Chapter 169
Aurelia ignored Kyler’s sneer and walked over to the staff to register.
The staff member, as expected, asked for her invitation.
Aurelia opened her purse, but the invitation wasn’t there.
She rummaged through it, but still couldn’t find the invitation anywhere.
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With more people arriving behind her, the staff member prompted Aurelia, “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you can’t enter without an invitation. Could you please show it?”
“Sorry, I’ll keep looking,” Aurelia said, stepping aside so she wouldn’t hold up the line.
Kyler snickered as he watched the whole thing play out.
He thought, ‘She’s really selling it.
‘Does she seriously think this is just some regular party?
‘Is she hoping to slip in with her usual shady tricks or just charm her way through, like always?
‘Keep dreaming!
‘People like her aren’t even worth a second glance.’
Kyler turned away with a look of disdain and strode right into the party.
Aurelia hadn’t expected to misplace her invitation. Feeling helpless, she had no choice but to text Darren.
She guessed Darren was probably tied up and couldn’t pick up the phone right now, so she went with a message instead.
She braced herself for a long wait.
While she waited, more guests started showing up.
Among them were Cassian and Tessa.
The moment Tessa stepped out of the car, her steps faltered for a moment when she spotted Aurelia.
She realized she and Aurelia were in matching outfits.
Both of them wore black halter dresses, and even the fabric was identical.
The only difference was that Aurelia wasn’t wearing any expensive jewelry.
Instead, Aurelia had a silk scarf knotted at her neckline, trailing down her shoulder all the way to her waist.
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Chapter 169
Whenever the breeze swept by, the scarf danced in the wind, bringing her whole look to life.
Aurelia had an air of sophistication that felt almost out of reach.
She sparkled brighter than any diamond.
That made Tessa feel a little uncomfortable inside.
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Aurelia didn’t bother looking at Tessa, just kept her eyes on her phone, waiting for Darren to text back.
Cassian led Tessa over to register, handing over their invitations.
The staff member handling registration turned to his coworker and asked, “How long is that lady planning to wait around?”
The coworker shrugged, “Who knows? Probably hoping to find a way to slip in. You know how it goes. Every time Darren throws a party, there are always people trying to get in without an invitation.”
“Better keep a close eye, don’t want her slipping past us,” the first staff member said.
Every word of their conversation reached Tessa, and she smirked at herself.
Tessa thought, ‘So Aurelia doesn’t even have an invitation.
‘I used to think Darren treated her differently, like she actually mattered to him.
‘Guess Aurelia thought she was special, too, trying to mooch her way into this party.
‘She really does think she’s all that.’
Inside the hall, Kyler finally managed to find a moment to go over and greet Darren.
Darren asked about Kyler’s father.
“My father hasn’t been feeling well lately, so he couldn’t come in person. He wanted me to apologize to you for him,” Kyler replied.
“Send my regards to your father. Next time I’m in Bustead, I’ll drop by to see him,” Darren said.
“Alright,” Aurelia murmured.
Darren glanced at Kyler and added, “Graduated already?”
“Yeah, my dad’s health took a turn, so I fast–tracked my graduation and came back to help him,” Kyler replied.
“Good,” Darren nodded.
They’d barely started chatting when Darren’s secretary came over and whispered something in his ear.
Darren shot him an impatient look. “Well, what are you standing around for? Go and invite her in, now!”
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Chapter 169
The secretary hurried off.
‘The way Darren was acting, that guest had to be a big deal,‘ Kyler thought to himself.
Darren’s secretary hadn’t been gone long when Cassian and Tessa arrived.
The moment Kyler saw Tessa, his eyes sparkled.
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He started toward her without thinking, but just a few steps in, it hit him. Cassian was right there with her. Kyler froze mid–step.
‘Who was I to get involved?‘ he thought, feeling out of place.
Darren happened to be heading for the door. When he saw Cassian and Tessa, he casually called out a greeting.
Kyler saw that and immediately assumed Darren’s secretary had gone out to fetch Cassian and Tessa, thinking they were the VIP guests Darren was waiting for.
Kyler forced himself to look away from Tessa.
He wasn’t there to have a good time. He had his own agenda tonight.
After Darren and Cassian greeted each other and chatted for a bit, Aurelia finally arrived.
Tessa had just opened her mouth to chat with Darren, but before she could say a word, Darren broke into a warm smile, completely ignoring both her and Cassian as he strode straight over to Aurelia. Tessa felt a wave of awkwardness. Clearly, she wasn’t the one Darren was interested in talking to.
“Ms. Corin, I’m sorry. I didn’t check my phone, so I had no idea you were stuck outside. Have you been waiting long? Next time, just call me directly,” Darren said, sounding genuinely apologetic as he reached out
to shake her hand.
Aurelia looked embarrassed. “No, I should be the one apologizing. I can’t believe I managed to lose my invitation. Sorry for causing you all this trouble.”
Darren laughed, “Hey, it happens to everyone. My wife is always saying I’m the most forgetful person she knows.”
When Tessa saw Aurelia and Eric engrossed in conversation, her smile faded away.
Tessa thought, ‘So Aurelia actually did get a personal invitation from Darren.
‘I have no clue what kind of charm she worked on Darren to make him value her this much.
With so many guests to attend to, Darren only chatted with Aurelia for a moment before heading off to greet others. As he left, he told his secretary to make sure Aurelia was comfortable.
Aurelia settled into a quiet corner and waved off the secretary, telling him not to fuss over her and to get back
to his own work.
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Chapter 169
She could take care of herself. She wasn’t a kid.
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Aurelia wasn’t really part of the Grendel City business crowd, and most of the faces there were strangers to her. So she just kept to herself, helping herself with some snacks and quietly watching from the sidelines.
To Tessa, Aurelia looked like she was being sidelined, just quietly keeping to herself like an outsider.
Meanwhile, Tessa was with Cassian, who pretty much knew everyone in the Grendel City business world.
Honoria Capital had a bunch of subsidiaries listed here, so their connections ran deep.
People kept coming over to say hi and chat with them.
A bunch of guests were eyeing Tessa curiously, and someone finally asked, “You two seem pretty close. Are wedding bells in the air?”
Tessa flashed a bright smile. “Yep, Cassian and I are about to get engaged.”
“Congratulations!” came the chorus.
Thanks to those two, the party was starting to feel more like a press conference than a cocktail event.
Aurelia set her glass down and made her way to the restroom.
‘At least it’s peaceful here,‘ she mused.
As Aurelia was washing her hands, she spotted a bloodstain on the dress of a woman leaning over the sink.
Aurelia quickly pointed it out to her.
The woman turned around and said, “Oh no, did it leak?”
“Let me try wiping it off, but I can’t promise it’ll come out,” Aurelia said, grabbing some wet wipes and kneeling to help with the stain on the woman’s dress.
With the textured fabric, blood stains were nearly impossible to get out.
Seeing this, the woman told Aurelia not to bother and decided to call her secretary to bring over a backup dress.
But just as she pulled out her phone, it started ringing.
The woman answered, “You want to talk now? I’m dealing with something here. Can you hold off for a bit?”
“I’m coming over right now,” the caller replied.
Clearly, there was no way to delay. The woman put her phone away, and when she looked down at her dress again, her frown only deepened.
Aurelia didn’t hesitate. She slipped off the silk scarf from her dress, knelt down, and gently tied it around the
woman’s waist.
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Chapter 169
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She fussed with it for a moment, making sure the bloodstain was hidden and the whole look still came together. Then Aurelia smiled and said, “It’s not perfect, but it should get you through for now.”
Aurelia’s quick thinking impressed the woman, who looked up and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Aurelia Corin,” she said.
The woman’s eyes sparkled with amazement. “Wait, you’re Aurelia Corin?”
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