"Father?" Christian repeated the word sharply, his eyes narrowing at Aurora as if she had uttered something terrible enough to anger him.Aurora was taken aback by sudden change in Christian's behaviour from lively to anger, "Um... I mean, I'm just saying that, you two are arguing like..." "Don’t." His voice was low, but sharp enough to cut through her words. The amusement that once lingered around the fountain instantly vanished, replaced by a chilling tension that made even the chilling breeze to pause.Aurora frowned slightly, confused by his sudden outburst. "Hey, I was just joking.... What's so wrong with me comparing you both jokingly? I didn't mean to offend you." Christian’s hand tightened around the amulet, the hardened grip turned his knuckles pale, "Don’t ever use that word around me again, that's the word I hate most and I don't ever want to hear that." Adrian’s brows furrowed. "What’s wrong with you? It was just a word...." "It’s not just a word!" Christian’s voice s

"I don't understand," Christian muttered under his breath, his brows knitting as he tried to process Adrian’s words. The cafeteria’s hum faded into the background, leaving only the soft clinking of cups and the distant whisper of conversation.Just then, Aurora’s phone began to ring, glancing at the screen, she frowned slightly, and said, "I need to take this call, you both go on with your conversation I'll be back in a minute," before stepping away from the table.The moment she disappeared around the corner, Adrian leaned back in his chair, his eyes sharp yet oddly calm. "I never expected the heir of the Sargent family to be this naïve," he said quietly. "Our families have a great history from the past, knowing that, I expected you to be the same as your family members, how on earth you're totally a different species born in that family?" Christian froze in shock immediately, his heartbeat increased violently in his chest. "What… what did you just say? Ho... How did you know that?

"This man is mysterious for sure!" Christian sighed looking in the direction in which Adrian has left.The sound of Adrian’s footsteps had barely faded when Aurora slipped back into the cafeteria, her phone pressed to her ear and a mild annoyance drawn across her delicate features. Christian sat where he was, fingers lightly brushing the rim of his coffee cup, lost in thoughts that tangled deeper than he’d admit."Sorry," Aurora smiled, ending the call and slipping her phone into her bag. "Work never leaves me alone, they behave as if they can't breathe for five minutes without me." Christian smiled back faintly. "Seems like you’re more popular than I think...." "I wish it was just popularity for me to enjoy," she muttered, sitting opposite him again. "It’s more like torture disguised as responsibility, sometimes I feel like running away from all these just to have a peaceful life but it's hard because once habituated to luxury, we can't escape from that luxury trap!" He chuckled

“What about east wing arrangements?” Christian looked at one of the staff, and the man immediately gave an assuring smile, “I've cross-checked again and again sir, everything is perfect…”Christian hummed quietly checking around, “Well, the drinks… Did you make sure non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks are placed separately for the guests to choose comfortably without any confusion?” “Yes sir,” the man nodded softly, “I even arranged two people to look after that area.” “You can go now,” Christian said gently, “but make sure none of the guests should be leaving unsatisfied or troubled, be careful and alert all the time.”The man left immediately with a smile, as he had never seen someone as young as Christian to be this attentive and responsible unlike some adults who doesn't even care to check for once after handovering the work to other staff.The grand ballroom shimmered under a cascade of golden light. Chandeliers hung like captured stars, the scent of various flowers and polishe

“I just hope,” Christian thought inwardly with a sigh, “no troubles come to me tonight! I want peace… Just peace!” The grand hall is shining brighter as the night reached its peak because of the lighting arrangements they made, laughter and the curious conversations mixing with the clinking of crystal glasses, the soft hum of music filling through the air. Waiters passed gracefully between tables to serve the guests, their trays balanced carefully without any mistakes.Despite everything being the same, still Christian couldn't help but to check them once again, as he doesn't want others to find mistakes in his work.He stood near the staircase, being calm and observant as always, his hands tucked neatly in his pockets as he scanned the crowd. Everything from the floral arrangements to the lighting was exactly as he envisioned, he could see the pleased looks on everyone's face, even the usually difficult board members seemed satisfied.From the main table, Edward was surrounded by