Novel & Cerita The Guest List By Lucy Foley

“Spotlights are fickle things. One minute, they’re yours… the next, they burn you alive.” The music faltered as whispers rippled. Heads turned. Lucy didn’t miss a step. She smiled, bright, cold, lethal. “And yet, here you are, circling the fire. Hoping it warms you.” A ripple of laughter burst from the guests, sharp and cruel. Ella’s smile never cracked, but her eyes blazed. Austin spun Lucy deliberately, his arm locking her close as he murmured, “Don’t waste your fire on her. Let me handle the ashes.”

“See, it’s a recipe for lamb stew.” Nate and Bibi stared at Anna. Nate removed another parchment and showed it to Anna, who read off the list of items that included flowers, table arrangements, and guest seating. At the top of the list was the name Queen Esther, Queen Vashti, Prince Darius and Queen Adara. “This is a guest list,” Anna began to feel queasy. “How extraordinary!” Bibi exclaimed. “Here, put on a pair of gloves and help us go through the rest of the items and see if you can read them as well.”

"Today, we have a mysterious guest with us, and this mysterious guest made a request to our robot, Lucy." As the host spoke, Lucy made a grand debut. Lucy was very realistic. It was a female figure, about 1.5 meters tall with long brown hair, wearing a blue and white uniform. Then, the host continued, "Let's see if Lucy can fulfill the mysterious guest's request!" Applause sounded from below the stage. Lucy's eyes swept across the stage, and then she stepped off the stage. All eyes were on Lucy as they wondered who the mysterious guest was, and what was his request.

DARLENE My ears rang in the silence that followed after Laura told me what she’d seen on the guest list, the foamy sponge of my brain skirting around the information so that I deliberated a moment before giving the dark-haired woman a puzzled look. “What do you mean you saw Kayla Storm on the guest list? Mrs. McKenzie just said it was by invitation only!” I croaked, trying to tamp down on the heat that was rising in my chest as I felt my breathing shorten to shocked gasps.

“There’s no way. Those invitations are limited and reserved for high-profile figures only. Celebrities. Billionaire families. People like Alex. People like Lucas.” I blinked. “Lucas?” “Yeah,” she said. “Lucas was on the top guest list last year. He might be again.” Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a new message. I pulled it up, expecting something petty from Alex but it wasn’t Alex. It was Lucas. He had sent a message. I opened the message and read. “Is everything ok?”

I motion toward them now. “As per our challenge, you will now apologize to these country club employees and then see yourselves off the premises without further issue.” “Now, see hear,” said the loudest of the rude guests. Hugo comes to stand beside me. Crossing his arms, he glares at each of the guests. “I am the one who provided Mrs. Graham with the guest list,” he says, displeasure clear in his voice. “When I did so, I had no idea that the list included children. Perhaps you would like to be omitted from future events?”

She glowed in her pale gold gown, her smile warm as she welcomed each guest. Elara and Gilly moved quietly through the hall, ensuring that the servants served properly and that every guest was comfortable. Each time Elara looked up, she found Lucas’s eyes on her again. His gaze followed her like a shadow. She tried to pretend she didn’t notice, but her heart told her she did. Once, when she was passing near his table to collect empty goblets, his hand brushed hers by accident. Her breath caught. She quickly stepped back, murmured an apology, and left the hall without looking back.

“You're a sweet boy, Nathan, but don’t worry about that. I wouldn’t put her in that sort of situation without being sure what her reaction would be. Lucy has grown so much in the time since we’ve known her, and she has become a self-assured woman. She’ll be just fine. But to allay your fears, Amanda knows, and I made her ask Lucy jokingly about how she would feel if those two somehow popped up at the celebration and found out her identity. From her response, trust me, she’ll be fine. She wants her revenge, and humiliating those two this way will be a perfect revenge. In any case, Amanda will be right there with her just in case to make sure she’s fine.” “Alright, then. By the way, her ex-fri

It was a stark contrast to my previous experience with Lucille. "I'm sorry," I apologized, motioning for her to come closer. "Why are you here?" "The invitations went out safely, and I have prepared a list of every guest who received our invitation and gave a positive response. I have a feeling that the Ivy Estates is going to be our biggest success yet," she replied, handing me a folder.

Lucy's decisive demeanor was a far cry from her gentle touch when holding Liam's arm. The guests in the hall were stunned. If slapping Felix once could be explained by a moment of urgency, then the second slap she delivered was enough to illustrate that Lucy's respect for Liam came from the depths of her heart. However, what shocked the guests the most was the implication in Lucy's words. The young man sitting at the main guest table was the benefactor she mentioned earlier. What exactly had he done?