Chapter 4

With our guests confirmed, Bianca and I needed to choose the liquor base and ingredients for our drinks.

I quietly made my selection, while Bianca kept chatting with the host.

Amidst the host's constant flattery, Bianca finally revealed her guest's identity. "It's Brandon, the son of the Hayes family. Our families go way back."

She looked at the audience. "He's a mutual friend of Nicholas and me. Many of our custom outfits for formal events are tailored by his family's luxury brand."

The crowd went wild.

"I heard the Hayes family is a long-time partner of the Vance family!"

"She called him 'Nicholas' so naturally. That's so intimate!"

"She really is the future lady of the Vance family. Her connection with Mr. Vance is undeniable."

I glanced at Bianca. The smug smile on her face was starting to get on my nerves.

The "Brandon" she spoke of was a client she had desperately tried to keep.

In reality, the true mastermind of the Hayes family business was his self-made father, not Brandon. The brand only grew this big because they secured crucial investments from Vance Enterprises due to their stable partnership.

Bianca called him "Brandon Hayes," but Brandon actually hated his full name, to the point where some new hires thought he grew up abroad and only went by his first name.

As the crowd gossiped excitedly, the host turned to look at me, who was waiting quietly on the side.

By this point, I understood the game.

This segment was designed to compare me and Bianca, using a dramatic contrast to create drama and hype up the gala.

The host smirked and asked me, "Chloe, since you couldn't get Mr. Vance to come, did you manage to invite anyone else?"

She walked over, pretending to be helpful. "If you don't have any friends available, you can always invite a colleague, you know."

Following her words, the crowd began mockingly whispering again.

"She has zero friends. No one likes her."

"She was bragging about inviting the CEO, and now she's left high and dry."

"Just a low-level clerk. How could she know anyone important?"

I sliced my lemons, not even looking up. "Who said Nicholas Vance isn't coming?"

The host froze, completely shocked.

She looked back at the event planners, thinking this was a scripted surprise. She played along: "So, Mr. Vance is really coming?"

"Just wait and see," I said, looking up to give her a calm smile.

The host looked like she was ready for some drama, while Bianca looked absolutely furious.

Bianca glared at me coldly. "Honesty is a very precious virtue, Chloe. I hope everyone can possess it."

Meanwhile, the whispers below turned into outright shouting.

"Is this Chloe girl out of her mind?"

"Bianca already said Mr. Vance is in a board meeting! What is wrong with her?"

"Ugh, this delusional girl is so annoying. How does she even work here?"

I felt a bit helpless looking at the crowd, so I just focused on prepping my ingredients.

My silence only made the crowd bolder.

"Is Bianca mad?"

"Honestly, even if Mr. Vance does show up, he'll be here for Bianca. He'll expose this fake girl right on the spot!"

I ignored the voices and ignored Bianca's glaring face.

Whatever. Nicholas would be here in thirty minutes anyway. Everyone would find out who the real clown was.

I started mixing my drink.

As I layered the liquors and juices in a specific order, the host noticed something and gasped, "Oh! Bianca and Chloe are both making the 'Sunset Bay'! What a coincidence!"

Bianca said coldly to the crowd, "The 'Sunset Bay' is Nicholas’s favorite cocktail. It's also my specialty."

She was clearly implying that I was copying her.