William nodded, "Then wait for me." After saying that, he turned and left the private room.
Melinda's phone also rang. She glanced at the caller ID; it was Larry calling.
She quickly answered the phone, "Hello, Mr. Thomas."
"Melinda, where are you? Why can't I see you?" Larry's voice was gentle yet anxious.
"I'm resting in a private room on the second floor," Melinda quickly replied.
"Come down quickly," Larry continued.
Melinda had no choice but to go down. As soon as she reached the lobby on the first floor, she saw a group of people surrounding Larry. Despite his silver hair, he looked particularly energetic.
Larry immediately spotted Melinda and proactively left the crowd to walk towards her.
Everyone cast curious glances at Melinda, wondering which prominent family she belonged to, to receive such a grand welcome from Larry.
"Mr. Thomas," Melinda greeted with a smile.
Larry's warm hand gently held hers, his face full of kindness and joy.
"Melinda, you look stunning tonight!" His words were full of admiration.
Then, he turned his head and proudly introduced her to the people beside him, "This is Melinda, my esteemed guest. Isn't she particularly charming?" Larry's introduction left everyone shocked and envious of Melinda.
However, a pair of eyes in the outer circle of the crowd were filled with resentment and jealousy.
Emily watched Larry's affection for Melinda, her heart full of jealousy and hatred.
Although she was just pretending to be Melinda, she felt that everything Melinda had now should have been hers.
"Where's Raymond? Why don't I see him?" Larry suddenly noticed Raymond's absence and asked in confusion.
Melinda's heart tightened.
She didn't want to see Raymond, so Larry quickly sent someone to find him.
"Come, Melinda, let's go sit over there." Larry affectionately took her hand and walked towards the lounge area.
At that moment, Emily appeared on their path as if she had planned it.
"Mr. Thomas!" she called out excitedly.
Larry turned around in surprise. When he saw Emily, although he showed joy on the surface, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. He hadn't originally planned for Emily to be there, but now he could only smile and oblige.
"Mr. Thomas, I missed you so much!" Emily affectionately took Larry's arm, as if declaring her status.
A curious person nearby asked, "Mr. Thomas, who is this young lady?"
"I'm Raymond's girlfriend," Emily answered before Larry could speak.
A trace of displeasure flashed in Larry's eyes. He saw through Emily's scheming clearly.
But at that moment, he just smiled slightly and subtly withdrew his arm from Emily's grasp.
"Let's sit together," Larry invited Melinda and Emily to sit down.
Emily, unwilling to be outdone, sat closely next to Larry, while Melinda could only sit on the other side.
She sneered inwardly, thinking that Emily was just trying to steal her spotlight.
Meanwhile, in another private room, William was called in by his parents.
As soon as he entered, he saw two elegantly dressed couples and a pretty girl.
The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw him.
"William, come over and meet Tiffany Carter," Dexter enthusiastically introduced. "You met when you were kids."
William raised an eyebrow. He had no memory of this so-called "meeting as kids," but out of politeness, he walked over and greeted Tiffany.
The beautiful woman opposite smiled and said, "Tiffany had a birthday party when she was little, and you brought William along. He was only two years old then! We thought they could be together when they grew up."
William's mother, Teresa Gray, smiled at this, looking Tiffany over with satisfaction, while William forced a smile without saying anything.
This was the wife William's parents had chosen for him, Tiffany.
Tiffany's parents were giants in the restaurant industry, with intricate business ties to the Barnett Family's hotel business.
For the Barnett Family, this marriage was not just an emotional union but a powerful alliance between two great families.
Once the marriage was successful, the Barnett Family's assets would multiply, providing a solid foundation for future business endeavors.
William had little expectation for this marriage.
More importantly, Tiffany had fallen in love with him at first sight and had pursued him from abroad, determined to win him over.
Both families saw each other's status and background and were eager to match the young couple.
At the banquet, Tiffany dressed meticulously, hoping to catch William's attention.
However, William remained distant, and to Tiffany, this banquet was her stage to showcase herself to the Barnett Family. She had to seize the opportunity.
While Tiffany tried to get closer to William, he took the chance to slip away.
He went backstage and gave some instructions to the staff.
It turned out he was planning to propose at the banquet, but the proposal was not for Tiffany.
Tiffany was stunned, unable to believe her eyes.
The William she had been longing for was proposing to Melinda.
After parting with Larry, Melinda was specifically instructed by him to leave after nine o'clock. She reluctantly nodded in agreement.
She was about to find a quiet place to stay when she suddenly heard a mocking laugh behind her.
"Melinda, you are so shameless. Don't think that just because you have Larry's favor, you can take my place. Stop dreaming."
Melinda turned around and saw it was Emily.
She retorted unceremoniously, "Emily, don't think I don't know your intentions. Whether you can marry into the Thomas family is still uncertain."
"You..." Emily was so angry at Melinda's words that her face turned pale. She gritted her teeth and said, "Melinda, don't be too smug! You can't interfere in my relationship with Raymond!"
"Oh? Really?" Melinda raised an eyebrow and smiled, deliberately provoking her. "Too bad, Raymond hasn't been that good to you, has he?"
Seeing Emily trembling with anger, Melinda felt a sense of satisfaction.
She wouldn't miss any chance to make Emily uncomfortable. After all the excessive things Emily had done to her, it was time for Emily to taste her own medicine.
"Melinda, do you really not care about my past with Raymond?"
Emily squeezed out the words from between her teeth, trying to hurt Melinda.
"Care? You overestimate yourself," Melinda sneered, calmly countering.