For a reason she couldn't place a finger on, Dahlia felt her heart skip a beat as she watched them.
Raising her hand, she pressed it over her chest, exhaling softly as she moved along with the line.
Six years and she hadn't seen them once.
They had people do their grocery shopping for them, so she'd never run into a member of thr family at the grocery mall before.
However, this was the last place she expected to see them.
The Warren family franchised and her grandfather often spoke of how hard it was to sell wine, so she never thought a day would come when they'd attempt it.
"It'd soon be our turn in line. Are you sure you won't stay outside and wait for us instead of going home?"
Before her, the youngest of the group, a brunette sighed heavily, tilting her head slightly to look at someone beside her.
Dahlia followed her gaze.
It was someone she didn't recognize. Two people she didn't recognize.
But she did recognize the middle-aged woman standing in front.
Her brows creased slightly as she searched her memory for who it was.
Right. Wynona Warren. Maya's mother and her grandfather's first child and only daughter.
"What are you talking about? We knew the invitation could only let two people in before we came with you."
"And it's not like we could ever ask to go in instead of you two. We know you'll make us proud!"
At the same time, they reached the front.
Maya handed over the invitation.
"Your seats are in the middle row," the bouncer said as he returned the card, beckoning to someone in a uniform behind him.
As they disappeared through the revolving doors, Dahlia finally tore her eyes away.
The line moved quickly, and within a minute it was her turn.
She took out her phone and showed her invitation—a QR code. It took a few seconds to identify her seating as the bouncer scanned it.
When he saw her seating, a warm smile broke out across his face.
"Welcome, ma'am. You're seated in the front row. Middle section."
Instantly, soft murmuring rippled through the people behind her as they looked her over in disbelief.
"She has a seat in front?"
"Why? She doesn't really look like much."
"What kind of person would dress like a bum despite having a seat in front?"
They weren't entirely wrong to think that way as Dahlia stood out tough from the start like a sore thumb.
The moment she joined the line, they already concluded she must be from one of those obscure families who paid heavily to attend events like this.
After all, why would anyone wear matching joggers and a hoodie to a high-end event?
Dahlia glanced down at herself, lifting her sneakers slightly to peer at the bottom.
What was wrong with how she was dressed?
Finn had said she looked amazing. Rhys was still asleep, so she couldn't ask his opinion.
But Finn said she looked good and she did believe she looked good.
Besides, it wasn't like there was a dress code attached to the invite. How could she have known that they wouldn't think this as a fitting attire?
Scratching the back of her neck, she followed after the server in uniform.
As she made her way forward, Maya and Wynona Warren were being squeezed into the last row of the middle section.
"Excuse me, we're members of the Warren family. If anything, we deserve seats closer to the front of the middle," Wynona complained, gesturing sharply at the server leading them.
But the words had barely left her mouth when the family seated across from them burst into laughter.
"Dear, the seating was arranged based on importance. Those in front are apparently more important than the rest of us even though we're second-tier families as well."
Wynona and Mays exchanged cautious glances.
"This is a wine-tasting event, but a lot of big shots will be here… that's why the place is packed to the brim." Another person chimed in excitedly, clicking his tongue.
Wynona was silent for a moment before she leaned toward the table to ask, "Do you think a member of the Archer family will be here?"
The person shook his head. "Not at all. They always send a representative to events like this."
Wynona glanced at Maya, who immediately sat up, choosing this moment to join the conversation as well.
"This representative… do you know who it would be?"
This time, a curious family behind them butted in, "No one knows. But when it's time for appreciation, you'll hear their name. The camera should also shift to them."
"Why do you ask? Do you have business with the Archer family? Or perhaps you're one of the many people hoping to work at one of their companies?"
Wynona shifted in her seat, smiling as she spoke. "My daughter is a rare case. She graduated top of her class as a data analyst abroad."
The person behind, nudged her as she exclaimed, "Abroad? Wow. You must be intelligent. You don't happen to have any mental illness, right?"
"What?" Maya tilted her head questioningly.
It was now the turn of the family opposite them to chip.
"You haven't heard? The new head of Archer Group doesn't employ anyone with a mental illness as a data analyst."
"In fact, people are saying he laid off someone very important to the team today because of it."
Wynona finally found her chance to brag.
She leaned forward, tapping her finger against the table as she scoffed.
"Tch. My daughter is mentally sound and fit. In fact, I have no doubt that one look at her résumé would have Archer Group scrambling to recruit her."
"She hasn't even applied elsewhere out of courtesy to them. If they fail to take advantage of the treasure right in front of them, they'd be missing out greatly!"
It was an impressive boast, and given the circumstances, they naturally took Wynona at her word.
After all, the Warren family were franchisers who specialized in anything that made money. Producing such a genius wasn't that surprising.
"Argh!"
Wynona's moment of being in the spotlight was abruptly cut brief when a shriek rang out from the front of the room, and everyone jumped to see what was happening.
A server was kneeling on the floor, cradling a blonde woman dressed in joggers and a hoodie.
"I-I didn't know," the server sobbed. "I swear I didn't know there was a trace of egg in the banana milk smoothie."