-


    "Alright, just hold on a moment."


    The elderly woman had called to say she wasn''t feeling well-there was no way Elodie could just ignore it.


    Elodie headed straight out, making a beeline for the Royal Opulence Hotel.


    Jarrod''s status was unique, so Selma had gone out of her way to remind Sylvie to make the arrangements wless.


    They''d reserved the entire second floor of the hotel for the main dinner, while the top floor was set aside for entertainment.


    By the time Sylvie arrived, Maurice and the others were already there.


    Maurice loved a good party, and since Sylvie had reserved the ce for the night, she''d invited some of the top A-list celebrities along with a few of the most influential social media stars-people who''d grown up in this world of privilege.


    Seated nearby were Joseph Dcroix and Grady.


    When Grady spotted Sylvie, his eyes lit up. Tonight, Sylvie was wearing a champagne silk evening gown, and as she glided in, she looked every bit as stunning as the famous actresses in the room.


    "Wow, going all out tonight? You look absolutely gorgeous," Maurice teased with a yful grin.


    Sylvie offered a gentle smile. "Thanks for thepliment."


    Just then, Naylor stepped inside—he''d been invited by Maurice.


    In this crowd, every event, every gathering, was an opportunity to make


    connections. Business, after all, was all about rtionships.


    Naylor hade specifically to show his support for Jarrod himself.


    "Mr. Whitaker." Sylvie greeted him warmly.


    Naylor nced at her and said frankly, "President Fielding really pulled out all the stops for Mr. Silverstein tonight."


    Sylvie''s mood was bright-her smile said it all. "It''s not over the top. Tonight is worth it."


    Given Jarrod''s position, if she was going to host his birthday, it had to be nothing less than impable.


    "Ms. Fielding, the flowers you ordered have arrived where would you like them?"


    A hotel staff member wheeled in a huge bouquet of champagne roses.


    Even Joseph turned to look, clearly surprised by the sheer size of the arrangement.


    Sylvie pointed to the most prominent spot at the front. "Over there, please."


    Maurice paused, his smile faltering as he joked, "Sylvie, you''re dressed up like this and with all these flowers... Are you about to propose or something?"


    The word "propose" caught everyone''s attention.


    People nced at Sylvie with varying degrees of surprise and curiosity-even the influencers livestreaming from the corner stopped what they were doing to watch.


    Grady''s expression changed immediately; he stood up at once.


    Naylor looked Sylvie up and down. "So that''s the real n for tonight?"


    If that was the case, then Elodie didn''t stand a chance.


    Seeing everyone''s shocked faces, Sylvie just smiled. "You''re all eager for some drama, aren''t you? Well, I do n on ying a piano piece for Jarrod myself tonight. As fo@gifts... you''ll find out soon enough."


    She deflected the question, giving them no clear answer.


    Her reply was ambiguous-if anything, it only made everyone more convinced


    that the rumors were true.


    Maurice instinctively exchanged a nce with Joseph, musing, "Does Jarrod even know what''s in store tonight?"


    So this was the grand finale? No wonder Sylvie had gone all out.


    Joseph just frowned and shook his head, clearly baffled.


    "Is she really nning to propose in front of everyone at his birthday party?" Grady said under his breath irritated. He''de tonight for. Sylvie and now everyone was


    talking about her proposinselne


    it left a


    bitter taste in his mouth.


    "Maybe it''s just a natural next step," Maurice replied, unconcerned. "Jarrod and


    Elodie are over, so marrying Sylvie wouldn''t be a shock."


    “Where''s Jarrod?” Sylvie asked after making sure the flowers were in ce.


    Joseph checked his watch. "He took a call-probably went upstairs."


    This was Jarrod''s hotel after all, and the top floor even featured his private suite. There was also an entertainment lounge up there, big enough for a mid-sized party.


    Sylvie, every inch the hostess, took charge. “Alright, everyone—let''s head upstairs for drinks. We''ll start the main event a bitter."


    When Elodie arrived, she was told to take the elevator straight up, avoiding the second floor-it had been reserved for a private event.


    Just before she stepped into the elevator, she caught a glimpse of Naylor out of the corner of her eye but thought nothing of it, calmly looking away.


    f.n


    The Royal Opulence Hotel belonged to the Silverstein family. Upstairs, Jarrod''s grandmother was resting recovering from her difort. When Elodie reached the suite, she stopped at the door. The old dady had already given her the passcode. Elodie entered it and pushed the door open. "Grandma?"


    She stepped inside.