"Thank you, Mrs. Somerset."

After toasting Old Mrs. Somerset, Stuart led his wife and daughter to greet the other elders.

Watching Caitlin's retreating figure, Old Mrs. Somerset lowered her voice. "Flossie, did you notice?"

"Notice what?" Flossie asked, confused.

Old Mrs. Somerset continued, "That Freya girl is pretty, but she's far too thin! I bet a constitution like that makes it hard to bear children. In fact, I suspect the reason her ex-husband divorced her is because she's barren."

Tsk, tsk. What kind of a woman can't even have a child? It was only natural that Caitlin's ex-husband would divorce her!

Flossie coughed lightly. "Mom, she's just slender. Don't make wild accusations."

"I'm just stating the facts," Old Mrs. Somerset said, adding, "But even if she can't have children, I won't hold it against her. After all, our family already has Dragon." Dragon was the son Jeremiah had with his ex-wife. He was twelve now and the apple of Old Mrs. Somerset's eye. She had been worried that another woman's child might compete with Dragon for the family inheritance. Since she had raised Dragon herself, she adored her precious grandson. Seeing how thin Caitlin was, she felt a profound sense of relief.

Flossie massaged her temples, exasperated. "Mom, Miss Gonzales is just a bit thin. Can you please stop letting your imagination run wild?"

Flossie often wondered why her mother, a woman herself, held such demeaning views about other women.

Old Mrs. Somerset shot Flossie a glare. If her daughter hadn't married into a prominent family in The Capital, she would have slapped her. After all, Flossie had been belittling Jeremiah all evening. It was true what the old sayings said: a married daughter is like water thrown out. No wonder everyone wanted to raise sons! Thank goodness she had a son and a grandson. Otherwise, this disobedient girl would be the death of her.

On the other side of the banquet hall, Celeste had met a handsome guy. Right now, they were in the middle of a drinking game.

"Wow, you lose again! Drink up, drink up!"

The handsome guy could hold his liquor well; his face wasn't even flushed after several glasses. And he wasn't a sore loser, which Celeste found quite appealing.

Norris Richards stood nearby, watching the scene unfold, his gaze dark and intense. What was with this girl? How could she get along with just about anyone? It was obvious the guy had ulterior motives. Otherwise, why would he keep losing to her?

"Norris," Xavier Richards came over, draping an arm over Norris's shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Norris shot him a sideways glance.

Xavier grinned. "Just watching won't do you any good! Our little March has a thing for good looks. If you don't make a move soon, someone else is going to snatch her away."

"Stay out of my business," Norris retorted, his expression souring.

"I was just giving you a heads-up. Since my good intentions are being mistaken for meddling, I'll mind my own business." With that, Xavier turned and walked away.

Over by the game, Celeste, who had

been on a winning streak, finally lost. up her glass, but before

She picked the handsome guy

she could drink

smiled at her. "Miss Hayes, how about we exchange WhatsApp numbers? If you do, you won't have to drink this."

"Sure," Celeste said, pulling out her phone.

Suddenly, a figure approached from the side. A pleasant voice sounded as a hand pressed down on her phone and another took the wine glass from her hand. "I'II drink this for her."

With that, the man downed the wine in one go.

Celeste looked up in astonishment. From her angle, she had a perfect view of Norris's sharp jawline and chiseled features. The Richards men were a stunningly handsome, and Norris had that roguish bad-boy charm. For a moment, Celeste's heart began to race.

Thump-thump, thump-thump. Her face grew warm. The glass Norris had just drunk from was the one she had been using. Did that count as an indirect kiss?

The more she thought about it, the hotter her face became.

After finishing the drink, Norris grabbed Celeste's arm and started pulling her away.

"Norris!"

"What?"

Celeste stopped, looking up at him. She met his gaze directly and asked, "Do you have a crush on me?"

Having asked the question, she waited for his answer. She wasn't one to keep things bottled up, nor did she like ambiguity. Besides, youth was fleeting, and she didn't want to waste time. If they both liked each other, why not give it a try? She had to ask and find out.

Her question stunned Norris. His ears were ringing, his heartbeat and breathing a chaotic mess in his chest. It felt like he was walking on cotton. He never imagined Celeste would be so direct.

It took only a second. Just one second. And Norris's entire face turned crimson, as red as a beet.

When his answer didn't come, Celeste grew impatient. "It's a yes or no question. Say something!"

Norris took a deep breath. The usually articulate business elite was now stammering. "I, I..."