Chapter 161: Bros Before… Wait, Reverse That
In the room across the hall, Sophia sat at her vanity, stone-faced as she tapped through work emails on her phone.
The stylist worked behind her, curling her hair in tense silence. The atmosphere was suffocating.
Finally, the hairstyle was complete. The stylist packed up with lightning speed and beat a hasty retreat. "Ms. Johnson, all done. I'll be on my way."
"Thanks." Sophia looked up from her phone, her sharp demeanor melting into a polite smile.
She tossed her phone aside and began changing into her gown.
Tonight's dress had been custom-made for her by Michael. The silk bodice hugged her curves, flowing into a skirt that shimmered like moonlight on water—champagne gold, elegant yet commanding.
Sophia studied herself in the full-length mirror, lips curving with satisfaction.
Michael's taste never missed.
As departure time approached, the entire Johnson family assembled, ready to head to Celestial Peak Hotel in the cars Sophia had arranged.
"Sophia, are you really going public with us tonight?" Mary asked nervously.
For years they'd kept a low profile. Aside from the connections Sophia had introduced them to, they'd never told anyone about their relationship with her.
Especially James. The entertainment industry was obsessive about privacy. From debut to stardom, he'd protected every detail about his family.
He'd been terrified that any scandal or controversy might damage everyone else's businesses.
"We're family. No point hiding it anymore," Sophia said lightly, radiating the kind of confidence that came from controlling every variable.
Without false modesty—between Vertex Innovations Group's current position and Michael's Cloud Group, she could handle whatever came their way.
James sat beside Sophia, studying her expression from the corner of his eye before thoughtfully looking away.
Sophia had changed. Years in the business world had sharpened her edges, made her more commanding. Even with family, there was an untouchable quality to her now.
Less approachable than before.
Lucas, meanwhile, was glued to his phone, taking selfie after selfie as if this party were being thrown in his honor. He seemed more excited than the actual guest of honor.
First time wearing clothes this expensive, plus he'd styled his own hair. How could he not send a barrage of handsome photos to his girlfriend?
"Are you done yet?" Evelyn had been leaning awkwardly to one side to stay out of frame until her back ached.
Watching Lucas preen like a peacock, she wondered—was he dating someone?
"Almost finished." Lucas realized he'd been too obvious and quickly snapped the last two shots before ending his narcissism session.
In the middle row, Sophia pressed her lips together to hide a smile. With Lucas's inability to keep secrets, living under the same roof would expose everything within a week.
"Sophia, this outfit won't embarrass you, will it?" Ray asked nervously, constantly adjusting his tie in the passenger mirror.
Sophia was the chairwoman of Vertex Innovations Group, surrounded by powerful people. Nine out of ten guests tonight would be business elite.
He was just running a small company. What if people looked down on him? What if it reflected poorly on Sophia's image?
Sophia looked exasperated. "Dad, that's the seventh or eighth time you've asked. The clothes I bought you aren't going to be shabby. Besides, you're my father—show some confidence!"
Most of the business world was full of social climbers. If Ray attended as a small business owner, he might face condescension.
But with their father-daughter relationship front and center? Forget cold looks—people would be falling over themselves to flatter him.
Sophia had always been a proud princess. And she had every reason to be.
Hearing this, Ray lowered the mirror, though he remained somewhat nervous.
After all, tonight he might run into old acquaintances.
The Johnson family had once been wealthy, once counted among Emerald City's elite. They'd done business with plenty of these people.
But when the Johnson family went bankrupt, not one person had offered help.
Outwardly righteous, but in reality full of excuses. No one had extended a hand.
So Ray couldn't help wondering—how many guests tonight genuinely supported Sophia, and how many were here to kick her while she was down?
Lost in thought, the car pulled up to Celestial Peak Hotel.
Since they were the hosts, they'd arrived early.
Sophia instructed staff to escort her family to a private lounge while she and manager Byron did one final walkthrough of the venue setup.
"Sophia!"
Amelia had arrived even earlier, bringing her company's team to handle James's livestream broadcast. They'd come early to test equipment.
Not having seen her best friend in ages, Amelia rushed over and threw her arms around Sophia. "Missed you so much!"
Sophia laughed, gently pushing her back. "Funny, you didn't seem to miss me when you were off being lovebirds with Wayne."
Amelia bit her lip guiltily, eyes darting around. "But I flew back the second I heard about what happened to your family! That counts for something!"
Sophia's lips curved in a half-smile. "Well, aren't I lucky."
Seeing Amelia fail to appease Sophia, Wayne strode over on his long legs to rescue the situation. "It was my idea. I finally got her to give me a chance—don't be mad at her. It's all on me."
Sophia had only been pretending to be annoyed—she'd never seriously hold it against Amelia.
But hearing Wayne say that sparked genuine irritation.
"What's that supposed to mean? Amelia and I have been best friends for over a decade, and one sentence from you is supposed to make me hand her over?" She shot him a look of mock displeasure and pulled Amelia a few steps away.
"Amelia, are you sure about this?" Sophia's tone turned serious as she studied her friend.
Even though she'd grown up with Wayne and worried about his situation, at the end of the day, Amelia mattered more.
She worried Amelia was being swept up in emotion and would start having regrets and fights after the wedding.
There was still time to back out now. Once they were married, divorce would be much harder.
Amelia spoke with conviction: "I really do love him!"
She wasn't sure when it had started, but there was no denying she was head over heels for Wayne now.
Hearing this, Sophia smiled. "All right then. Is the livestream equipment all set? The party's about to start."