Chapter 5
It had been years since I’d seen him, but time had only refined him further. He was no longer the approachable older brother I remembered. He had transformed into a man of undeniable elegance and presence.
Instantly, the entire room stood to greet him.
Over the years, Daniel had built an impressive business empire overseas. Even the Hughes Enterprises main building in San Francisco had come to rely heavily on him.
No surprise, then, that when he walked into the room, all eyes were on him. But instead of greeting the crowd, his gaze immediately found me. For a brief moment, I saw his eyes flickered at us when he noticed Simon standing beside
- me.
I opened my mouth, about to explain the
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situation, but before I could say a word, Simon’s phone buzzed.
He answered it, muttering something about needing to step out for a bit.
I shot a nervous glance at Daniel, but instead of waiting for me to say anything, he calmly walked over and took the seat next to me the one Simon had just vacated.
“Well then,” Daniel said with a polished smile, his voice smooth and composed, “I trust you’re all quite famished. Shall we indulge?”
He gestured for me to sit and immediately started peeling shrimp for me, the delicate shells falling away with practiced ease.
Before I could even protest, he loaded my plate with shrimp and then began adding other dishes–surprisingly, all my favorites.
I couldn’t help but smile, the tension easing a little as I dug in. The shrimp was perfect, the fish fillets tender, deboned,
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and placed carefully onto my plate, each piece a little masterpiece.
I was so lost in the food that I almost
didn’t notice when the door suddenly opened.
“Hello, Uncle and Auntie!” Audrey’s voice. rang out–too bright, too cheerful.
The mood in the room immediately soured. Everyone’s smiles faded, replaced. with uncomfortable silence. Audrey was the illegitimate daughter of my uncle from an affair, and she wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms by the high society of San Francisco. In fact, if it weren’t for our family‘ s connections, she wouldn’t even have been allowed to step foot in here.
My father’s face darkened as he looked at Simon. “Why did you bring an outsider to a family dinner?”
Audrey blinked back a few fake tears, looking like a deer caught in the
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headlights. She scurried behind Simon, clearly playing the victim.
Simon, of course, was quick to defend her. “Audrey is like a sister to me, and by extension, she’s your family, too. She‘ s more than welcome to attend our family dinner.”
He said it with such confidence that I almost choked on my food. It made my stomach turn.
His eyes shifted to the seat next to me- now occupied by Daniel–and his face immediately froze, an icy glare replacing the smirk. He didn’t say a word, but I could feel the temperature in the room drop.
I glanced at Daniel, who was still focused on serving me. The way Simon was looking at us, though, was downright unsettling. It was as if his gaze could burn a hole through me.
As I reached for my phone, it buzzed.
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A message from Simon:
[What’s your game? Just because I brought Audrey, now you‘ re bringing my uncle into this little drama to spite me?!]
I didn’t even bother finishing the text. I flipped my phone over and set it aside.
Across from me, Simon‘ s glare could‘ ve melted steel. His eyes burned with fury and disbelief, and his jaw clenched in a tight, angry line.
at
Meanwhile, my father cleared his throat and raised his glass, commanding
attention. “I’m sure you‘ re all aware of the big news lately–our family has a major celebration coming up, and it’s been buzzing all over the city.”
The whole room leaned in, hanging on his every word. “Tonight’s dinner is to make this official.”
He was about to continue, but Simon couldn’t wait. He jumped in with a forced smile. “Don’t worry, Dad. The marriage
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preparations are almost done. We’ve got it
all covered. You don’t need to worry
about a thing.”
He turned to me, his eyes cold and calculating. “Right, Bianca?”
I didn’t look up. I kept my gaze down, focusing on my food, pretending not to hear him.
I wasn’t marrying him–so why should I back him up?
Simon‘ s face darkened, his anger practically radiating off him. He shot another text.
[Say something! If you keep acting like this, I’m going to cancel the wedding!]
[Don‘ t test me, Bianca!]
I was done. I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my phone, blocked his number, and threw it aside without a second
thought.
Simon’s reaction was immediate. His eyes
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went wide with disbelief. His fists
clenched, the veins on his hands bulging as he stared at me, utterly shocked by what I’d just done.
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