The process was normal. Elisa casually scanned the surroundings and noticed many familiar faces. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure amidst the crowd. As people mingled, some approached her, attempting to make acquaintances, but it was clear that the one they were trying to connect with was Louis.
In the eyes of the crowd, she was here tonight as an accessory, Louis’s companion, not even considered his fiancée. In this circle, one’s status is determined by either capability or background. Someone like Elisa was seen as nothing but a beautiful plaything. It was acceptable to keep her as a showpiece at home, but bringing her to such an occasion was considered improper.
Elisa’s eyes darkened for a moment as she stared fixedly at that familiar figure. Eventually, the figure stopped and took a glass of red wine from a server, seemingly sensing the gaze from behind. He turned with the glass in hand.
Hamish.
It wasn’t surprising for Elisa to see him in such a setting. Anyone who was anyone in the business world was present here, and Chiwood’s wealthiest, Hamish, had every reason to be here.
After Finn’s death, the previous shareholders had swiftly sided with Hamish. Originally the heir to the Burns Group, a position he had previously declined, he had now decided to take over, naturally acquiring eighty percent of the company’s shares, including Finn’s previous holdings.
He had been in the limelight for the past few months, and today marked his first appearance at such a formal event in these months, drawing more attention than the host, the White Group.
Accompanying him were two individuals, one being Tobias, and the other, his bodyguard preventing anyone from getting too close. As soon as Hamish turned, his gaze met Elisa’s. His initially indifferent eyes softened slightly as he raised his highball glass, gesturing towards her before downing the drink in one go. Tobias, unable to stop him in time, watched as the glass was emptied, his concern evident.
“Mr. Burns, have you forgotten the doctor’s advice? Quitting smoking and drinking are the most basic.”
“I know,” Hamish replied hoarsely.
“You know, yet you…” Tobias suddenly paused. Hamish had been relatively well-behaved lately, with habits that had never been this normal. It didn’t seem like he would suddenly have an urge for alcohol. Tobias glanced into Hamish’s eyes, following his gaze, and indeed saw Elisa’s figure there.
Elisa, dressed in a red gown, conversed graciously with those around her, wearing a bright smile.
Tobias paused for a moment. Although he knew that Elisa had changed a lot, he hadn’t expected her transformation to be this drastic. Even those who knew her inside out couldn’t help but be momentarily captivated by her appearance.
Is this Elisa?
No… This was the original Elisa. With the passage of time, they had all forgotten her true appearance and even believed her to be a bird with broken wings, barely clinging to life.
Hamish’s lips curled into a smile, his gaze somewhat distracted, as if he was trapped in a memory from which he couldn’t escape, the smile gradually turning bitter.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked.
Tobias nodded instinctively. Indeed, she was beautiful. Although Elisa had changed her exterior, it was now closer to her previous self. The shadow of Aoife was no longer visible.
Elisa was increasingly resembling her former proud and assertive self.
“Thirteen years have flown by in the blink of an eye.” Although he had drunk the wine, it felt more like traditional Chinese medicine, with the dregs lingering in his throat, the bitterness growing stronger.
It wasn’t the medicine people feared, it was the bitterness.
Even though Elisa no longer held him in her eyes, Hamish’s gaze still followed her figure, watching her stand gracefully in a red dress, chatting beside another man, clinging to his arm affectionately.
His dark eyes suddenly blurred, like mist on a winter night lingering on glass. Involuntarily, he remembered a similar evening banquet from that year.
Elisa had worn a beautiful red dress, holding a string of candied hawthorn as she strolled towards him. At that time, her eyes had been full of radiance, making him believe he was her light.
“Mr. Burns, it’s been a while.”
If he had gently responded with “It’s been a while,” would the outcome have been different?
Elisa, in her red dress, became the center of attention, forcing people to admit that she was stunning, not just in appearance, but in the confidence and pride that emanated from within.
This Elisa was truly beautiful. How had he managed to lose such a dazzling Elisa in the first place?
Now that Elisa had been found, she no longer wanted him. Hamish grunted and quickly turned away, his hand trembling as he shook the glass, which fell and shattered into pieces. His vigilant bodyguard swiftly supported him, preventing him from following the glass to the ground.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Hamish was dressed in a black suit today, a combination Elisa favored. The tie around his neck was one she had bought for him. After Elisa’s death, he had kept these items. Now, that tie felt like a hand choking him, making it difficult to breathe.
Elisa had once said she liked men in black suits because they looked stern and serious. He wore it, but she hardly spared him a glance, her gaze lingering on Louis, who was dressed in a white suit.
So, Elisa didn’t care about the type or style of clothing a person wore. She only liked the people she liked, regardless of what they wore.
In a red dress, Elisa stood beside Louis, who wore a white suit, making the red color even more striking.
Hamish covered his mouth, coughing softly, his body trembling. Tobias stood behind him, shielding him from some of the attention.
The commotion caused by the broken glass had caught the attention of a few people, and the servers hurried over to clean it up. The bodyguard half-supported Hamish, leading him to a less conspicuous corner to sit.
If Elisa was the brightest star tonight, then he was like a candle wick about to extinguish. A gentle breeze could make him disappear.
Elisa looked over, and Louis naturally noticed Hamish.
“Why is he here?” Elisa asked involuntarily, realizing only afterward that with Hamish’s status, attending such a banquet was entirely within his means, especially with his ties to Mrs. White.
Upon seeing Hamish, Elisa couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. Perhaps the shadow Hamish had cast in her past life made her instinctively regard him as dangerous.
Elisa inexplicably recalled the words Hamish had spoken to her in the hospital that day. He had said he would prove to her that the White family was not her home, and that he was more suitable for her than Louis.
What did Hamish really intend to prove?