His demand

★★★★

"My friend is single and beautiful," Cindy said, praising her friend in front of Cesar with a sly smile. "If you’re hinting at being single, don’t leave her alone. The men in this venue won’t waste a second to approach her."

Cesar chuckled, catching onto Cindy’s subtle matchmaking attempt. "Indeed, your friend is beautiful. But you might be forgetting she may not want to mingle with me. It’s not really pleasant to force someone into a situation, Cindy. I’m sure she’ll pass on your offer."

Cesar’s tactful response left Cindy and her friend slightly puzzled, as they didn’t quite grasp his polite deflection.

At that moment, a group of women passed by, their voices carrying over the crowd. "Look at the woman on the stairs. How gorgeous she is! That dress suits her so well. Who is she?"

The murmurs caught Cindy’s attention. She and her friend shifted their gaze to the staircase. Descending gracefully was a woman in an emerald gown that hugged her body as if it had been tailored exclus