Chapter 41

Colby stood in the center of the grand hall, surrounded by a lively crowd of guests who had come to celebrate this special occasion with him. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as people chatted, laughed, and exchanged pleasantries. Everyone seemed in high spirits, offering gifts and well-wishes to the man of the hour.

With a confident smile, Andrew made his way toward Colby, holding a neatly wrapped gift. Walking beside him was Clara, who looked elegant yet relaxed, radiating warmth as she greeted familiar faces along the way.

Andrew extended the gift with a friendly grin. “Hey, man! Congratulations on this big day. This is from us—hope you like it.”

Clara chimed in, her voice filled with genuine happiness. “Colby, we’re so proud of you! Wishing you all the success in the world. May this be the beginning of something truly amazing!”

Colby’s eyes lit up with gratitude as he accepted the gift. “Wow, thank you both so much! It means a lot to me that you’re here.” He took a quick glance at the package, curiosity flickering in his expression. “I can’t wait to see what’s inside.”

Then, with a teasing smirk, he leaned slightly toward Andrew and lowered his voice just enough to make sure Clara could still hear. “By the way, I’ve been hearing some whispers lately… People are saying you and Clara are getting closer than ever. Should I start expecting a little one soon?”

Clara’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink at his words. She shot Andrew a playful yet embarrassed glance. Andrew, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head. “Come on, Colby. Don’t go starting rumors now. If that ever happens, you’ll be the first to know—and don’t forget, I’ll be expecting a gift from you in return.”

Colby burst into laughter. “Of course! I’ll make sure it’s something really special. Just let me know when the time comes!”

Their friendly banter was interrupted by the arrival of a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties, dressed in an expensive designer dress and wearing heavy makeup that only partially masked her obvious impatience. She walked up to Colby and gave Clara and Andrew a once-over before addressing Colby directly.

“Colby, aren’t you going to introduce me?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Colby smiled and gestured toward his friends. “Of course! This is Andrew, my old college buddy. And this lovely lady here is Clara, his wife. We all go way back.”

Then, he turned to the woman beside him and continued with an affectionate tone. “And this, everyone, is my fiancée, Selena Gomez.”

Selena’s eyes briefly widened at Andrew’s name, as if recognizing it. She hesitated for half a second before regaining her composure and smiling sweetly. “Oh, Andrew! Colby has mentioned you before. It’s nice to finally meet you both. You two really do make a lovely couple.”

Andrew remained polite, choosing not to comment on the odd hesitation in her greeting. Instead, he simply handed over the gift with a casual smile. “Just a little something for the occasion.”

Selena took the box eagerly, though her words suggested otherwise. “Oh, you really didn’t have to!” Her fingers, however, were already busy unwrapping it, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Andrew chuckled. “Go ahead, open it. We hope you’ll like it.”

Colby gave them an apologetic look. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a few more guests to greet. I’ll catch up with you both later.”

Andrew nodded understandingly. “Of course. Go enjoy your celebration—we’ll be around.”

The moment Colby turned away, Selena’s entire demeanor changed. She unwrapped the gift and pulled out a rolled-up canvas, her face contorting with visible disappointment.

“What is this?” she muttered under her breath as she unrolled the painting. Her lips twisted in disgust. “This looks so old. It must have come from some thrift store. What kind of cheap gift is this?”

Colby, noticing her reaction, frowned. “It’s a painting, Selena. And it’s a gift from a friend. It’s not about the price—it’s about the thought behind it.”

Selena scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “Oh, please, Colby. Let’s be real here. Who gives someone a used painting as a gift? It probably cost them less than a hundred bucks! You need to stop surrounding yourself with these kinds of people. They clearly don’t belong in our circle.”

Colby’s jaw tightened slightly. “Selena, don’t be so shallow. Andrew is an old friend, and he took the time to come here and celebrate with us. That means more than any expensive gift.”

Selena rolled her eyes. “If I were really shallow, would I even be with you? Have you forgotten who helped fund this restaurant? My dad’s investment is the reason you even have this place.”

Colby fell silent. She wasn’t wrong, but something about the way she said it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

At that moment, Jonh walked over, his posture exuding confidence. Ever since his car incident, he had been trying extra hard to maintain his usual arrogant demeanor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick white envelope, extending it toward Colby with a smirk.

“Didn’t know what to get you for the big opening,” he said, his voice dripping with nonchalance. “So here—just take this. Consider its financial support from me.”

Selena’s mood shifted instantly as she took the envelope and gave it a light squeeze, feeling the crisp bills inside. Judging by its thickness, it had to be a few thousand dollars at the very least.

Her face lit up with an exaggerated smile. “Wow, Jonh! That’s so generous of you. Thank you so much!”

Jonh waved a hand as if it were no big deal. “It’s nothing. By the way, I saw Andrew giving you something earlier. What was it?”

Selena scoffed, crossing her arms. “Oh, just a painting. Probably something he picked up at a flea market for a few bucks.”

Jonh snorted in amusement. “Once a loser, always a loser.”

Meanwhile, Andrew, Clara, and Loretta were seated at a table, enjoying some light conversation, when Jonh sauntered over and casually took a seat beside Loretta.

With an overly confident grin, he turned to her. “Loretta, I heard you moved to Beverly Hills to work for Blackwood Group. That true?”

Loretta nodded, sipping her drink. “Yeah, just started there recently.”

Jonh’s grin widened. “What a coincidence! My dad is a senior manager at Blackwood Group. I’ll make sure he looks out for you.”

Gasps of admiration rippled through the people around them.

“Whoa, Jonh! Your dad is a senior manager there? That’s huge!” one of them exclaimed.

Jonh nodded smugly. “Yep, got promoted last year.”

Another person leaned in with excitement. “A senior manager at Blackwood Group must make millions a year! No wonder your family is doing so well.”

Jonh smirked. “That’s just his official salary. He has plenty of side earnings too. You know about Blackwood Group’s new luxury hotel project, right? Once that’s completed, my dad’s cut will be at least ten to twenty million.”

A guy across the table perked up. “Jonh, I’ve been trying to land a job at Blackwood Group forever, but they never even reply to my applications. Could you ask your dad to put in a good word for me?”

Jonh waved his hand lazily. “Sure, send me your resume. I’ll see what I can do.”

Andrew, who had been quietly observing, raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t known Jonh’s dad held such an important position at Blackwood Group.

Now, this was interesting.

Andrew made a mental note to text Janet later. Perhaps it was time for some… restructuring at Blackwood Group.

He turned to Jonh and asked casually, “If your dad’s so powerful at Blackwood Group, why don’t you work there yourself?”

Jonh scoffed. “You wouldn’t get it, loser. If I worked there, everyone would just say I got in because of my dad. Too much pressure. I’d rather make my own way.”

The conversation took a pause.

Then, Selena stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand, her voice ringing through the hall.

“To show our appreciation for your generosity,” she announced with a wide smile, “we’ve decided to announce the details of each gift we received!”

The guests murmured in excitement.

Andrew leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

This was about to get interesting.