Half of the East City's most prestigious elite were gathered here tonight. The owner of the "Moonlight Begonia" club personally delivered several bottles of his private collection, Remy Martin Louis XIII.
The pudgy old man, who looked quite benevolent, smiled and said, "With all you distinguished gentlemen here today, my humble establishment is truly graced. I've brought a few bottles of wine to add to the celebration. A small token of my appreciation—please don't mind it, William."
"Whoa, Reed boss, you're being too generous!"
Diana thought to herself: So, even the club owner knows. It seems like I'm the only one in the whole world who was kept in the dark.
A woman's soft, gentle voice drifted from inside the private suite: "Is Jasper awake?"
Diana followed the sound.
This suite was always reserved for their group and was never open to the public. The interior was massive; the area further back was lit only by two low-color-temperature spotlights. Amidst the dim, hazy shadows, she hadn't even noticed someone was there.
Only now did she see a figure reclining on a long sofa in the gloom.
The sofa was a bit short for him, so the man's long legs were crossed and draped over the armrest, his hand resting over his eyes. Sitting on the carpet beside him was a woman in a cheongsam, gently fanning him.
The April air wasn't hot at all; that fan was purely a symbol of the decadent "gentle country" lifestyle. To have a beauty serving him even while he napped—when it came to extravagance, who could rival Jasper Sterling?
Diana wondered, Why does this man like to sleep everywhere?
Just how exhausted was he from his "exciting" nightlife that he could sleep through all this noise?
Jasper sat up lazily. He rose and brushed aside the semi-sheer curtain to step out. A man on a single-seater sofa quickly vacated his spot for him. Jasper sat down and asked for a cigarette.
The fan-wielding beauty followed him out, perched on the armrest beside him. Her tight cheongsam accentuated her perfect silhouette, her pale, slender legs peeking through the side slit. She leaned her soft, fragrant body toward Jasper, her hands—with wine-red manicured nails—sheltering the lighter as she lit his cigarette.
She was an exquisite beauty, clearly not just any hostess.
Faced with a natural aura of authority, Eleanor Hayes was visibly a bit intimidated. She straightened up and addressed him: "Cousin."
Julian Harrison was currently asking Jasper: "I heard the General came back a couple of days ago?"
Jasper's eyes flickered over lazily; from this angle, his lashes looked incredibly long.
"Why are you asking about his whereabouts? Planning an assassination?"
"I didn't—"
Jasper replied, "If you want his life, you don't need to work that hard. I'll send you over there myself in a bit. If he knew you had those thoughts, he'd probably commend you for your 'admirable courage.'"
Julian nearly dropped to his knees in fright, raising three fingers to the heavens: "As God is my witness, I have no such treasonous intentions!"
Jasper let out a light huff of amusement and flicked his ash. "What are you afraid of? It's just a single bullet. The old man's aim is excellent; I guarantee it'll be painless."
Who was his father? A man whose travels required top-tier security. Even if Julian were made entirely of courage, he wouldn't dare mention those two words again. Jasper could make that joke, but if Julian went home tonight, he'd probably have to sleep with one eye open.
Julian slapped his own mouth. "I talk too much!"
Eleanor was paying a bit too much attention to Diana, constantly steering the conversation toward her.
"I heard that back when Diana was abroad, her suitors could line up along the Seine. So why does she look like a block of unshakeable ice now?"
"Just rumors," Diana replied flatly. "It wasn't that exaggerated."
Eleanor, however, was relentless. She covered her smile and laughed softly. "I've heard stories. Back then, that little tyrant from the Page family, Silas Page, stopped going to school just to corner you. It was only after William personally paid a 'visit' to the Page family that he finally behaved. William's devotion to his sister is famous in our circle."
Before Diana could respond, Julian scoffed. "Silas Page? That wasn't 'pursuing'; that was a toad lusting after swan meat. What kind of trash was he to even show his face near Diana?"
As this old memory was unearthed, the atmosphere in the suite turned subtly colder.
Diana lowered her gaze. She was only fifteen then. Silas Page's vile tactics were indeed a shadow over her teenage years. If William hadn't used his ruthless influence to suppress the Page family, she might have been dragged into the abyss by that filth long ago.
When it came to protecting his own, William never cared for reason.
"It wasn't just the Page family." Eleanor looked pointedly at William. "For Diana's sake, William has blocked quite a few 'fated encounters' over the years."
Julian, missing the subtext, added thoughtlessly, "That's true. But you can block the fate at home, not the fate abroad. William, did you know? Our little flower was already picked by someone while she was overseas."
William had been sitting in silence. At those words, his gaze pierced through the drifting smoke, landing heavily on Diana's face. "You dated?"
Diana's fingertips turned white as she gripped her glass. She didn't dodge William's stare, answering candidly, "Yes. I did."
The hand William used to hold his cigarette paused. He didn't speak for a long moment, only tapping the ash against the edge of the tray.
Julian continued sighing, "Tsk. I remember when Diana first came to the Knight family, she was so tiny, always following William around like a little shadow. One 'Big Brother' after another—it was enough to melt your heart. Now she's grown up and has a mind of her own."
William tilted his head back and took a drink. His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice sounding slightly strained and distant. "She looks obedient, but she's actually very headstrong. Now that her wings have grown, no one can control her."
"True. A rose raised by President Knight is bound to have thorns." The beauty beside Jasper chuckled softly, leaning against his shoulder. "Julian, you said you'd kill any man who tricked your sister. If William's sister dates, would William dismantle the guy's entire family tree?"
William nonchalantly swirled the wine in his glass, his tone so cold it was impossible to read. "He's welcome to try."
The words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Diana felt a tightness in her chest. The mixture of smoke, alcohol, and expensive perfume made it hard to breathe. She slowly stood up. "I'm going to the restroom."
The mirror reflected a pale, exquisite face. Diana turned on the tap, letting the icy water wash over her palms in an attempt to calm the strange panic in her heart.
The sound of high heels clicking against the floor approached. Eleanor strolled in, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
"Do you dislike me?" Eleanor asked casually, touching up her lipstick.
Diana pulled out a paper towel and meticulously dried between her fingers. "Miss Hayes, you're overthinking. We aren't close."
"We aren't, but once William and I marry, we'll have to get used to each other." Eleanor snapped her lipstick shut and suddenly stepped closer, her eyes searching Diana's. "Diana, when he mentioned that man earlier, your expression... it didn't look like you were listening to a brother."
Diana paused, her expression turning cold.
Eleanor suddenly dropped a question: "Tell me... are you in love with your brother?"