Chapter 5

The International Business Forum was held in the grand ballroom of the city's most exclusive hotel.

Crystal chandeliers cast dazzling light over the room, where well-dressed guests mingled, glasses clinking, and the air was thick with the scent of money, power, and designer perfume.

Every attendee was a heavyweight of the business elite—corporate titans, managing directors of premier investment banks, and high-ranking government dignitaries.

This was a true vanity fair, where behind every courteous pleasantry lay a potential billion-dollar deal, and every polite smile was calculated down to the millimeter.

I wore an impeccably tailored black velvet gown—minimalist but totally commanding. The only accessory was a strand of top-tier pearls around my neck, classy and graceful. As the face of Langley Holdings and a major player at the forum, all eyes were on me the second I walked in.

Some were impressed, some were curious, and plenty were dying to know about the whole breakup scandal that had just gone down.

Unbothered, I handled all the attention like a pro, chatting with familiar faces and business partners—never missing a beat, never slipping up.

"Charlotte, you've been through a lot lately," Richard said, a close friend of my father's, said as he patted my shoulder. His voice was caring, but there was a subtle, probing look in his eyes—he'd obviously heard about Jonathan and that intern.

I smiled, keeping my tone calm and steady. "Don't worry, Uncle Richard. Langley Holdings is doing great, and so am I."

As we chatted, a subtle commotion rippled through the entrance.

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

Jonathan was dressed in a sharp, custom Armani suit, looking sharp and confident as always. But right next to him was someone who totally didn't fit in.

Sophie.

She had clearly dressed up for the occasion, wearing a tiered white lace dress from an accessible luxury label; with its cheap, ethereal frills, it came across as terribly tacky and pretentious in a venue like this. Her makeup was on point, but her eyes totally betrayed her—nervous and practically buzzing with excitement.

She trailed after Jonathan, like she was scared to lose him, but also making sure everyone noticed her—showing off her new role as his date, or maybe just his assistant.

Their entrance was like tossing a stone into an already tense pond—everyone's attention instantly shifted.

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew more complicated.

Some people were clearly there for the drama, others gave us disdainful looks, and a few even sent some sympathetic glances my way.

Jonathan seemed to relish the spotlight, greeting acquaintances with his usual effortless confidence, as if bringing Sophie to an event like this was the most natural thing in the world.

Sophie, meanwhile, tried to stand tall and look like she belonged at his side, but her darting eyes and trembling fingers made it obvious she was out of her depth.

I looked away and kept chatting with Richard, acting like those two were just part of the background.

Yet, as the tree desires stillness while the gale rages on, quiet was not meant to last.

Sophie's gaze clung to me like sticky spiderwebs, never letting go. Her eyes were full of jealousy, resentment, and a hint of challenge—like she was just itching to make a move.

She probably thought that if she could embarrass me at a high-profile event like this, it would finally prove she was superior—and that Jonathan choosing her was the smartest move he ever made.

How naive.

I was holding a glass of champagne, about to approach another partner, when I spotted Sophie in my peripheral vision. She had a glass of red wine in hand, making it look like she just happened to be heading in my direction.

Jonathan was chatting with a banker not far away, completely unaware of her little move.

Here we go.

I sneered inwardly without breaking my stride.

Sure enough, right as we were about to pass each other, Sophie suddenly "stumbled," letting out a dramatic yelp.

"Oops!"

The glass of deep red wine in her hand, almost like she'd planned it, splashed perfectly all over the left side of my dress—soaking it from top to bottom.

The dark velvet was instantly soaked as a massive, unsightly wine stain bloomed across the skirt, the sticky liquid dripping down the fabric in a humiliating mess.

"Ah! Ms. Langley, I am so sorry! I truly didn't do it on purpose!" Sophie steadied her footing and apologized repeatedly, her face masked in panic and innocence with wide, startled fawn eyes.

But deep in her eyes, I caught that fleeting flash of smug satisfaction—she thought no one noticed, but I saw right through her.