Chapter 164 The Banquet Before the Big Reveal
Vaughn's birthday celebration was set at the Williams family's ancestral estate.
Outside the gates, a procession of luxury cars gleamed under the evening lights, each worth no less than three hundred thousand. The display alone made it clear—tonight's guest list was nothing short of the city's elite.
At the grand entrance, staff stood ready to receive gifts and envelopes of cash from arriving guests.
One of the attendants glanced at the small wooden box in Amelia's hands, but his smile remained perfectly polite. "Miss, please place your gift here and write your name along with the description and value of the gift on this sheet."
In her previous life, Amelia had never attended such an opulent birthday banquet. She didn't know that all the gifts would later be displayed in the main hall, the list of names and values placed in full view for everyone to see.
She handed over the wooden box, lowered her head, and wrote her name. In the gift description column, she casually wrote “cup,” leaving the value column blank.
Cup?
The man receiving the gifts froze for a moment.
Every present brought to Vaughn tonight was a rare treasure—art pieces, antiques, or cash gifts of no less than six figures. And here was a young woman offering… a cup? It was almost laughable.
When the gift list and display were revealed, this would surely become the evening's favorite joke.
He had assumed she was some wealthy debutante, but now she seemed more like a girl who had stumbled in with an invitation she didn't deserve.
The greeter's smile tightened. "Alright, you may head inside."
Amelia didn't care.
She stepped into the glittering hall, where crystal chandeliers bathed the room in warm gold and the air was thick with polite laughter and calculated conversations. She was about to find a quiet corner when a hand tapped her shoulder.
"Amelia—"
She turned to see Dorian, his eyes lighting up in surprise. "I thought that was you. I recognized you from behind."
Beside him, Asher stood in a crisp white suit, his smile easy and warm.
"What are you two doing here?" Amelia asked, genuinely surprised.
Dorian answered casually. "My father and Vaughn go way back. Since I'm in River City, he asked me to show up and deliver a gift."
"As for Asher," he added with a tilt of his head, "he's related to Vaughn, so we decided to come together."
"I see," Amelia said with a small nod.
Dorian glanced behind her, noticing she was alone. "You came by yourself? No one from your family came with you?"
"Mr. Williams called me personally last night to invite me. The others didn't come," she replied.
"Vaughn personally invited you?" Dorian's brows lifted. "That's impressive. Are you two close?"
Asher's expression shifted slightly, as if remembering something. "Wait… don't tell me the rumors are true?"
"What rumors?" Dorian leaned in, eager.
"They say Amelia is engaged to Quentin," Asher said, watching her closely. "Is Vaughn being so polite because of that?"
"But isn't Quentin with Rachel? And you and Mr. Johnson—"
"I have nothing to do with Quentin," Amelia cut in, her tone sharp. "It's an old agreement between our families, nothing more. It can be canceled anytime."
Her voice hardened when she spoke his name. "A man like that… I wouldn't even want to stand near him."
At that moment, Quentin appeared at the entrance.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his hair slicked back, his features sharp enough to belong on a magazine cover. He looked every inch the polished heir—until he caught Amelia's last words.
Wouldn't even want to stand near him.
His gaze turned cold, the easy charm draining from his face. No one had ever spoken about him like that—not to his face, not in public. He'd been chased by women his whole life, admired and flattered at every turn. And now, here she was, dismissing him like dirt.
His temper flared; he nearly strode over to slap her—nearly.
But he didn't.
He couldn't.
He remembered the last time, outside the school restroom, when he'd fought with Tobias. Amelia had blocked his full-force punch with one hand… and nearly crushed the bones in his wrist. The memory still sent a chill through him. How could someone so slight possess that kind of strength?
In a place like this, he wouldn't risk it. If she humiliated him again in front of River City's elite, his reputation as the Williams heir would be finished.
So he stood there, seething, watching her from across the room.
A few minutes later, Anna arrived.
She was dressed to turn heads—an elegant champagne-colored gown that hugged her figure, a silk shawl draped over her shoulders, and a matching set of top-grade jade earrings and necklace. Her hair and makeup were flawless, every detail calculated to make her the center of the room.
A maid followed behind, carrying a heavy red brocade box, its ornate design hinting at something expensive inside.
Anna's eyes immediately found her brother staring at Amelia. Her brow furrowed.
"Quentin," she said sharply. "Who are you looking at?"
"Anna," he greeted, turning to face her.
"You're not staring at that Amelia, are you?" she asked, her tone edged with disapproval. "Don't tell me you're interested in her."
At the mention of Amelia, Anna's irritation flared. She still remembered the Prestige High School anniversary, when Sophie had been embarrassed in public—but it was Amelia's final cutting remark that had truly made her grit her teeth.
A girl from the countryside, carrying the stigma of being an illegitimate child, now daring to talk back to her because she had Michael's favor? Did Amelia really think that would be enough to marry into the Johnson family and become mistress of a fortune?
In Anna's world, love was nothing compared to leverage. Affection was a luxury; power was the only currency that mattered.
She had almost forgotten about the engagement between her brother and Amelia—but if Quentin actually had feelings for her, that nonsense needed to be stopped immediately.
"Interested in her?" Quentin gave a short, cold laugh. "Anna, even if every woman on the planet vanished, I still wouldn't look at Amelia."