“Actually, there’s something else I need to tell you.” Nina’s voice was full of excitement.“Something else?” Jake blinked in surprise.“Yeah!” Nina practically danced with joy. “Mr. Vincent’s throwing a second party for me tomorrow at Caesar Restaurant! He and DeShawn will come to personally give me their best wishes! Babe, you’re the reason this is happening!”Jake froze for a second. He actually did it…He had just hoped that his dad’s connection to Vincent would be enough to smooth things over, but he never expected it to go this far. He thought he was just making a polite request to a distant business associate, but Vincent’s reaction was far more generous than he’d imagined.If he’d known earlier, he would’ve come up right away, thrown a little weight around, and made sure everyone saw just how well-connected he was.“Ha! That’s fantastic!” Jake laughed, though his words were laced with a hint of smug satisfaction.“Yeah, you’re amazing, babe. Not like some people…” Nina threw

“Serena, you’re wrong here. If they had any shame, after what happened yesterday, they’d have stayed far away.”“These two are seriously shameless!”“Emily, didn’t know you were this shameless too?”“Isn’t there a saying? Birds of a feather flock together—if you hang out with trash, you’ll end up being trash.”“May, you’re absolutely right!”As the insults flew, Emily’s face drained of color. Her grip tightened on the jade bracelet resting on her lap.“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”Liam’s voice was steady as he gently took Emily’s cold hand in his, offering her some reassurance.For some reason, every time he was near, she felt a strange calm wash over her.“You two are a perfect pair of dogs!”May spat, her words dripping with contempt.Liam simply smiled, unaffected by her harsh words.Seeing Liam still smiling, May’s face twisted with scorn. “Of course, when you’ve got thick skin, you can just laugh off insults, right?”“Don’t you think you talk too much?” Liam’s voice was cold as h

The room went completely silent.Everyone stared at DeShawn, wide-eyed in shock.What... what the hell was going on?"Are you guys deaf? Damn it, I said go get Mr. Liam and Miss Emily and bring them back!"DeShawn’s roar shattered the silence, and the others snapped back to reality.Nina, still stunned by DeShawn’s fury, couldn’t help but ask, "DeShawn, are you sure? Isn’t this banquet something Mr. Vincent arranged because of my boyfriend’s father?""Damn, what the hell is your boyfriend compared to my boss, that he’d go out of his way to host a banquet for you?"DeShawn’s words hit like a slap, and Nina froze in place.Jake’s face turned a deep shade of crimson, like he was about to explode.May and the others just stood there, bewildered.So... the banquet wasn’t because of Jake’s father?"Damn it, why are you all just standing there like idiots? Didn’t you hear me?!"DeShawn’s patience snapped, and he kicked Jake hard, sending him stumbling to the ground.If it weren’t for his brok

"Emily, I have to say, I'm so jealous you landed such an amazing boyfriend.""Yeah, how did you two even meet?"The girls in the room couldn't help but ask, their curiosity piqued."Uh... you guys might be mistaken," Emily said, her cheeks flushing slightly. She stole a quick glance at Liam, clearly a little embarrassed. "Liam isn't my boyfriend. We're just friends."Liam smiled and didn't correct her.The women exchanged knowing glances, the unspoken "we know what's really going on" look.Emily, though, understood perfectly—Liam was only holding back to save her from any embarrassment in front of everyone.A guy like Mr. Liam... always so low-key but powerful beneath the surface."Emily, if I were you, I'd make a move! A guy like Liam, he's a rare catch these days!"The girls teased, trying to reconnect with Emily while also trying to make a good impression on Liam."Exactly, a man who's humble and quiet like him—those are hard to find. Unlike some people who act like they're the hot

Liam nodded slightly.Vincent, seeing their reactions, gestured grandly toward the door. “Bring the gifts in. Be careful with them!”“Yes, Mr. Vincent!”The door to the room swung open. Six men in suits wheeled in a large cart, sweating from the effort.The gift was covered by a large white sheet.It looked massive—about two meters long and one and a half meters wide.Everyone in the room stared, eager to see what was under the cloth. What could be so large that it required so many people to carry?Liam raised an eyebrow.What could be so heavy it needed all this manpower?Vincent ordered his men to lift the cloth.As the cloth came off, Liam’s eyes widened in shock. The muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably.And Emily, upon seeing what was revealed, felt her cheeks flush a deep red…What’s Vincent trying to pull here?Liam’s eye twitched violently, cursing Vincent out in his head.The "gift" was a massive oil painting, glowing under the dim lights of the private room.It depic