The arrival of Boris Washington, Scarlet's superior at work, added another layer of complexity to the already tense situation at the City Clubhouse. As everyone finally noticed Artis standing at a distance, and they seemed to understand all of a sudden why Scarlet had frozen at her place and why her celebratory mood had soured without any warning. As the colleagues observed Artis Hardy, whom they knew as Scarlet's husband, in the high- end establishment, their reactions reflected a range of opinions and attitudes about his unexpected presence there. Some of her colleagues were genuinely surprised to see Artis in such an upscale establishment, given what they knew about the condition of their household. Did he have another side to him that they hadn't seen before, and that Scarlet had also kept under wraps until now? A few colleagues, who were close to Scarlet, viewed Artis' presence as a sign of his support for her success. Maybe he was also there to celebrate with them, but th

Artis couldn't help but notice that Boris and Melissa, Scarlet's boss and his girlfriend, were not fully enjoying themselves. Earlier too, he had seen Boris glaring at the receptionist while she was speaking to himself, as if she had deliberately refused his demand for a room to humiliate him. And now, their displeasure and discontentment was evident in the way they were distancing themselves from everyone else, who seemed to be having a great time. As someone who had been underestimated and subject to Boris's earlier mockery, Artis felt a sense of empathy and wanted to defuse any lingering tension. He approached Boris and Melissa with a warm smile, as he signaled for the waiter to bring over two drinks for them. "You know, I don't want you to think I did this to show off or anything. I just didn't want anyone to be disappointed, that's all." But Boris was still harboring his own suspicions, along with his resentment. He frowned, "Is that so? Why do I find that hard to believ

Artis asserted that he was still willing to reach a compromise, but the motorbike's owner turned to him with a smug expression. "I hope your polished ass is smart enough to recognize how badly outnumbered now. You're going to pay up or face the consequences boy!"He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. He knew that the arrival of Claire's team couldn't come soon enough. Just when Artis thought the situation couldn't get any more intense, one of the men from the back- up team stepped forward.He seemed to be completely unfazed by the situation, and the dwindling crowd parted to let him step into the center. "Alright, alright! This is quite a ruckus, can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"Although his appearance was a little intimidating, Artis found the courage to speak up.Without hesitating, he shared his side of the story. "I was on my rental bike, and I accidentally collided with this gentleman's motorbike parked right here," he began, gesturing towar

Artis could not tolerate the presence of tears in her eyes, and "I get it, Scarlet. I should have dressed appropriately. I'll make sure this won't happen again. And if there's anything else you need me to do tonight to make it up, just tell me, and I will try my best to not embarrass you."Scarlet huffed as she rolled her eyes, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. To her, it didn't matter what he was promising to do, this evening was already ruined, and there was nothing to be done now."Let it be. For now, let's just try to enjoy the evening. We'll talk more about it later. My parents are waiting."Hearing this, Artis got ready to accompany Scarlet to the small private room in the grand ballroom of the Golden Palms Hotel, where the anniversary celebration was in full swing. But he felt a hand on his arm as soon as he took a step, accompanied by Scarlet's panicked voice."Wait! Artis!""Yeah?" He asked, blinking in confusion."I think you should just wait here for

 As Artis stepped into the VIP room, he was met with a sea of well- dressed guests engaged in animated conversations and clinking glasses filled with champagne.  You could turn around to survey the room, and in whichever direction your gaze landed, you would first be dazzled with the blinding flashes of expensive jewelry, and beyond that, was a sea of ladies in designer dresses and men in formal suits.  The guests in the room had already formed small groups, engaged in conversations about various topics.  Scarlet's family, the Silvermans, stood in the center of the room, greeting their guests with gracious smiles and polite conversation.  When their eyes fell upon Artis, their expressions subtly shifted, revealing their surprise and disapproval at his presence. Hena exchanged a subtle glance with her husband, before her eyes shifted to Artis.  <