Rosie nced over at Dylon, catching the stormy look on his face. Jealousy flickered in her eyes as she lowered her voice.


    "ckOak is obviously trying to make Reese the star. If she keeps this up and actually pulls it off, our whole n to short Ramos Corporation could blow up in our faces. Even if Sebastian doesn''t help her, she''lle after us herself."


    Dylon took a sip of his drink, looking calm on the surface, but there was a cold sharpness in his eyes.


    "Tonight, we have to get close to Leslie. If we can get her to speak up for us, then even if Reese wants to make trouble, she''ll have to think twice."


    Rosie shot a worried look at the entrance.


    "I heard Leslie got dragged into that confidential info mess too. Who knows if she''ll even show up tonight..."


    She didn''t get to finish. Suddenly, a ripple of excitement swept through the crowd near the doors.


    Everyone turned to look. Sebastian stood at the entrance in a sleek ck suit, tall and striking.


    At his side was ady in a stunning ombre mermaid dress―Leslie.


    Neal followed a step behind, his smile polite and practiced.


    Leslie slipped her arm through Sebastian''s, leaning in just a little, a soft smile lighting up her face. They looked close, even affectionate, as if they were perfectlyfortable together.


    The room buzzed with whispers.


    "Is that Mr. Ratcliff''s new date? She''s gorgeous."


    "They look amazing together. Mr. Ratcliff really does attract all the beautiful women. First it was the Meyer heiress from Brookfield, and now... who is this?"


    "She''s Leslie, right? Runs Big X here."


    "Honestly, I still think Reese was even prettier. Too bad he wasn''t interested." "Looks aren''t everything. How could Reesepare to the head of Big X?"


    Leslie heard the gossip and her smile grew just a little.


    Having Sebastian escort her tonight was exactly what she needed. No matter what people whispered about her being questioned by the authorities, as long as Sebastian was by her side, no one would dare give her a hard time.


    She instinctively tried to take Sebastian''s arm again, but her handnded on empty air.


    Her heart skipped. She looked up at him.


    At some point, Sebastian had moved a good step away, putting distance between them. The warmth in his eyes was gone, reced by a cold, intense stare, fixed somewhere across the room.


    Leslie followed his gaze. Not far away, a group of the industry''s rising stars had gathered around Reese, making her the center of attention.


    Reese wore a perfectly tailored ck dress that hugged her slim figure, the matte satin cor catching the light just right and showing off her elegant neck.


    She held a champagne flute, answering questions with a poised, professional smile, her eyes shining with confidence. People around her couldn''t help but look impressed.


    "Tch. Reese showed up too?" Neal muttered, sounding annoyed. "She probably heard you and Leslie wereing and just had to make an entrance."


    "If only it were that simple," Sebastian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.


    He shot Neal a sideways look. "Is that how the Shaw family raised you? Talking about people behind their backs?"


    It was a clear warning-watch how you talk about Reese.


    Neal blinked, raising his eyebrows, but didn''t seem offended. Actually, he was kind of surprised. Sebastian had always kept his distance from Reese, never even admitting they knew each other in public. Since when had that changed?