Chapter 36
The car finally stopped at the entrance of Silvercrest Villa.
Benjamin didn't say much. As I got out, he just coldly tossed out "Contact me if you need anything" before driving off into the night.
I clutched the weighty invitation in my purse, my mind crystal clear.
Benjamin had given me the ticket to get in, but how to set the stage and put on a good show—that was up to me.
When I got home, I didn't waste a moment and immediately called that friend of Violet's.
His name was Joseph Miller, a well-connected socialite in the rich kids' circle and an important contact for building my brand.
The call connected, and Joseph's flippant yet warm voice came through: "Luna, you finally remembered me? Tell me, what do you need? Through fire and water, I'm at your service."
"Mr. Miller, you're too kind," I said, skipping the small talk and getting straight to the point. "I need you to set something up for me—arrange a meeting with Walter Wood from Vanguard Innovations Group."
Walter, the younger son of Vanguard Innovations Group, was Freya's fiancé on the invitation.
Joseph went quiet for a moment, then his tone became somewhat playful: "Walter? What do you want with him? He's about to get engaged and show off everywhere, but... if you want to meet him, of course, that's no problem."
He paused, lowering his voice with a knowing hint: "Speaking of which, word about you and Mr. Wilson is already going around. The Wood family happens to have a project they want to connect with the Wilson Group on. If I get Walter out to meet you, he'll probably treat you like royalty."
A slight smile curved my lips. This was exactly the effect I wanted.
"Thanks for that," I said casually. "Let's set it for tomorrow evening."
Joseph was efficient. The next day after work, I received an address from him—a highly discreet private club.
When I arrived, Joseph and Walter were already there.
The private room had dim lighting with smooth jazz playing.
Joseph still had that carefree look. Seeing me, he immediately stood up with a face full of smiles, "The beautiful lady graces us with her presence—what an honor!"
Walter, beside him, quickly stood up too, looking respectful and even a bit nervous.
He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in designer brands, with a spoiled arrogance in his features, but in front of me, he kept it completely in check.
"Ms. White, hello. I've heard so much about you." He bowed slightly, keeping his posture very humble.
I nodded and sat down in the main seat, casually sizing him up.
A useless rich kid well-protected by his family—no real cunning, but smart enough to read the room and know who not to offend.
Joseph skillfully livened up the atmosphere. He put his arm around Walter's shoulder, half-joking, half-serious: "Walter, let me tell you, you better treat her well. Your family's business might need Ms. White to put in a good word with Mr. Wilson someday."
His words were clever—they established my relationship with Benjamin while giving Walter an opening to get closer to me.
Walter caught on immediately. He quickly raised his glass with both hands, his face showing just the right amount of flattery: "Mr. Miller is right. I'll need Ms. White's help in the future. By the way, Ms. White, this is the invitation to my and Freya's engagement party. You absolutely must come."
As he spoke, he pulled out a gold-embossed invitation identical to the one I had from his suit pocket and respectfully handed it over.
I didn't take it. I just let my gaze linger on the invitation for a moment, then looked up at him with a half-smile: "Freya? I know her."
Walter's smile froze. He clearly hadn't expected me to know his fiancée.
I slowly leaned back in my chair, my posture relaxed but carrying an invisible pressure: "Actually, Freya and I go way back. Since she's getting engaged, as her sister, I should really show my support."
Sister? Walter's expression became somewhat strange.
He only knew that Freya was the Johnson family's adopted daughter, but had never heard her mention having a "sister."
I ignored his probing look and continued: "How about this—before the engagement party, let's have dinner together, the three of us. I'll give you the engagement gift in advance. It'll be a way to honor our sisterly bond."
My tone was gentle, and the request seemed perfectly reasonable, yet it gave Walter an inexplicable odd feeling.
But he didn't dare refuse, and didn't dare ask questions.
Being able to connect with me, Benjamin's future wife, through his fiancée's relationship would be nothing but beneficial for him and the Wood family.
His hesitation lasted only a few seconds before being replaced by flattered excitement.
"Of course! That would be wonderful!" Walter rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Ms. White, you set the time, and I'll arrange everything right away! Freya will be so happy to know you care about her so much!"
I looked at his naive, fawning expression and sneered inwardly.
Happy? I'm afraid she'll be scared out of her wits.
Mission accomplished. I didn't stay long, making up an excuse to leave.
Back in my car, I didn't start the engine right away.
The thick night shut out the city's noise.
I took out another encrypted phone and opened an email I'd just received.
The sender was a private investigator I'd hired.
The email contained an extremely detailed investigation report. The attachments included scanned copies of Freya and Michael's marriage certificate and various evidence from their marriage.
I looked at the photo of Freya nestled against that Michael guy, smiling sweetly.
What she'd deliberately hidden and erased was now sitting clearly in my phone, turned into a bomb ready to explode at any moment.