Vespera used to be great at faking it. She could lie without flinching and spin a


    story without missing a beat. But this time, it was too real, which made it harder to pretend.<fn93de> The source of th?s content is F?nd-Novel</fn93de>


    After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally muttered, "We were all worried."


    As she spoke, she shot a look at Calvert, who picked up the cue instantly and said, "Yeah, it wasn''t just Vespera. Gerard and I were both worried about you, too."


    Then, he nudged Gerard for backup. Thetter had no choice but to y along. He said, "I was worried."


    Dominic looked at all three of them, his expression darkening. He said, "Are you guys having a ry?"


    Vespera puffed out her cheeks, cursing herself silently. She used to talk her way out of everything. How hard was saying something nice to Dominic and reassuring him?


    The silence that followed was a bit awkward.


    Vance shot Vespera a re. He thought, "What a foolish woman. He''s giving you all of himself. Do you truly have nothing to say? Nothing at all to ease his heart? How pathetic."


    "Honey, smile," whispered Evelyn, pinching his waist hard. She warned him with


    her gaze.


    If Dominic and Vespera were both willing to be in the rtionship, who were they to interfere?


    Vance felt deted. He thought that Evelyn was a violent woman.


    Trying to shift the awkward energy, Vespera changed the topic and said, "So, has the g started yet? Wasn''t it supposed to begin at 7:00 pm?"


    Dominic responded, "Some of the guests still haven''t arrived."


    Looking at the long table in the center of the hall, Calvert asked in annoyance, "How long are we waiting before we can eat? I''m starving."


    Gerard turned to him, exasperated. "Do you think we''re here visiting rtives?" This whole ce reeked of danger, yet Calvert was thinking about food?


    Dominic gave Calvert a light tap on the back of the head and said, "Go poke around the kitchen. See if there''s anything to snack on. Look around the ce." "Got it, Mr. Reid," responded Calvert. He immediately understood what Dominic meant and took off.


    At this time, the venue was still bustling. It was difficult to tell whether or not all the guests had arrived yet, but more importantly, the event organizers hadn''t shown their faces.


    Now, the people in the hall were chatting in small groups. Some stood alone like lone wolves. Looking closer, Vespera noticed just how international the crowd was. There were all kinds of skin tones.


    Unlike many of the other guests, Dominic made no effort to mingle. He wasn''t the type to sniff around for information. If someone wanted to approach him, they would.


    The middle-aged woman from earlier walked over again. She carried herself with grace. From what they had gathered, she was the wife of a prominent Jitanese businessman. She had been invited by a friend and didn''t seem to know much about the event itself.


    Dominic kept the conversation short, replying politely. After a few minutes of small talk, the woman''s friend called her away.


    Not long after, three people came over. Two of them were women, while the other was a man. The man was in his 40s. He had the confidence of someone used to attention. He was together with two women dressed in revealing gowns.


    Vespera noticed that their gowns looked suspiciously simr to hers.


    The man leaned in with an air of secrecy and said, "I heard from another guest that the one organizing this event is this ind''s and this castle''s owner."


    Dominic offered a faint and disinterested smile. He wasn''t one to waste time on rumors. Vespera noticed hisck of interest and smoothly took over. Her voice lowered, just enough to act mysterious.


    She said, "Really? I was under the impression that this was all arranged by the business association. I thought they owned the ind, too. The people who brought us here were a part of the association. But based on what you''re saying, the situation is a bit different?"


    The man replied, "It''s hard to say, but honestly, does it matter? This whole thing feels like a casualworking event. Like buying a house, it''s just to scope things out."


    Vespera responded, "Scoping out a house is one-sided. This feels more like a two-way interview."


    If they wanted someone, it might not matter whether that person was willing or not.


    The manughed and said, "Exactly! It''s mutual!"


    Vespera was speechless. As the conversation continued, she realized that this unassuming man was no small fry. He was a wealthy Aurethia businessman, likely with serious influence.


    Clearly, everyone here wasn''t an average person.


    At 7:30 pm, Calvert returned after snacking. Just then, the host of the event finally showed up.


    A woman walked in from outside with a few attendants. She wore a sapphire-blue gown. She had golden-brown hair and pale skin. Her facial features were prominent, too. She looked exactly like a woman from Elouber.


    She looked far too young to be the owner of this castle or the power behind the business association. For some reason, the longer Vespera looked at her, the more unsettling something about her became.