Outside the hotel, a sports car was quietly parked. Emily sat inside, repeatedly checking her makeup in the mirror. She finally came up with a good idea that would allow her to enter the banquet hall legitimately.
She swayed her hips and gracefully walked towards the hotel lobby. Just as she reached the entrance, a female security guard stopped her, "Ma'am, please show your invitation card."
Emily raised an eyebrow haughtily, "Invitation card? My boyfriend didn't tell me I needed one!"
"Who is your boyfriend?" the security guard asked politely.
"Raymond," Emily said loudly, afraid that others might not hear her.
As soon as she finished speaking, the hotel manager hurried over, "Miss, hello, I am the hotel manager. Are you Mr. Thomas's girlfriend?"
"Yes!" Emily said with a smile, "My name is Emily. I'm sorry, I didn't know I needed an invitation card! Can you let me in?"
The hotel manager frowned slightly upon hearing this and did not immediately let her in. Instead, he spoke with some difficulty, "Ms. Lowe, I'm really sorry, but without an invitation card, I can't let you in unless someone comes to get you." His words carried a hint of apology but were mostly firm.
Emily reluctantly took out her phone and sent a message to Nolan.
Nolan, the man who had long been secretly colluding with her, was currently beside Raymond, waiting for her signal.
The phone vibrated, and Nolan glanced at it, a sly look flashing in his eyes.
He looked up at Raymond, took a deep breath, and walked over to him, saying in a low voice, "Mr. Thomas, Ms. Lowe has arrived, but she was stopped in the lobby." His voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.
Raymond frowned slightly, lifted his head, and looked sharply at Nolan, "Did you notify her to come?"
Nolan quickly explained, "Yes! I mentioned it to Ms. Lowe when I delivered something to her last night. Mr. Thomas, did I say something wrong?"
At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, filled with tension and unease.
"Go bring her up," Raymond instructed Nolan with a slight frown.
Nolan immediately put on a flustered expression, "I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas, I'll go right away." He secretly wondered if his little scheme had been seen through.
Nolan quickly turned and went downstairs. He arrived at the lobby and saw Emily being stopped by the hotel manager, Angus Nelson. He hurried over to resolve the situation, "Angus, this is Mr. Thomas's esteemed guest, Ms. Lowe."
Upon hearing this, Angus's expression changed, and he quickly apologized to Emily, "Ms. Lowe, I'm really sorry for the offense. Please, come in."
Emily glanced triumphantly at the security guard who had stopped her, held her head high, and walked towards the elevator under Nolan's guidance. She secretly rejoiced, enjoying the superior treatment.
"Did Raymond get angry when he heard I was coming?"
Emily was naturally afraid that if she came uninvited and Raymond didn't show her respect, she would become a laughingstock.
"Mr. Thomas was just a bit surprised and had no other opinions."
Nolan cautiously observed Emily's expression and tested the waters.
Emily nodded in satisfaction but inwardly resented Larry, vowing to perform well tonight and let everyone know that she, Emily, was Raymond's girlfriend, hopefully infuriating Larry!
The elevator doors slowly opened, and Emily, under Nolan's guidance, gracefully entered the banquet hall. Her eyes scanned the crowd and then fixed on a figure, Raymond. He stood there, as if all the light in the banquet hall converged on him, making him impossible to ignore.
Emily's heart skipped a beat, and she wanted to rush into his arms. She took a deep breath to calm her excitement, then looked at Raymond with an innocent and flustered expression, "Raymond, I'm sorry, should I not have come?"
Raymond glanced at her coldly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips, his voice carrying a hint of disdain, "Since you're here, enjoy yourself."
Emily was overjoyed at his words; her plan had succeeded! She had legitimately entered the banquet hall.
"It's my first time at such an event, and I don't know anyone." She said, her eyes revealing a hint of pleading and expectation, "Raymond, can I stay by your side?"
"Mm," Raymond responded.
Emily covered her mouth in delight, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She then turned and lightly ran to get a drink. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Melinda.
The banquet was bustling, and she couldn't spot the familiar figure immediately.
At that moment, Melinda was sitting by the window, elegantly enjoying her meal.
Suddenly, a man in his thirties approached her, a smile of apology and anticipation on his face, "Miss, is this seat taken?"
Melinda looked up, her clear eyes showing a hint of friendliness, "No."
Her smile was like a breath of spring, instantly captivating the man's gaze.
He had initially been attracted by Melinda's graceful figure, but now he found her smile even more enchanting, making him fall for her.
The man's heart involuntarily sped up, and a thought crazily grew in his mind: he had to pursue her, no matter what.
He quickly composed himself, trying to appear more composed, "Hello, my name is Harry Collins."
"Melinda," she replied softly, her voice like a heavenly melody.
"Ms. Sharp, are you here alone?" Harry continued to ask.
"Yes." Melinda smiled.
"What a coincidence, I'm alone too." Harry seized the opportunity to get closer, "I'm the general manager of Horizon Pharma, responsible for pharmaceutical sales. Here's my business card."
Melinda took the card, a hint of surprise in her eyes, "You look young to be a general manager."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Harry modestly waved his hand, "What do you do, Ms. Sharp?"
"I do research." Melinda answered with a smile.
"Wow! That's impressive."
Harry's admiration for her grew even more.
At that moment, Melinda's phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, a sweet smile appearing on her face, "Hello, William, are you here?"
"Melinda, wait for me, I'll be right there." William's anxious voice came from the other end.
"Don't rush, I'll wait for you here." Melinda gently reassured him.
After hanging up, she looked up and unexpectedly saw two people not far away, Raymond and Emily.
Melinda's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold smile playing on her lips. Emily's tactics had indeed improved.
She quickly withdrew her gaze but found Harry looking at her with a deep, affectionate gaze. She smiled slightly in response.
Meanwhile, Raymond also noticed Melinda's presence, his gaze locking onto her, a complex emotion flashing in his cold eyes.