After Reborn, I Become a Billionaire
Chapter 917 Turmoil Arises, Susan'S Fury

Chapter 917 Turmoil Arises, Susan's Fury

Oscar's appearance had some impact on the atmosphere of Salem's birthday party. It was obvious that the mood was better when he wasn't there. Oscar could feel it but chose to ignore it.

"Blow out the candles," Hannah said with a smile. "Let's all do it together."

Everyone leaned in to help Salem blow out his birthday candles.

"Salem, happy birthday!" Everyone warmly congratulated him.

Salem could feel everyone's happiness and he laughed, looking adorable and likeable.

Oscar just watched him silently.

He talked on the phone with Hannah sometimes and video chatted with his son too. The real-life Salem was different from what he saw in videos; only seeing him in person made Oscar truly realize how real everything was.

He reached out to hug Salem but stopped himself before doing so because he feared that maybe Salem wouldn't recognize him anymore. If he hugged him now, perhaps Salem would cry. Hannah noticed Oscar's small movements but ignored them anyway.

After blowing out the candles, Hannah held onto Salem's little hand and cut the first slice of cake before having a servant take care of dividing up pieces for everyone else at dinner time. Everyone went back to their seats and started eating dinner.

Since they hadn't prepared a seat for Oscar beforehand, Hannah had an extra chair added next to where Salem sat while she took her place on Salem's other side.

Salem sat in a child-sized chair.

"Come on everyone! Let's raise our glasses! Here's wishing our dear little boy a very happy birthday." Susan felt that nobody should let Oscar affect their mood or punish poor little innocent Salem for someone else's mistakes. She didn't want anyone taking their anger towards Oscar out on her precious godson who was just too adorable for words.

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone raised their glasses together as one big family unit. Even Oscar raised his glass along with them all.

"Toasting!"

The atmosphere seemed to return to normal again after this toast Everyone began talking happily amongst themselves once more.

Salem had already eaten dinner earlier so now sitting in his child-sized chair munching away at his slice of cake while making quite an adorable mess everywhere around himself as kids tended to do when eating food like this.

Oscar looked at how cute Salem looked right now, which caused him to smile slightly. He picked up a napkin from the table and wiped the cream off Salem's face. As soon as he did this, Salem suddenly burst into tears.

Everyone at the lively dinner table was startled by Salem's crying.

"What's wrong?" Michelle was the most excited.

Oscar was embarrassed at that moment.

He explained, "I saw cream on Salem's face, so I wanted to wipe it off. I didn't mean to make him cry."

Michelle frowned.

At this moment, Hannah had already carried Salem in her arms and she walked away. Salem threw himself into Hannah's embrace as if he had suffered a great grievance and held her tightly.

"It's nothing. Maybe Salem is just shy. I'll comfort him." Said Hannah, trying to defuse Oscar's explanation but causing a sharp pain in Oscar's heart instead. That made Oscar feel that he was completely an outsider.

Hannah comforted Salem for a while until he stopped crying. But when she tried to put him back in his high chair, he refused to go back in no matter what she did. He kept kicking his short legs up high and wouldn't sit down again. So Hannah had no choice but to hold him on her lap instead of eating anything herself, since one-year-old Salem wasn't very well-behaved either way once she put him down there anyway.

Oscar saw everything but dared not do anything about it because his own feelings towards them both were too complicated right now.

"Oscar, can we drink?" Manuel naturally noticed Oscar's mood change and asked for permission politely.

Oscar looked over at Manuel and nodded slightly before he said, "We can have some."

"Let's get a drink." Said Manuel.

"Mhm."

The rest of them continued drinking wine or beer while enjoying their meal together with casual conversation topics.

However, Oscar couldn't help but keep glancing over at Hannah holding onto little Salem tightly, as if she was afraid someone might take him away from her anytime soon. Hannah ate little. Later, Michelle walked to Hannah and said, "Get some food, let me hold Sal for a while."

"No, thanks, Mom. I'm not hungry. Just enjoy yourself."

"I'm full. Come here, Sal." Then she picked Salem up from Hannah's arms.

Michelle carried Salem and left the garden. Hannah was not sure whether her mother was sparing time for her to eat or she just wanted to keep someone out of her sight.

Hannah picked up her knife and fork and continued to eat food.

"Hannah, let's have a drink." Susan raised her glass.

Watching Manuel and Oscar drinking so enthusiastically made Susan feel sullen.

"Okay." Hannah nodded.

They each had two drinks.

Hannah thought for a moment, poured herself another drink, and said to Manuel, "Manuel, here's to you."

Manuel was talking with Oscar at the moment. When he heard Hannah call him, he quickly turned his head to look at her.

"If it weren't for you a year ago, Salem and I wouldn't be here today," Hannah said with a smile on her lips.

It seemed like everything that happened a year ago had passed by now. All that remained was gratitude towards their saviour and the luck of surviving the ordeal.

Manuel smiled, "I've already told you it wasn't a big deal."

Wasn't being bedridden for half a year considered a big deal?!

Sometimes Manuel's kindness touched people's hearts and warmed them up as well.

"Manuel," Oscar also raised his glass solemnly. "Thank you."

He risked his life to save both Hannah and Salem back then.

Manuel felt embarrassed by all this attention suddenly focused on him; he quickly drank two more glasses of wine in response.

Susan watched them from the side with an ambiguous expression on her face as she said, "What are you thanking him for? He didn't save your life."

Oscar pursed his lips in silence.

"And what good does saying thank you do?" Susan continued speaking deliberately provocatively, "When there is real danger around them, they don't even know where you are?"

The more they tried to stop Susan from speaking out loud like this, the angrier she became about it all.

She spoke louder, "You can't even protect your wife or children! What's so great about being commander-in-chief? And since you already have your own family now, Oscar, why don't you just let go of Hannah? Can't you be generous enough to give her freedom? Don't you think it's despicable to control her life for yourself?"

"Susan, stop talking!" Manuel couldn't bear listening anymore; he pulled Susan aside gently trying not to make things worse than they were already becoming between everyone present here today. Susan pushed Manuel away with a feeling of determination.

"Even if I get my head chopped off, I have to say it! How dare Oscar treat Hannah like this?!"