“Darius!” Erin’s amplified cries filled the air. Then, she heard Thomas muttering a curse, which sent a chill down her spine. She did not dare stand and see what had happened to Darius. Instead, she remained frozen on the ground.“I’m so sorry, Mr. Reid. I got here too late,” a familiar voice suddenly spoke.“Bridget!” Erin thought, rising to her feet at an inhumanly fast rate. She then looked over the newly arrived car next to her, where a woman got out from the other side. Pressing her aching chest, Erin stumbled onto the ground again. Her legs had given in, and her mind went blank. All her body could do was breathe at that point.On the other hand, Bridget saw Erin from afar and wanted to speak with her. Before she could, she saw Erin collapse onto the ground. Bridget assumed Erin had gotten hurt, so she dashed over to Darius, stopping before him briefly to bow. “Mr. Reid.”While she had not risen from her bow, her eyes continued to examine the other side of the car for Erin.Seei
Following the navigation system’s direction, Darius drove Bridget and Erin to the location of the banquet.Sometime later, Erin finished fixing her makeup in the backseat. She felt awful for letting Darius, her boss, drive them all to the event, so she cleared her throat twice to speak. “Mr. Reid, based on my investigation, the banquet will occur at a location that the Gillettes are familiar with—Remnard Estate, their family home. According to tradition, their family gathers in that estate for significant events throughout the year. Earlier, when we encountered Thomas Gillette, I searched for photos of the Gillette family’s events online and did not see him in any of them. Thus, I firmly believe that man has ulterior motives. Not to mention, it’s quite an uncanny coincidence that he’s showing up now. The Gillettes have always been arrogant. The family’s focus isn’t on their money. Instead, the Gillettes are more concerned with whoever poses a potential threat to them. It’s always bee
Darius could tell Erin was still nervous. Even so, he no longer criticized her opinions nor spoke anymore. All he did was drive in silence.Stifled by the sudden tension, Bridget regretted riding shotgun just then. She complained in her heart, “No wonder Edward refused to join us!”Pin-drop silence filled the car. Such a void was something Bridget had never experienced before, so it suffocated her. She opened her mouth but then kept quiet out of fear, giving up after failing to speak a few times. Not wanting to focus on the awkwardness any longer, Bridget decided it was better to look through the map on her phone instead. That way, she could concentrate on ensuring Darius’ safety.When she scanned every last detail on the map, she felt the car slow down.Numerous expensive cars had parked in the space ahead. Yet, none cost nearly as much as the car Darius drove. Thus, when he arrived at the road before Remnard Estate, everyone halted in their tracks, eyes glued onto his pricey vehicl
Darius knew that meant the hostess wanted to do something vicious or planned to ruin his reputation and humiliate him. Despite that, curiosity filled Darius’ mind as he looked forward to seeing what tricks the hostess had up her sleeve. Thus, he silently stood there with his arms behind him.That reaction was not what the hostess expected. Her lips parted slightly in shock, but it only lasted briefly as she soon snapped out of her daze. Then, she fished a document from her pocket and revealed it to everyone. “We invited 120 guests for tonight’s banquet, and ‘Darius Reid’ isn’t one of them. Furthermore, our guests have assigned hostesses who will lead them to their seats—but you don’t have a hostess. Not to mention, you seem unaware of our customs, so I doubt you’ve ever been on the guest list of the Gillette family’s parties before.”The hostess’ voice grew louder by the second. “I believe everyone here knows only the wealthiest figures in Almiron city, or any other city, can appear
Darius was sure he had looked at everyone present, yet he could not determine the source of the voice. That was because he did not see anyone open their mouths when the person spoke. It rattled Darius. Still, he kept a blank countenance with both hands in his pockets. “If any of you guys find those words reasonable,” Darius said calmly, “Then you should be helping this hostess out instead of allowing her to stay here and start trouble.”He sounded so unbothered that no one dared look into his eyes. In truth, he found it silly how the person’s retort made everyone, including the security guard earlier, glower at him in distaste.Thus, he turned to face Erin, instructing, “That lady looks like the epitome of all hostesses. Her dress, shoes, necklace, earrings, and every little accessory appears expensive. On top of that, her hands are smooth, free from any scars or wrinkles caused by hard labor. That said, I’d like to know what she used to do before working here, and I believe you ca
The hostess’ eyes reddened.On the other hand, Darius narrowed his eyes. He felt the latter was quick-witted, or she would not have come up with such an excuse on the spot. His expression did not improve because of that. Instead, his nose scrunched up as he kept his hands in his pockets. “You aren’t actually working hard, though. If you were, you would’ve investigated all the guests’ backgrounds beforehand and targeted other people. Consider this—you arrived in appropriate clothing and successfully impersonated a hostess. Since you’ve researched so much about hostesses, it’s unlikely for you not to look up information on the attendees tonight. Thus, I can go as far as to say you’re causing me trouble now because you found out the Gillettes and I are on bad terms. That’s what led you to act the way you did toward me.”Darius had keen eyesight; it was as though he could read every thought in the hostess’ mind.That was when Erin, who stood aside, nodded sternly. “Indeed, Mr. Reid. Th
“You claiming to be Darius seems far too suspicious,” Cerys pointed out. “Moreover, no one here knows you.People would surely recognize you if you were a tycoon—or, at the very least, they would’ve heard about you. What unnerves everyone here is how you’re an enigma to everyone here.”Darius did not speak up to defend himself even then.On the other hand, Cerys’ lips curled triumphantly. She was confident that all the guests would believe her over Darius if she continued voicing her suspicions. Hence, she announced at the top of her lungs, “You only showed up here because you wanted everyone to think you’re wealthy! But is that the truth? No! Your actions and words from the moment you arrived can’t prove that you’re someone wealthy!”Darius had been standing for a long time, so his legs started to ache. After sighing deeply, he replied, “I’d very much like to know this—what are your motives for saying that about me?”That surprised Cerys as she gulped anxiously, knowing she was too
A lighthearted chuckle came from Darius, who shook his head and said, “Don’t worry. The person that’s about to show up is Edward.”Only then did Bridget let out a relieved sigh and return her hands to her sides. However, her brows soon twisted together as she asked, “Why did he get here so late? He drove behind our car, yet we’ve been standing here for some time, and he still hasn’t shown up.”Darius shook his head before explaining with a smile, “I’m sure it’s because he couldn’t get a parking near the entrance like us since he’s driving the damaged Bugatti from earlier.”Bridget raised her head slightly, then scrunched her nose and flashed a thin smile out of embarrassment. “Apologies, Mr. Reid. I never thought he would get stopped from entering because of that.”Finding the topic uninteresting, Darius did not voice his opinions on the matter anymore. He was, instead, looking forward to the person that would soon come out of the villa. That was when the person stayed at the front d