In the first level, participants had to identify expensive wines based on their categories. Meanwhile, the second level required tasting wines and identifying their names and vintage years. The final and most challenging level involved identifying the main ingredients in a cocktail, including base liquors, auxiliary ingredients, and food additives.Summer, having been briefed on the competition's three levels by Flynn, arrived at the first level after registering for the event and receiving her number.Inside the hall, three sections were delineated by yellow tape, with participants' identities verified by their name badges. Spectators not partaking in the competition were allowed to watch from the sidelines.The competition, lasting four hours, offered flexibility in sequence. Participants could tackle levels in any order, earning points upon completion. The more points a participant earned, the higher their ranking would be.In the first level, participants had to identify the
Based on Flynn's advice about the complexity of making Pinot Noir and its fermentation process with special ingredients to enhance flavor, Summer confidently selected it as the priciest option.With a mix of nerves and uncertainty, she handed the glass to the waiter, keeping her head down, unsure of the outcome.The waiter, maintaining a composed and expressionless demeanor, skillfully accepted the glass from Summer. He then calmly confirmed her choice, declaring, "Congratulations. This Pinot Noir is indeed the most expensive wine among these ten glasses. You have succeeded.""What?" Summer was taken aback by her success, ecstatic at her stroke of luck.After pausing for a while, she exclaimed, "That's great! I've succeeded!"However, her celebration drew curious glances from the elite attendees, who viewed her jubilation with skepticism.Susanne, noticing the commotion, approached and questioned Summer, "What are you doing?""Susanne, I've done it! Haha, I found the most expens
Bradly didn't enter the room. He simply pressed his ear against the door, trying to eavesdrop. But to his dismay, he couldn't make out any sounds from inside.It made sense though—the government-provided banquet hall had soundproof guest rooms to safeguard guests' privacy. So, despite Bradly's efforts, he couldn't catch any snippets of conversation.Frustrated by the soundproofing, Bradly pondered how he could listen in on the discussions inside.Just then, the door swung open abruptly, catching Bradly off guard and sending him tumbling to the ground. He looked up to see James sporting a composed expression."Hey, James... What a surprise seeing you here," Bradly greeted with a forced smile, knowing full well James was inside. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tried to eavesdrop.James remained unfazed, his demeanor suggesting he was aware of the eavesdropping attempt. "What are you up to?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of intimidation.Bradly feigned innocence. "Me? Nothing at al
As Keith shifted the focus to James, a heavy silence enveloped the room. It was as if time had stopped moving. Bradly, sensing the secrecy between the two, yearned to be part of their intrigue. Yet, he understood the significance of the silence. Despite Keith's tentative approval, James held the ultimate veto power. If Bradly wanted in, he needed James' consent.Deep down, Bradly anticipated James' rejection. From the moment the door opened, he sensed James harbored a colossal secret, something precious and fiercely guarded.Bradly, being the most playful heir among the prestigious families, Bradly felt a pang of frustration at being excluded from the clandestine affair. He craved involvement in whatever fascinating scheme they were plotting.So, he mustered his courage and asked timidly, "Jamie, what were you and Keith discussing just now? It isn't right—""Bradly," James' voice cut through the air like ice. Though Bradly held a position of prestige among the elite families
With an air of smug confidence, Keith posed his ultimatum in a manner befitting a high roller at a casino. "So, are you going to comply? Hand over five percent of Quigley Group's shares, and I'll ensure you don't suffer any losses. Otherwise... I'll reveal publicly why you married Summer."That was the deal between the two men. There was a reason why James fell so deeply in love with Summer. Keith had discovered this secret from an anonymous tipper, so was leveraging it to extort five percent of Quigley Group's shares from James. James furrowed his brow, pondering his options with the weight of his secret bearing down on him. It was like walking on thin ice—unable to relinquish his secret yet unable to defy Keith's threats. If James didn't decide, Keith would decide for him."fine. You'll have your five percent."Keith, usually composed, was taken aback by James' swift acquiescence. He had prepared to unleash the secret to secure the shares, but James' compliance caught him off
No one knew what went on in the room. Meanwhile, at the banquet hall, the competition was in full swing. Summer had completed the first level of the competition, earning five points, but she appeared desolate in her long black gown, a clear indication of her defeat. James, the previous victor, had achieved a perfect score of 30. Conversely, Summer's mere five points in the first level seemed like a harbinger of loss.Seated on a bench, Summer wore a crestfallen expression. She understood that winning wasn't easy; if it were, the four prominent families wouldn't offer such a grand prize.Susanne noticed Summer seated on the bench and approached with concern. "What's troubling you, Summer? Isn't the competition ongoing? Why have you stopped?""Look." Summer opened her palm and showed Susanne the five golden tokens that she had acquired from the first level. Susanne instantly grasped the situation; Summer's performance in the first level hadn't been up to par."Don't lose hea
However, Susanne encouraged Summer. Summer was rather moved by her."I got it. I'll stay in the competition."She finally thought things through. Susanne was right. She should enjoy the process rather than solely focus on the result of the competition. If she prioritized the result, she would lose sight of her purpose for joining.Well, things couldn't get any worse. She knew she had no chance of winning anyway, so she'd rather have fun taking part.With her newfound motivation, she got up and headed toward the competition area once again. Just then, she heard a pleasant voice."Mrs. Quigley, how have you been?"Summer looked toward the source of the familiar voice. She saw Eleanor, tall and beautiful in a blue dress, her complexion glowing.Summer was immediately reminded of this two-faced, manipulative woman. Little did people know that the graceful Eleanor had plenty of machinations in the dark. Eleanor had a fair share of offenses against Summer.Regardless of the bad blood
"Of course not. I'll keep my word." Summer's mother had ingrained into her the importance of honesty and keeping one's promises, lest she end up in hell. Of course, the hell part was used to scare little kids, but Summer held on to the principle.She didn't want to help Eleanor, but she never thought of breaking her promise. She explained, "Don't worry, Ms. Myers. I'll definitely tell him. Just give me some time.""You want me to give you some time? It's been half a month. Who knows if you'll forget all about it tomorrow?" Eleanor was riled up, grabbing Summer's wrist in public.Summer's wrist hurt as she failed to break free from Eleanor, who was surprisingly strong."Ms. Myers, can you calm down and listen to me? Don't get so worked up."Eleanor ignored her. With her rage, she could raise hell upon Summer at any moment.With the situation getting awry, Susanne finally intervened. Born into privilege, she learned self-defense through various martial arts disciplines from a young