to publicly disgrace those bastards if they show up.”

Jane’s eyes lit up. “Very thoughtful of you.”

Edward chuckled.

“This is going to be the best night ever." Jane said confidently.

At that exactmoment—

A sudden disturbance rippled through the crowd.

The music faltered slightly.

Guests near the entrance turned their heads.

Murmurs started spreading and people began moving toward the doors.

Edward frowned. “What’s going on?”

Jane followed his gaze. “Looks like something’s happening outside.”

All across the hall, conversations died down as attention shifted toward the entrance.

Whatever was happening was big enough to stop the night.