Pouting her cheeks petulantly, Lilith grumbled, "Why not let me in? Looks like you have zero clout in your family."
The words stung Ritchie's pride, so he said in anger "I'm getting my girlfriend in there today, no matter what."
With no other choice, Rahul reluctantly went to seek help from Aurelia.
Aurelia spotted the girl on the security feed - she had multiple earrings, an eyebrow piercing, and a wrist tattoo, and she had the air of a rebel, not the kind of wholesome girl.
"How long has Ritchie known this girl?"
"Seems like they just met at the bar today," Rahul explained.
Aurelia frowned, "That means we know nothing about her. You're aware we're not just a normal family. We can't just bring strangers home. Ritchie got taken advantage of before, and he's still on probation. We can't afford a repeat. If something goes wrong, no one can save him."
The AK Group's reach was pervasive, and with the children there, their safety was paramount. Plus, Avery was a public figure, letting an unknown entity into their home could spawn untold rumors.
Rahul, left with no other option, went out to ask Lilith to leave.
Ritchie was seething, ready to storm in and confront Aurelia when a Rolls-Royce pulled up. Arnold stepped out, looking devilishly handsome.
Lilith was starstruck.
"Oh my gosh, he's so hot. Is he a relative of yours?"
"That's Arnold Stirling, my cousin Aurelia's boyfriend," Ritchie hurried to greet him.
Convinced now that Ritchie was indeed related to Avery, Lilith was excited to be mingling with such influential people.
Arnold offered a polite smile, "Why aren't you inside?"
Ritchie sulked, "Aurelia won't let my girlfriend in. She's pretty upset about it."
Arnold glanced at Lilith, "You're not a kid anymore. You should understand that the Hawthorne family is no ordinary family. Be cautious about who you befriend. If you mess up again, nobody's got your back."
With that, he went inside.
Ritchie was fuming. He was the Hawthorne family's eldest grandchild, and yet they showed him no respect. It was outrageous.
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