She wondered why this young man always went for junk food.

“Lilah, you don't know how tough Sherwood was on me. He was very strict and wouldn't let me eat much. Look how much weight I've lost,"

Jeffery said, sounding aggrieved.

In the evening, Lilah, Barth, Jeffery, Briseis, and Effie headed to a trendy club.

Briseis and Effie had just finished recording their show. Now they were ready to enjoy themselves. They were excited to see Lilah out with some handsome guys.

“I've got my eye on that dashing guy, and you can keep an eye on the shy one. Just make sure you don't mix them up," Briseis whispered to Effie.

Effie had no objections. She had a soft spot for innocent and straightforward young men like Jeffery.

"Here's to everyone! We've been working hard lately," Briseis announced, always the social one. As soon as the food arrived, she stood up and raised her glass.

"I don't drink," Barth said, lifting his glass. "I'll stick with juice instead of wine."

Briseis was a bit taken aback. "We're celebrating today, so why aren't you drinking?"

Barth didn't respond. A brief shadow of pain crossed his face, as if he was recalling something only he knew.

Briseis glanced over at Lilah, her curiosity piqued.

Lilah gave a slight shake of her head, signaling Briseis not to press Barth into drinking.

Briseis took the hint and stopped pushing Barth. Being the Lively person she was, along with Effie's natural charm, they kept the party buzzing with energy.

"Jeffery, do you practice martial arts?" Effie, having had a couple of glasses of wine, was a bit tipsy. She approached Jeffery with keen interest.

Jeffery quickly moved away and replied nervously, " I know a bit, but I'm not as skilled as Lilah."

“I haven't seen anyone as impressive as Lilah."

Jeffery grinned and said, "Lilah is truly amazing; even my mentor can't match her."

Lilah felt a bit awkward at the praise.

It had been an urgent situation, and she had resorted to using a dirty trick to defeat Sherwood.

She didn't want to bring this topic up again.

As she was about to change the subject, Lilah noticed that Barth seemed oddly focused on a particular corner.

They were seated in the club's main dining space, which resembled a bar. The place was filled with all sorts of people out for a good time.

Barth had been sipping his juice alone and couldn't shake off the memories of past events.