Chapter 12

The dinner party was held at Wiltspoon Hotel, a place Serenity never had a chance to step into.

The Wiltspoon Hotel was one of the finest hotels in the city. Some said it was a seven-star hotel, but Serenity had no idea if that was true because it was not the type of news she would follow.

Jasmine’s aunt arrived at the hotel before the girls and exchanged greetings with her friends. The aunt then told her children to enter the hotel while she stayed at the door to wait for Jasmine and Serenity to arrive.

As the car she arranged cruised over behind other cars, the aunt curled her lips to smile.

A few minutes later, Jasmine, with Serenity in tow, approached the aunt.

“Aunt Rachel.”

“Mrs. Lowe.”

Serenity and her best friend said hello to Rachel.

Rachel was not entirely okay with Jasmine bringing Serenity along as she had met the girl before. Rachel had to admit that the girl, who lost her parents at a young age, was better looking than her niece. Despite coming from a middle-class family, Serenity carried herself with natural grace and class.

The aunt was initially worried Serenity might overshadow her niece, but since Jasmine’s mom mentioned Serenity was married, Rachel was relieved.

Seeing that Serenity ditched the evening dress for common clothes, opted for light makeup, and forewent the jewelry, Rachel was glad that her glamorous niece outshone Serenity’s natural beauty. At least, Serenity was sensible and knew her place.

“Come with me. I’ll take you in. Jasmine, take out your invite. The security will check it for registration.”

Jasmine immediately pulled out her invitation.

“Mind yourselves when you get in. Try to talk less but observe more. If the time is right, I’ll introduce you around. Seren, I can trust you more than I do Jasmine. Watch Jasmine so she stays out of trouble. The Wiltspoon Hotel is one of the hotels the richest family owns. The family’s heirs might be here tonight.”

Rachel then whispered in her niece’s ear, “Jasmine, it would be a great blessing to our family if you win the heart of one of the heirs. The family tends to keep a low profile and adopts healthy family values. You don’t hear much of a power struggle. Most importantly, the men in that family are decent enough not to have mistresses.

“My daughter isn’t at the age to marry yet. Otherwise, I would’ve saved the chance for my daughter.”

Ultimately, Rachel had a closer bond with her daughter than with her niece.

However, her daughter was only seventeen and not at the legal age to marry.

Jasmine replied, “… Aunt Rachel, I wouldn’t dare dream of climbing up the social ladder by marrying the richest family in Wiltspoon.”

She came here for the food.

Serenity stood next to them, listening without butting in.

She was here to play second fiddle anyway. Her eyes were set on the food as it was said that Wiltspoon Hotel had great chefs.

“What’s the last name of the richest family?”

Although Jasmine was not a daydreamer, it did not stop her from prying.

“York.”

“York? Now, isn’t that peculiar?” Jasmine nudged her best friend as Serenity’s new husband shared the same last name.

Serenity knew what her best friend was getting at, but she simply grinned without a word. Although her husband’s last name was York, Zachary had no relation to the richest family except for the surname. It was common to share the same full name, let alone a last name.

“The Yorks might be made of money, but they’re not snobs. The family will accept whoever their boys pick so long as the woman is of good character. The Yorks are pretty open-minded.”

Rachel had no qualms about pushing her niece to go after the Yorks.

Her niece was good-looking and nice. Jasmine’s family was also well-off, and although nowhere near the wealthiest family, the Soxes prevailed over many.

Jasmine’s nonchalance tempted Rachel to pull her ear. In the end, Rachel helplessly uttered, “You two should head in. I just saw a friend. I’m going there to say hello.”

“Aunt Rachel, we’ll go in then.”

Jasmine hastily dragged Serenity to get away from Aunt Rachel’s nagging. Aunt Rachel was exactly like her mom. It was no wonder Aunt Rachel got along with Mom. They were two of a kind.

It was Serenity’s first time at the Wiltspoon Hotel while Jasmine had been here a few times. Leading her best friend, Jasmine nimbly grabbed two plates of food and hid in a corner.

“We don’t know these ladies. They won’t give us the time of day if we go up and introduce ourselves. Let’s dig in, Seren. We’re here to check out the scene and see what a party among the higher society is like.”

Serenity said with a smile, “Mrs. Sox is going to kill you if she finds out you’re only here for the food.”

Nonetheless, Serenity came for the same thing.

Jasmine uttered without a care, “Look at me. Who am I to snag one of the eligible bachelors here tonight? My aunt is dreaming to think the heirs would fancy me.

“Seren, do I look like Miss Universe or Miss World to you? Would the heirs think I’m a catch? Heh. Only my aunt would think that. Let’s not bother. Come on. Dig in. The Wiltspoon Hotel’s known for its gourmet food. I had been to the hotel restaurant in the past, but I couldn't bring myself to order some of the dishes. They were too expensive. I can finally try them tonight.”

“Thanks to you, I get to try the food too.”

Like Jasmine, Serenity was indifferent about the whole thing.

Serenity was married anyway.

The pair hid in a corner as they enjoyed a great feast.

Suddenly, the crowd turned their eyes to the hotel entrance. With silence filling the room, the pair, who were munching in delight, realized something was up.

Serenity elbowed her best friend and asked, “Jasmine, why did they stop talking? They are all facing the door. Who’s there?”

“No idea.”

Jasmine stood up while Serenity followed behind. Getting on their tiptoes, the pair tried to get a view of the hotel entrance, but there were too many people in between to witness the grand entrance. It was quite a bustle that drew everybody’s attention.

Dressed to the nines, Zachary walked into his family-owned hotel surrounded by his bodyguards.

The organizer of the event tonight was a prominent figure in the business world who was buddies with the Yorks. Since Zachary was head of the York family and the party was held in his family’s hotel, the least Zachary could do was to show up.

After sorting out the critical affairs, Zachary made an appearance at the event.

His lofty build and attractive appearance, despite his tense facial muscles and standoffish presence, were like a magnet, drawing everybody’s attention wherever he went.

“Mr. York.”

“Mr. York.”

Zachary was showered with reverent greetings as he made his way through the crowd.

The high-standing CEOs greeted Zachary face-to-face.

Zachary courteously nodded his head in response to the hellos.