?Chapter 82:


    Elyse remembered seeing him before when she apanied Jeffry. His presence brought her a sense of relief.


    She exhaled softly and offered a small smile. “No, he’s tied up with work.”


    The man grinned. “Why are you just standing here? Come on, let’s head up and have a good time.”


    Lowering her gaze, Elyse put on a look of quiet distress. “The receptionist doesn’t recognize me.”


    With an amused chuckle, the man waved dismissively. “That’s no issue at all. I’ll vouch for you. Listen up—this is Miss Elyse Harper, a member of the Harper family.”


    His own status as a club member lent credibility to his words. Predictably, the receptionist trusted him over Elena.


    “But… thisdy also insists she’s rted to Mr. Harper. Are there two daughters in the Harper family?” The receptionist frowned, clearly bewildered.


    “Never heard of that,” the man responded with a puzzled expression.


    Elena’s homing celebration had been an exclusive affair, with only the city’s most influential families in attendance.


    The man’s family, though wealthy, was new money—an entirely different social circle from the Harpers.


    He had no idea who Elena was.


    But when his eyesnded on her, his expression shifted. “Wow, where did youe from, gorgeous? Want inside? Just call me honey, and I’ll get you in,” he said with a flirtatious grin.


    Elena’s stare turned ice-cold.


    For a brief moment, he hesitated.


    There was something about her… familiar, yet just out of reach.


    He shrugged it off.


    Meanwhile, the receptionist had already dismissed Elena as an imposter.


    With a firm tone, she said, “Miss, if you can’t verify your connection to Mr. Harper, I must ask you to leave at once.”


    A quick call to Jeffry would clear this up, but Elena assumed he was upied with business. She could handle this herself.


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    The man persisted,ughing. “Come on, sweetheart, like I said—call me honey, and I’ll take you in. No need to keep pretending.”


    Hispanions chuckled, adding crude remarks of their own.


    “This is priceless! I’ve never seen someone try to sneak into Imperial Club like this.”


    “She’s probably hunting for a rich guy. Not bad-looking—I might just take her up on it.”


    “Why struggle? Just name your price, darling. I’ve got the cash.”


    Their shameless stares raked over Elena, their words full of mockery.


    A sleek ck cardnded on the marble counter.


    Elena’s voice was cold and steady. “Here’s my membership.”


    The receptionist’s eyes went wide, her posture instantly shifting from dismissive to deferential. “You’re… a ck card holder?”


    The realization sent a ripple of silence through the group. Imperial Club had only a handful of ck card members worldwide.


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