"Mr. Whitmore, it''s a pleasure. I''ve heard so much about you."
Giselle smiled warmly at the elegant, striking man in front of her, her eyes glimmering with a mischievous spark.
"Nice to meet you," Forrest replied, his smile polite. He shook her hand briefly before letting go.
After a round of pleasantries, Forrest fell quiet. He didn''t ask for her name, prompting Giselle to introduce herself.
"I''m Giselle Harvey, CEO of Falcon Technologies."
He nodded. "Mm."
Beforeing tonight, Giselle had done her homework. She knew Forrest Whitmore was a brilliant but reclusive Al prodigy. ording to people who''d known him in college, he could be summed up in a handful of words: genius, quiet, handsome, gentle, and distant.
So his reserved manner now didn''t bother her in the least. Geniuses always had their quirks-she could handle that.
Giselle tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her movements graceful, her smile unwavering.
"Mr. Whitmore, you''re from Northpoint University, right? What a coincidence. When I was in college, I was just across the street at Ivy League Institute. During a joint university celebration, some Northpoint friends mentioned you have quite the talent for piano."
Forrest replied, modest as ever, "I wouldn''t say that."
Giselle''s smile widened. "You''re too humble, Mr. Whitmore."
"I couldn''tpare to your expertise in Al-not even close. We''re in different fields, after all. But I''m fairly well-known in the music world myself. I y the harp, though I''m not too familiar with the piano. If you have timeter, perhaps you could give me some pointers?"
Forrest''s expression didn''t change; his tone stayed gentle, but there was a subtle distance in his voice. "Sorry. I haven''t yed in years-I''m out of practice."
Giselle was about to press further when she noticed a sudden chill in his demeanor, his words turning unexpectedly curt.
"And besides, Ms. Harvey, this isn''t a recital."
The air stilled. Giselle''s smile faltered for an instant, unsure how to respond. Wasn''t he a bit too blunt? In this kind of setting, he didn''t even bother with basic courtesy.
Still, years of social training kept herposure intact. She managed a gracefulugh. "Of course. Perhaps another time, then."
Forrest smiled faintly and turned his attention to M, who''d been silent the whole time. In a gentle voice, he asked, "I''m going to step out for a moment. Will you be alright here?"
M nodded.
Forrest inclined his head to the group. "Please, excuse me."
Once Forrest left, M gave Nathaniel a polite nod, then walked over to a sofa at the edge of the room, clearly uninterested in more small talk.
As she turned away, the heavy pearl tassels draping from her cor slipped down her bare back, swaying with each step and making her pale skin gleam like silk. Leonard''s gaze followed the shimmering pearls for a moment before he quietly looked away.
...
Nathaniel was about to follow M when Giselle called him back. The two had known each other since childhood, so it would have been awkward to just walk off.
"Nathaniel, I''ve been picking Adrian up from schooltely, but I haven''t seen Julian. Adrian said he''s on leave. Is he alright?"
Giselle asked with genuine concern.
"He''s fine."
Nathaniel didn''t want to discuss Julian, so he changed the subject. "So you''ve been taking Adrian to and from schooltely?"
"That''s right." Giselle nodded, smiling. "You know how things are-Lysander''s not exactly avable these days, and Adrian''s fond of me. It puts Lysander at ease knowing I''m looking after him."
Nathaniel frowned, ncing at Leonard-who stood by Giselle''s side, stone-faced and cold as ice. Nathaniel wanted to say something but held his tongue. This
wasn''t the time or ce to discuss family matters.
Still, something about the situation just felt... off.
As he mulled it over, he caught sight of M across the room. She answered a call, her expression suddenly tense, and then slipped quietly out of the ballroom.