Once Skylar left, the other women shot Bianca scornful looks before they also drifted away.
Bianca ignored their glares. She knew they were from different worlds and likely wouldn’t cross paths again. What they thought of her didn’t matter.
Skylar made her way back to Lucas.
Lucas checked his watch and saw it was already seven o’clock. Dave still hadn’t arrived. His brow furrowed in concern as he turned to the butler and whispered, “Where’s Dave? Why isn’t he here for his own engagement? He has no sense of time! Find out where he is!”
The butler quickly reached for his phone and dialed Dave, but soon, he heard a monotonous sound that Dave’s phone was unavailable. Lucas’s concern deepened, and a growing anxiety filled his chest.
Skylar’s hands clenched into tight fists as she wondered whether Dave would show up. Surely he would, she thought. He wouldn’t openly defy his grandfather, especially since he was after his share in the Evans Group. Missing out on the event wasn’t an option for him. Skylar tried to reassure herself.
Then, the door to the banquet hall suddenly flew open. Zane had arrived. Dressed in a suit, he looked at Bianca’s direction and gave her a smile as he passed by. Bianca felt a rush of confusion; she recognized him but couldn’t quite remember where she had seen him before.
As everyone stared in surprise, Zane approached Lucas, bowed politely, and said respectfully, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m Zane, Mr. Dave Evans’s assistant. Unfortunately, Mr. Evans can’t be here tonight due to some urgent business. He sent me to represent him at the engagement ceremony with Miss Larson. We appreciate your understanding.”
Lucas Evans was furious, nearly losing his temper. He scanned the room, trying to control his rage, grabbed his cell phone from the butler, and called Dave again.
Just as Lucas was about to hang up, Dave answered. With a cold expression, Lucas controlled his anger and said, “Where are you? The engagement ceremony is starting, and you’re not here. Did you send your assistant instead? Are you trying to provoke me? Explain yourself!”
After a brief silence, Dave spoke in a calm tone, “You’re overreacting, Grandpa. I’m not trying to upset you. I had cleared my schedule for today, but an urgent meeting came up that I had to attend. We’re working with a key partner on a major project, and I can’t afford to make any mistakes. It’s an emergency, and I really can’t be there. Please try to understand.”
Lucas’s frown deepened. Ignoring the judgment from others, he yelled angrily, “I don’t care about your other commitments. You need to be here for your engagement today! Tell me where you are. Come now, or I’ll send someone to drag you here if I have to! Do you understand?!”
His outburst made the room go quiet, with everyone staring at Lucas, feeling the intensity of his anger.
“I’m in Mubluosia right now. If you think it’s worth it, send someone to get me. But even if I catch a flight now, it’ll take over ten hours to get back. I won’t make it in time. But I know this event is important for both you and Skylar, so it shouldn’t be delayed. I’ve sent Zane as my substitute. He’s reliable and has represented me at many important events before. Having him there is like having me there.”
Lucas’s anger was getting intense after hearing Dave’s excuse. “That’s ridiculous! How can sending an assistant to be the same as you being here? He’s just an assistant and can’t take your place at your own engagement party! Do you realize how many people are here waiting to see you, only to witness this mess? An engagement is a serious commitment, not something casual! Are you trying to make a fool of me with this? I’ve invited many important business people tonight, and do you think it’s appropriate for them to see this? Do you even understand the consequences of your actions?”
The crowd began whispering in shock and disbelief.
“Isn’t this ridiculous? The CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group is getting engaged, yet he sends an assistant in his place and doesn’t even show up. Doesn’t he care about his own engagement?”
“Exactly. It’s unheard of for someone to miss their own engagement party. It doesn’t seem like he’s very committed to his future wife!”
“Ha! That lady over there was just boasting about how great her fiance is, and now he’s not even here. What a joke!”
Everyone’s eyes shifted to Skylar. Some people felt sympathy for her, others looked down on her, but most were quietly laughing at her situation.
Skylar went pale, her face drained of color in shock. Could it be true that Dave wasn’t coming? It seemed impossible. Hadn’t they agreed on this? Didn’t he promise to show up since they were supposed to make a big impression together? She had worked so hard to make herself look better than Bianca at this party, to prove her worth. Now, with Dave’s absence, it was Skylar who was left embarrassed.
Skylar had spent her life trying to escape the shadow of pity. After losing her father and being abandoned by her mother, she ended up with people who saw her as nothing more than a charity case, including Lucas. Although he gave her a place to stay, his look was always filled with sympathy, just like everyone else’s.
Lucas tried to help her by sending her abroad for studies and giving her etiquette lessons, but it only made things harder. Her instructor found every chance to criticize her, especially for not having enough grace or poise. Still, Skylar kept going, dreaming of a future with Dave where she would be respected and admired, no longer looked down on or pitied.
But on the day meant to change everything, she drowned in that same old feeling of sympathy and mockery.
She looked up and met Bianca’s gaze, and there it was again-the all-too-familiar look of pity.
Fighting back her frustration, Skylar clenched her fists, her nails digging into her skin as she struggled to stay calm.
She refused to show any weakness in front of Bianca.
Dave, calm and unaffected, offered no comfort. Speaking coolly on the phone, he said, “This meeting is critical for Phoenix Alliance Group, and they insisted on seeing me in person. I hope you understand. Sending Zane in my place is the only option I have. Zane, I believe, has something to tell Skylar.”