“Cassie!” The man was stunned when he saw who had called his name. Then he broke into a wrinkly smile. “Didn’t I give you my number last time? Why didn’t you call me?”
As he spoke, his eyes roamed over her body hungrily.
When she saw that she still had a chance, Cassie walked to his side and slipped her arm into his. “Mr. Sherman, I’m sorry. I wanted to call you, but I lost your card.”
Nobody cared that she was lying.
The man smiled knowingly and put his wrinkled hand on Cassie’s waist. He had been interested in Cassie ever since the beginning. His gaze landed on her bulging cleavage, lust filling his eyes. “Why haven’t you gone inside yet?”
“My friend couldn’t make it and give me her invitation, but the staff didn’t let me in.” Cassie stuck out her lower lip, batting her eyelashes at the old man coquettishly.
“In that case, you can come in with me. But you have to be with me tonight.” The man’s eyes stared into hers hungrily.
While he didn’t think that Cassie was that pretty, he couldn’t get over her because he hadn’t gotten her yet.
Then, he looked at his young female companion and said in a low voice, “You can go now. I’ll have my secretary transfer the money to your account.”
Hearing this, the girl glanced at Cassie indifferently. She didn’t know why Cassie was so eager to have this old man. Oh well, life was difficult for everyone, the girl supposed. It didn’t matter. Anyway, she’d still get the money, and that was all that mattered.
With a smile, the girl nodded and left.
The man brought Cassie to the dinner party as his plus one.
When they entered the banquet hall, Cassie heard glasses clinking everywhere. The magnificent hall was brightly illuminated, while the sound of saxophones and pianos playing stimulated her senses.
The Larson Group wasn’t playing around. The dinner party reeked of extreme luxury. There were even gambling tables and billiard tables by the side, for when guests got bored.
Cassie studied the crowd seemingly nonchalantly, keeping an eye open for her prey tonight.
The second Natalie entered the banquet hall, she felt like she had stepped foot inside a movie about the rich and powerful.
It was already dark out, but the brightly lit hall was even livelier than a sunny room.
But there was more to it than she thought. Everyone seemed to be hell-bent on meeting some invisible goal, hopping from table to table and exchanging tactful greetings.
Sebastian stopped a waiter and took a glass of red wine for himself and a glass of orange juice from his tray.
He handed the orange juice to Natalie. “What are you looking at?”
Following the woman’s gaze, he saw that she was staring at several independent designers in a huddle, chattering happily.
“Wow! I can’t believe the Larson Group actually invited those design masters. They’re constants at international fashion shows. I didn’t think I’d see them here.” Natalie sipped at her orange juice absentmindedly, her eyes filled with shock and awe.
“Why don’t you go and say hi?” Sebastian put his hand on her back and took another sip of wine, looking relaxed and at home.
Natalie burst into laughter. “I’m just a nobody from the Larson Group. I haven’t even been regularized yet. How could I possibly talk to those masters?”
Sebastian casually put down his glass and glanced at Garrett from across the room.
Garrett caught his gaze and immediately sprang into action. As if he had just received an urgent order, he deserted the crowd he had been talking to and walked towards Sebastian.
“Quinn.” Natalie turned around to see Garrett in a white suit standing behind her.
What was he doing here?
Wasn’t he trying to avoid her? Why did he take the initiative to talk to her here?
“Good evening, Mr. Harding.” Natalie smiled awkwardly and tilted her head slightly.
Glancing at Sebastian’s face carefully from time to time, Garrett broke into a big smile and told Natalie, “Mr. Larson told me to take care of you tonight. Are you free? The Larson Group has invited some well-known designers here. Do you want to meet them?”
Natalie’s jaw dropped to the floor in shock, as though she was just informed that she had won the lottery.
“What—? Can I? Mr. Harding, are you sure? I’m just a nobody—”
“Of course. Mr. Larson needed to deal with some things tonight, so he told me to introduce you to the top designers in your field. They seldom come back. They all just happen to be here this time because of a fashion show. It’s a rare opportunity to meet them all in one place.” Garrett pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled politely.
Natalie pursed her lips, her eyes blinking a lot more than usual. Whenever she was nervous, this was her body’s physical response.
She looked at Sebastian, who nodded at her encouragingly.
“Okay then.” She pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
She followed Garrett to the group of designers. Garrett cleared his throat and said, “Sorry to disturb you, everyone. Allow me to introduce to you our newest and most promising designer, Quinn.”
Since someone like Garrett had gone out of his way to introduce her, the designers all looked at Natalie with great interest.
“You must be very talented!” One of the designers gave Natalie a thumbs up and smiled, which made Natalie feel welcome.
From local to international design trends, the conversation between the designers could’ve kept going forever.
But after a while, Garrett wanted Natalie to meet other important guests—business partners from clothing companies who had also attended the dinner party.
Hours passed and the party was coming to a close.
Sebastian had been sitting on the sofa in silence, sipping from his wine occasionally. Multiple women tried to accost him, but they all shrank back whenever the cold man looked at them sharply.
It wasn’t until Natalie wove through the crowd and came back that he finally broke into a smile. “Why don’t you talk to them some more? You came back so soon.”
Garrett had just suggested that Natalie go back to chat with the designers, but she had worried that Sebastian would be bored to death, so she came back to him.
Natalie smiled gently and was about to sit down next to Sebastian. She wanted to hang out with him, not the designers.
“I met them already. But now, I want to talk to—”
Before she could finished her sentence, Natalie jolted in shock.
Somebody had spilled a glass of wine on her from behind. Red wine stained her light blue dress and dripped at her feet, forming a red puddle.
Natalie turned around and saw who it was.
Cassie was standing beside her. She looked apologetic, but it somehow seemed exaggerated as she fought a complacent smile.
“Oh, I’m sorry. A waiter bumped against me now.”
She clamped her mouth with one hand and held the glass with the other, pretending to feel sorry for her.
Her apology didn’t seem sincere, for her every word dripped with contempt. “I didn’t mean it.”