Standing ashore, Cordy called out, "John!"John went up to the surface then, having already taken off his tuxedo. The white shirt underneath was soaked through and glued to his body, clearly accentuating his muscular form."Can you come ashore now?" Cordy asked."Almost," he replied. "Come here," she told him, offering a hand to pull him out.Nonetheless, he said, "You shouldn't touch me right now, Ms. Sachs."Cordy's fingers twitched, understanding what he was hinting at."I can get out myself," he added, stepping out of the ocean. The water was a little cool in the night, and John's body clearly felt cold after he got to the beach.A breeze swirled over him and he sneezed, looking quite the mess just then.Cordy could not help giggling at the sight, and he growled grumpily, "Whose fault is this, I wonder?""Come on. Let's go back inside," she said, clearly in a good mood.With that, she followed him back to the ocean villa.He was planning to go straight to his room fo
Cordy and John ultimately boarded their flight back to North City, arriving at 3 PM North City time.Since neither of them had slept well last night, they were slumbering on the private jet all the way home, and they were spirited once they disembarked.John's black Maybach was already waiting by the plane after their flight touched down with Randy standing beside it, receiving them respectfully.Opening the door for them, he said, "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Levine."Mrs. Levine…Cordy's cheeks turned red, but she followed John into the car anyway.Randy rode shotgun and began to list John's schedule for the day, "Sir, since we've postponed three dinners for your seven-day trip, I've arranged them for later tomorrow night and on the two following nights respectively per your instructions." "Good," John replied. "Also, we'll be seeing many important guests during the Levine Ventures anniversary banquet tonight. Your grandfather specifically asked me to remind you to be there
Minor disturbances in the banquet hall would never affect that many people, which was why Cordy's arrival did not affect anyone by much. Still, the crowd's eyes would be drawn to her golden silhouette, though they only allowed their eyes to linger for just a moment before turning away. At the moment, they would rather spend every second they had mingling with the rich and powerful individuals present.As for Cordy, she headed over to an unnoticeable corner and waited there. She recognized a couple of faces, though she wondered if everyone who came today were not from North City since there were plenty of people she did not recognize.Naturally, that was not her priority either—she was keeping an eye out for Richard. She certainly missed the boy after being apart for so long.But as she scanned the crowd that was constantly on the move, a man's voice she did not recognize spoke beside her ear. "Cordy Sachs?"Cordy turned toward the man. She found him familiar, but could not quit
Nonetheless, Cordy was glaring coolly at Bryson.She considered him no more than a passing acquaintance and did not expect him to be such a creep."Anyone who can attend Levine Ventures' anniversary celebration tonight is either rich or powerful!" Bryson continued smugly."So?" Cordy asked in return."So I'm above the rest!" Bryson snapped angrily, his voice getting ever louder.Cordy smiled sarcastically—this was genuinely amusing. "Am I not here?" she asked.Bryson was taken aback, but since he could tell that Cordy was mocking him, he quickly tried to puff himself up with a sense of accomplishment. "You're just benefiting from your connection to Sachs Enterprises. On the other hand, I was personally invited.""In that case, do you see a single member of the Sachs family around here?" Cordy asked.It was not only the Sachs either—the Jessops were nowhere to be seen, and they had every reason to be invited given their status in North City. And if invited, they would be her
Bryson could see Cordy's contempt, and he scowled as he continued, "You have to understand that your hype is only temporary, Cordy. Your past remains a mess, and people will continue to belittle you once your hype passes. You should be pleased that I don't hold it against you.""Mr. Zimmer, do you mean to say that if I start dating you, you can use your position to ensure that my company develops unimpeded in North Cty?" Cordy asked.Bryson grinned. "Exactly. You're the one who gets the better end of the deal if we start dating—"The man standing behind him finally had enough. "Mr. Zimmer."Bryson promptly turned to find Randy standing behind him, and his expression promptly changed—high and mighty just a second before, he was now fawning and eager to please. "Oh, Mr. Martin! Hello, hello!" Bryson exclaimed, extending a hand.Everyone in Levine Ventures certainly understood that Randy was John's personal assistant and basically his second-in-command. There was none who did not
Naturally, Randy was under orders from John to help Cordy, since John was too busy to see to it himself.Even so, he was watching from above until the matter was resolved.But just as he left, Cordy blinked—the woman who had been standing next to John turned to look at her too.There was neither hostility nor friendliness in her gaze, and it looked like a brief, nonchalant glance.However, Cordy's intuition was tingling spontaneously. -The banquet hall was getting even more lively, and at 8 PM, the host of the celebration showed up.Alan was saved by a hair's breadth after the death of his son and daughter-in-law, but he was crippled since and was wheelchair-bound.Cordy suddenly remembered what John had told her on their trip to Ayro Island. At the time, he was so nonchalant when he spoke of what befell his family back then and the pressure that was thrown on him afterward. It must have been hard on him at the time, and Cordy's heart ached for him.That was when she saw J
A man like Alan, who had weathered his fair share of trials and tribulations, would not usually be shaking with excitement like that. Everyone was certainly interested, just as he spoke determinedly with great vigor. "My grandson will be formally engaged to Jessica Stuart, heiress of Stuart Holdings!"Every guest was left in shock—there was no question that it was a big deal.It already went without question that John would inherit Levine Ventures, even if no one had expected it to be this early. On the other hand, no one would have expected John to be engaged to Jessica Stuart, the heiress to Rocktown's most important family! Ever since John returned to the Zidonia, countless heiresses were getting restless, eager to get a shot at marrying him… only for this to happen?!At the same time, Jessica was getting onstage at Alan's kindly beckoning. She was wearing a pink gown that was attractive instead of tacky and not too reserved either. The tiny diamonds refracted a myriad ra
With a look from Alan from the stage, the black-clad bodyguards present around the hall closed in on John instantly.He did not even have the time to resist and was dragged away by force, watching as Cordy disappeared from sight.Even so, his eyes were red and his knuckles clenched! -After Cordy left the banquet hall, she remained very calm. She walked steadily as she lifted her skirt and was neither quick nor slow.She waved, and a black luxury car stopped in front of her outside the banquet hall. She had already sent Walter home since she was under the impression that she would be late.The chauffeur stepped outside and opened the door for her. She entered without turning back—not that she wanted to.If she did not hope, she would not be disappointed. She reclined against the backseat as she stared outside the window, taking in the night view of North City.She suddenly smiled—so she was not imagining it.Things really did change when she returned to North City.How