?Chapter 236:


    It wasn’t the kind of event that the merely wealthiest of Foiclens could hope to attend. Even the nouveau riche from the were notably absent from the guest list. Yet, here was Darren, somehow slipping through the cracks.


    Spotting what he likely saw as a golden opportunity, Darren, clutching Sylvia’s hand, weaved through the crowd and approached Malcolm with eager steps. With a polished smile in ce, he confidently made his introduction. “Mr. Johnson, I’m Darren of the Griffiths from Foiclens. Perhaps you remember me? This is Sylvia, my fiancée.”


    Malcolm eyed the ingratiating Darren, his own smile slowly curling up in amusement. “Darren?”


    Darren’s response was immediate, a nod apanied by anxious enthusiasm. “Yes, that’s me. There was a misunderstandingst time. I’ve been meaning to rify things. I never expected to bump into you here, of all ces.”


    Malcolm’s smile remained, but he offered no words, letting the silence stretch between them. Darren was certainly bold, daring to approach him without so much as an appointment.


    Despite Malcolm’s stony silence, Darren seemed utterly unbothered. He went on, the corners of his mouth curling into a sycophantic smile. “Mr. Johnson, I think I may have said something wrongst time and ended up offending you. To be clear, while it’s true that Elena and I were once engaged, I haven’tid eyes on her since she severed ties with the Reed family. My remarks were purely spective, unaware of your connections to her…”


    Pausing, Darren shed a knowing wink and lifted his ss slightly in a gesture of mock toast. “I beg your forgiveness, Mr. Johnson. Please, don’t hold it against me. Let’s consider this drink a token of my sincerity.”


    With that, Darren downed his drink in one fluid motion.


    Darren had thought the situation over. He was convinced now more than ever that the Spencer family’s abrupt withdrawal from the partnership was orchestrated by…


    Malcolm. It couldn’t be Elena’s doing. She didn’t even know Wesley. Yet, Malcolm and Wesley shared a close bond, and Elena was Malcolm’s lover. So, that call Elena had made must be nothing but a damn bluff.


    Darren’s gaze flicked back to Malcolm, who regarded him with a peculiar expression.


    Malcolm sighed inwardly, surprised that Darren was such a fool that he still didn’t know whom he had offended.


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    As Malcolm watched Darren drain his ss, he responded with deliberate calm, “I don’t feel offended. I’m not the type to get worked up over something so small.”


    The potent liquor scorched Darren’s throat, a burning sensation he struggled to mask. However, in Malcolm’s imposing presence, Darren waspelled to hide his difort.


    A flicker of surprise crossed Darren’s face upon hearing Malcolm, but he swiftly regained hisposure. With a forced smile, he ventured, “The partnership between the Griffiths and the Spencer families has been terminated. Do you think my effortscked sincerity, Mr. Johnson?” His eyes darted around, searching for another drink to prove his sincerity.


    Malcolm’s eyebrow arched subtly, reading the earnest confusion in Darren’s expression. He could tell right away—Darren had no clue whom he had offended. Moreover, Darren seemed oblivious to the fact that Elena was the eldest daughter of the influential Harper family from the.


    Malcolm’s attention then shifted to Sylvia, who stood quietly beside Darren.


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