As they neared the private room, Priscilla's nerves tightened like a knot. She found herself frozen in place. "Grace, maybe we shouldn't attend."Grace was buzzing with anticipation and practically dragged her forward. "What are you talking about? Prissy, are you crazy?" Priscilla bit her lip, a blush heating her cheeks. "I just... I don't like Mr. Sirius that way. What if he makes things official, like you said? What then?"Grace rolled her eyes. "Prissy, grow up! Mr. Sirius has supported you for three years. If you ditch him now, what makes you think that support will continue? We just lost that lawsuit, and the company can't survive without him!"You're not a kid anymore. Think about your mom, June, and Mitchell! Do you want to go back to that miserable life you had with Frederick? Are your feelings more important than your family's future?"Priscilla trembled slightly, her heart wavering.She absolutely did not want to return to her past life, nor did she want her family t
Sirius deliberately repeated the words "one of our own," hoping to create a sense of closeness with Priscilla."Your success will be ours as well!"Priscilla couldn't help but shiver at his declaration. If he made this public, her company would become irrevocably linked with the powerful Monroe family.The generosity of his offer surprised her…Such an honor was something she wouldn't even deserve, for large clans fear nothing more than disgrace that could bring massive losses.This was an honor she could never claim; powerful families guarded their reputations fiercely and would never hand such power to an outsider. If Sirius truly told the public that their successes were linked, he would be placing the reputation of the Monroe family in her hands, which was a liberty that no major family would allow.Priscilla was deeply moved!Understanding the implications, Grace excitedly waved her fists. She was thinking about solidifying the relationship between the two.She smiled at
Priscilla stepped into the private room, her eyes widening. Here were the giants of Graceland's business world—the names she usually only saw in financial newsprint.Being able to dine with them seemed like a dream. She excitedly looked around, knowing that all of this was made possible by Sirius, the godbrother she had just acknowledged.Her gaze suddenly snagged on a familiar face. It was Vivianne who was staring right at her. She was standing beside Theodore, the pair looked as though they'd just reached the cruise.But how could Vivianne be here? Jenaire City businessmen didn't usually qualify for an event like this.The reason for Vivianne's presence was simple. Theodore had taken her to Stanva City to meet an old friend, a prominent real estate mogul named Ken Garner.Ken had only recently joined them on the cruise and had extended the invitation to this very dinner.The other guests were reluctant to begin without their guest of honor, Sirius. The Monroes held immens
It seemed that Sirius considered Priscilla's status even above his own. Who exactly was she?As Priscilla elegantly walked toward the head of the table, her pristine white gown gave her the air of a celestial being, and everyone couldn't help but gaze up in awe."What? Shouldn't her attendant be assisting her? Why is she walking ahead?" someone remarked.Sensing the crowd's attention, Priscilla's heart fluttered with excitement as she reached the table. The guests were far from fools, and they realized Sirius' elaborate introduction was about to culminate."Mr. Sirius, do introduce us to this extraordinary lady.""With such poise, her background must be impeccable!"Sirius cleared his throat. "Allow me to formally present Ms. Priscilla Miller, CEO of a company from Jenaire City."The crowd was taken aback. They had assumed Priscilla hailed from a powerful family, not the unremarkable Jenaire City. In the eyes of these business titans, the city held no figures of consequence.
Grace poured herself a glass of red wine and stepped forward. "Thank you all for supporting Ms. Miller. Since Ms. Miller isn't a strong drinker, please allow me, Grace Anderson, to toast you all on her behalf."Her intentions were clear; she wanted to showcase herself and ensure the regional tycoons recognized her importance.The crowd exchanged confused glances. This was a highly unusual move for an attendant. They were there out of respect for Sirius and to build connections with Priscilla. Engaging with an attendant wasn't on the agenda, especially when they'd much rather be toasting Priscilla herself.Sirius's expression conveyed his discomfort with Grace's breach of etiquette. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Priscilla subtly tugged at Grace's clothes in an attempt to stop her. Confused by the lack of enthusiasm, Grace whispered to Priscilla, "They're disrespecting me by not wanting to drink. Perhaps they don't know I'm soon to be the young madam of the Harmon family. Le
Everyone suddenly realized that Nelson belonged to the prestigious Harmon family, one of the four major families in Stanva City.They turned to Priscilla, offering their admiration. "Ms. Miller, you truly have amazing connections. Having a Harmon as your attendant's boyfriend reflects their immense respect for you. And for an attendant, she does possess a certain presence. She certainly outshines some others I've seen."Due to wealthy families often having many children, the four major families had numerous members over the generations, including many side branches. Naturally, not every descendant could bask equally in their family's influence, resulting in varying social statuses within Stanva City.Unless they held important roles within the family, like Clifford, many would be considered ordinary members of the wealthy elite, sometimes even less.Though from a direct line, Nelson was ultimately comparable to run-of-the-mill wealthy heirs. However, no one paid him much attent
Theodore proactively poured a glass of red wine, intending to toast with Grace.Although his previous dealings in medicinal herbs with Priscilla had ended disastrously, he had won the lawsuit and the matter was now in the past.Feeling old enough to be a mentor rather than a foe to Priscilla, he decided not to dwell on past grievances. Bumping into Priscilla in Stanva City and seeing her secretary's toast made him think a toast could be a good way to move on.His magnanimity was evident.However, Grace was not as forgiving, especially when facing Vivianne.When she saw Vivianne's father approach her with a toast, her expression soured. "Oh, I wouldn't dare accept a toast from Mr. Danbury, I'm afraid of being framed by Mr. Danbury once again."Theodore's face darkened at the accusation. Before he could respond, Vivianne erupted. "What nonsense are you spouting, Grace? Your underhanded business dealings are why you lost the lawsuit! Now you have the nerve to make accusations?"G
Grace pretended to be innocent. "I didn't do anything! I'm just a little tipsy and lost my balance, that's all. I wouldn't dream of bumping into such a distinguished gentleman like Mr. Danbury. Surely, you wouldn't hold such a minor incident against me? That would be rather petty, wouldn't you agree?"Vivianne bristled. "Don't play coy, Grace! Everyone saw it! That's a deliberate bump and then a flimsy excuse about being drunk. You're just itching for a fight!"Ignoring Vivianne's outburst, Grace turned to the room. A sly smile played on her lips. "Gentlemen, be honest. Did it appear intentional?"Naturally, the tide turned in Grace's favor."Ms. Anderson did have quite a few drinks, and those high heels can be tricky. It was a simple loss of balance, I'm sure.""A grown man getting flustered over a bump? That's a bit childish, wouldn't you say?""Indeed, we wouldn't want to share a meal with someone so easily ruffled."Vivianne was about to confront the crowd when Theodore gent