Skylar’s smile had a hint of curiosity. “I didn’t expect you actually to show up.”
“It took some effort, but it was necessary,” Bianca replied, glancing around the room. “Isn’t Mr. Evans with you?” she asked.
“He’s handling some urgent business at the office. He’ll join us later,” Skylar said, shaking her head gently.
“Got it.” With the CEO still not there, Bianca decided to stay and wait.
Skylar’s eyes scanned Bianca, who, in her white gown, seemed to radiate an almost otherworldly purity. A hint of envy colored Skylar’s thoughts.
“Miss Scott, please take a seat. I have other things to do, so I can’t stay with you,” Skylar said politely, though her tone remained distant.
After politely saying goodbye to Bianca, Skylar moved towards the center of the banquet hall. She quietly talked with Natalie, and their shared secretive smiles showed there was more going on beneath their innocent facades.
With their plan underway, Natalie signaled to a waiter and ordered a cup of black coffee.
Natalie walked up to Bianca, holding the coffee cup in her hand.
Bianca was bent over the table, looking at her phone, when she heard Natalie’s voice behind her.
“Bianca.”
Bianca chose to ignore her, acting as if she hadn’t heard Natalie at all.
“Bianca!” Annoyed by Bianca’s lack of response, Natalie grabbed her arm and tried to pull her up.
Bianca quickly shrugged off Natalie’s grip, stood up, and faced her. Just as she was about to speak, Natalie poured the black coffee onto Bianca’s white dress.
“I’m really sorry, Miss Scott. It was an accident,” Natalie said, putting on an innocent look.
Bianca laughed coldly. Natalie had clearly spilled the coffee on purpose, but she was pretending it was an accident. Who did she think she was fooling?
Now, with her dress stained, Bianca couldn’t face anyone at the event.
Natalie crossed her arms, enjoying Bianca’s discomfort, and looked at her with pure contempt.
However, Bianca wasn’t the flustered, angry mess Natalie had expected. Calmly, she picked up a glass of red wine from the table and, without a second thought, threw it at Natalie’s face.
Surprised, Natalie stood still, her face and hair covered in wine, which dripped down her cheeks and stained her red dress.
“Bianca! What are you doing?” Natalie shouted in anger.
“You give me coffee, so I’ll toast you with wine. Courtesy demands reciprocity,” Bianca replied, standing her ground with a calm attitude that sharply contrasted Natalie’s furious expression.
Natalie’s loud outburst drew everyone’s attention in the hall.
All eyes turned to her, seeing her head and face drenched in wine.
“Isn’t that the famous actress? Why does she look like a drowned mouse?”
“I just saw her pour coffee on that woman. And the woman, she’s tough too-she threw a glass of wine right back at the actress. Incredible.”
“Who is the woman opposite her?”
“I’m not sure who she is, but she looks familiar.”
Natalie wished she could disappear. She hadn’t expected Bianca to react so boldly. She had wanted to humiliate Bianca, but instead, she ended up the most humiliated.
At that moment, a figure approached them calmly.
It was Skylar.
She looked at them with concern. “What happened here? Your outfits are ruined. How will you attend the event now? Look, I have some spare clothes. Why don’t you change into them?”
Soaked and upset, Natalie clenched her fists. She glared at Bianca before turning to Skylar and muttering, “Alright.”
Skylar signaled to a staff member, who escorted Natalie to the dressing room.
Turning to Bianca, Skylar said, “Bianca, that dress won’t work anymore. I have one that will fit you perfectly. Follow me.”
Knowing she couldn’t stay in her stained dress, Bianca nodded gratefully.
“Thank you so much.”
Skylar led Bianca into her room and took a beautiful pink dress from the closet.
The pearl-adorned dress had a soft, elegant shine. With a smile, she held it out to Bianca.
“You’re welcome to wear this if you want,” Skylar said.
Bianca took the dress, looking slightly puzzled. “Isn’t this a little too fancy?”
Skylar’s smile grew a bit more. “Actually, this is one of the simpler ones in my collection.”
Bianca nodded, starting to understand. Since Skylar was engaged to the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group, it made sense that her wardrobe was full of custom pieces from top designers. By those standards, this dress was actually quite simple.
“Thank you, Miss Larson. I’ll make sure to clean it and give it back after the event,” Bianca said gratefully.
“Don’t worry about returning it. Just keep it. I have plenty of others,” Skylar replied with a reassuring smile. Skylar said as she got ready to leave, “The celebration will start soon. I’ll go downstairs first. Please change quickly and join us.”
“Got it,” Bianca answered, nodding.
After Skylar left and the door clicked shut, her lips curled into a wicked smile.
Bianca slipped into the pink dress and checked herself in the mirror. The dress fit her perfectly.
She put her old clothes away, opened the door, and stepped out.
Meanwhile, the banquet hall was alive with activity as Lucas arrived. The guests had already taken their seats.
Lucas looked at the wall clock and was about to ask Skylar why Dave was late, but just then, the door opened.
Dave entered in a black suit made just for him, his dark red tie decorated with a fine gold pattern. His black leather shoes had bright red soles. He walked in smoothly in a strong and commanding presence, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
He looked incredibly handsome, his lips pressed into a thin line of calm detachment.
As he walked by, he carried himself with the unmistakable presence of a king.
At the far end of the hall, Natalie saw Dave right away. She almost stood up excitedly but stayed seated, careful not to draw attention with Becker beside her.
She could hardly look away from Dave.
The guests whispered, wondering who this mysterious, wealthy man was until he reached Lucas.
“Grandpa,” Dave said quietly, greeting him.
Lucas’s initial annoyance faded when he saw Dave arrive on time. His irritation quickly disappeared.
Lucas stood up, looking over the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the 50th anniversary of the Evans Group. It’s my pleasure to introduce a special guest,” he announced, his voice carrying through the room. “This is my grandson, the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group, Dave Evans.”
A soft murmur spread through the crowd as people realized that Dave was not only Lucas’s favored grandson but also the mysterious and legendary CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group, a man few had ever seen.
The room fell into a brief, awestruck silence.