Chapter 18: The York Family

James: "Yeah."

"Isn't that Philip next to her? Are they here for business or on a date?" Chris chuckled, nudging Steven, clearly savoring the drama.

Steven shot him a cold look and said to James, "Have one of our guys follow her. Let me know if anything happens."

He was determined to find out if Nora was meeting some random guy!

She claimed she had nothing to do with that toy boy Philip, yet here they were, hanging out at the club together?

If she dared to cheat, she wouldn't get away with it!

The private room was filled with industry big shots, and a beautiful girl was playing the piano, creating a refined atmosphere.

Nora felt a bit relieved. She had been worried it would be a loud, chaotic party.

Philip led Nora and Amelia inside. Since they were new faces, they were treated like nobodies, and no one paid them much attention.

"Find a place to sit. I'll go say hello," Philip said.

The private room had two levels, with the upper level reserved for the important guests.

All the big shots were upstairs playing cards.

Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, they could see about five or six people sitting there.

At the center of the poker table sat a strikingly handsome man.

His name was Andrew York, the third son of the York family, and the most distinguished guest in the room tonight!

He looked to be about 25, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Even from behind, he exuded an extraordinary presence.

Philip went up to greet him.

Andrew smiled as he spoke to him.

Amelia and Nora found a place to sit.

Amelia pointed at the figure upstairs whose face was hidden. "That's Andrew!"

"Who's Andrew?" Nora looked over. Andrew was talking to Philip, and it seemed like they knew each other.

"He's the third son of the York family, the new richest family in South City. Super rich!"

Amelia gushed, "Their family is often the inspiration for TV dramas. It's very complicated. The head of the York family, Doyle York, has had three wives. The first one divorced him, the second one passed away, and the third, the current Mrs. York, whose last name is Ross. The York family has over twenty members, and they all live in a huge estate with many small villas. Each family member has their own villa. His mother is still alive. Isn't that a lot of people?"

"That's a lot," Nora marveled. A family with over twenty members was indeed overwhelming.

But they were wealthy enough to give each person their own villa. That estate must be as big as a palace!

Amelia continued, "I heard the second son was brought back from abroad three years ago. He was abandoned overseas when he was young, but later, because of his impressive skills and abilities, he gained Doyle's favor and was brought back to be groomed as the successor."

"And apparently, the third Mrs. York is the sister of the second Mrs. York, who was the mistress that took over..." Amelia whispered the last part.

"How do you know all this?"

Amelia: "Just rumors. Might not be accurate."

"These big families are so complicated," Nora remarked.

Amelia said, "By the way, Nora, isn't your husband also named York? Could he be part of the York family?"

"No way," Nora laughed. "If he were part of the York family, I'd be living in that estate by now."

"True."

Just then, the door to the private room opened, and in walked a stunning woman.

She wore a dazzling light-colored gown, her figure was perfect, and her hair was styled in loose waves. She was so beautiful that it made people's hearts flutter.

Everyone in the room greeted her enthusiastically, "Ms. Bennett!"

Nora looked over. It was Vivian from Aurora Tech.

She had a small assistant with her, carrying an expensive-looking bag.

This kind of entrance clearly showed her high status.

As she walked in, her gaze met Nora's. Vivian was momentarily surprised but then smiled slightly.

Someone like her wouldn't make enemies without knowing who they were dealing with.

Why was Vivian greeting her?

Nora felt a bit uneasy but nodded back.

Vivian, in her sparkling high heels, gracefully walked upstairs. Once she got there, everyone at the table stood up, and Andrew turned to smile and chat with her.

Amelia grabbed Nora's hand and asked, "Do you know Vivian? Why did she greet you?"

"She's the boss of Aurora Tech, you know that, right?" Nora whispered to Amelia.

Amelia nodded, "Yeah, but we usually only deal with their lower-level employees, right?"

With their limited business interactions, it was unlikely Vivian would take notice of Apex Technologies Corporation.

Exactly.

So Nora was even more puzzled. Why did Vivian greet her?

Philip remained upstairs. With his prominent family background, he could sit at the upper-level table, but he wasn't the central figure, so he just sat on the side listening.

"This event is so high-end!" Amelia marveled, turning to Nora. "Nora, pay close attention to the conversations. I didn't realize Philip's network was so extensive. This kind of circle is something we'd never get into on our own."

Nora agreed. She picked up a dessert and started eating while people around them exchanged business cards and talked shop.

Amelia tried handing out a few business cards, but no one took them, so she stopped.

Nora focused on listening to the conversations around her.

They didn't need to pay attention to the high-level deals upstairs. Those were out of their league. They just needed to listen to the business talk downstairs.

A group of businesspeople gathered together, naturally discussing business matters.

To those who didn't understand, it would seem boring and incomprehensible. But to those who did, it was like striking gold!

Nora remained silent, using all her focus to pick up valuable information.

Suddenly, she overheard a conversation about "capacitors," mentioning that a big player had recently stockpiled a large quantity, and the price was about to skyrocket.

Nora exchanged a glance with Amelia, both of their eyes lighting up.

"Look it up," Amelia whispered, pulling out her phone to search for information on capacitors.

Although they didn't fully understand, they could piece together some information based on what was said. However, without the specific product model, they couldn't get the crucial details.

Because within a broad category, there could be thousands or tens of thousands of different items. They needed to narrow it down to the exact model to find the key to making money.

It's like someone speculating on food prices. They wouldn't drive up the price of all food, just specific items like corn or potatoes.

The bodyguard Steven had sent couldn't get into the private room and had to wait outside.

Nora was fully focused, waiting for that "key to wealth," but the businessman was clever. He dipped his finger in water and wrote some numbers on the table.

Nora craned her neck to see.

But the man wiped away the numbers before she could catch them, then got up and left. Nora felt a pang of disappointment.

The opportunity for wealth had just slipped through her fingers!