CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: DEBTS OF ROMANCE

The night passed quietly, and since I wished Brother Henry well, he hasn’t spoken to me.

The alarm rang, and I groggily climbed out of bed, only to see that Henry had already gotten up. He was in a suit, tying his tie.

Henry could be considered quite determined, with strong initiative, and he’s very disciplined. I’ve almost never seen him laze around; whenever there’s something important, he never delays.

I glanced at him—he’s a typical Western build with Eastern features. Not only is he tall, but his frame is larger than the average man’s, with firm, toned muscles. Clothes make him look thin, but he’s muscular without them.

"What are you staring at me for? Hurry and change your clothes," Henry glanced at me after tying his tie.

"Oh." I slipped into the walk-in closet and picked out a white, off-shoulder cocktail dress. The skirt was mermaid style, somewhat snug, yet very elegant and poised without stealing the spotlight.

After grabbing a pair of nude-pink VALENTINO high-heeled sandals, I put them on and headed to the dressing table to apply makeup. Henry had already left the bedroom.

Today is Leah’s day, so I didn’t need to look too glamorous; a simple light makeup would suffice.

Downstairs, Laura had prepared breakfast, and Henry was already at the table, drinking soy milk and eating eggs.

"Good morning, madam," Laura nodded at me.

"Mm, Auntie Lawson, today we’re going to a friend’s engagement party, so we won’t be back for lunch. No need to prepare it for us," I said as I sat down.

Laura replied, "Understood."

Halfway through my meal, Henry had already finished eating. He wiped his mouth and got up, saying, "I’ll wait for you in the car."

"Alright," I replied, but I was a bit confused inside. Did he still want me to ride with him?

Five minutes later, I rushed to get into Henry’s car, heading straight to The Apex Hotel.

The engagement party wasn’t until noon, but given my relationship with Leah, I’d definitely need to arrive early. As for Henry, I wasn’t sure why he was so eager.

Crystal Dawson and Tiana O’Connell arrived almost at the same time as us, dressed similarly to me. The three of us shared a tacit agreement to highlight Leah in her red dress.

Seeing Henry and me appear together, Crystal reacted as if she’d seen a ghost, her expression shifting three times in a second.

Shock, confusion, speechlessness.

Tiana was a bit better, but her eyes were wide open.

"I’ll head up first," Henry’s face turned slightly cold upon seeing Crystal. They weren’t familiar to begin with, then there was the incident at the bar questioning him and the fight at Whispering Gardens involving Silas; their relationship had turned outright frosty.

"Okay." I nodded. Leah’s engagement party was set in The Serenity Room on the eighth floor, so he could head there directly.

As soon as Henry left, Crystal dashed over to me, shaking my shoulders vigorously, "Zoe, what are you up to???"

"Odo-Ke!?" Tiana even dramatically exclaimed in Korean.

Finding it funny and exasperating, I pried Crystal’s hands off and explained, "The Lane Family also invited Henry. We’re technically still married, so it’s not suitable for us to arrive separately, right?"

If my parents or his parents found out, it’d be awkward unless we officially declared our intent to divorce.

Crystal snorted, "Don’t be tempted by his good looks."

Just at that moment, as Henry stepped out of the car, it was as if a giant light had suddenly turned on—he dazzled those around him. Anyone with eyes and decent aesthetics couldn’t help but sneak a few more glances at him.

The first time I met Henry at seventeen, he was already hinting at becoming catastrophically charming. Standing in front of me, he seemed like he was from a different world than everyone else.

"Alright, you remind me at any time," I replied with a bright smile.

"Of course, I’ll remind you!" Crystal said, holding my arm while her other hand tugged Tiana along. The three of us entered the hotel’s lobby and took the elevator to The Serenity Room.

Engagement parties are different from weddings—they’re smaller in scale, with no ceremonies involved. It’s mainly about family and friends, plus certain important individuals, gathering for a meal. The Serenity Room had eight round tables, and hotel staff were busily arranging the scene. On a large screen, congratulatory words for Leah Lane and Connor Hawthorne’s engagement were displayed against a backdrop of red hearts.

"You’re here!" Leah was talking with Connor, and upon seeing us, she joyfully ran over.

Leah wore a red gown, her hair elegantly styled, exuding elegance and beauty, with a pink aura of happiness surrounding her. Crystal couldn’t help but exclaim, "The sickly sweet smell of love!"

"Why not find yourself a decent boyfriend?" Leah playfully slapped Crystal on the butt, "With your hot figure, you’ve got men falling for you left and right—it’d only take minutes to find one."

Crystal haughtily raised her chin, "Those lousy men aren’t worthy. I’m going to become The Siren!"

I smiled and found a seat, scanning the room and noticing quite a few people had arrived. Apart from attending the engagement party, another aim was networking, so people would come early to chat.

To my surprise, Ivan Underwood, Silas Lockwood, and Jason Forrest were also here, chatting with Henry.

"Isn’t that Mr. Preston? You’re here too today!" A woman in a black sequin dress appeared beside Henry, bending over, revealing the Grand Rift Valley in her low neckline. She beamed charmingly, "Long time no see."

Henry glanced at the woman, frowning slightly, puzzled, "Who are you?"

The woman’s expression froze, clearly taken aback. Silas quickly interjected, "Brother Henry, her name’s Faye, you even invested in her movie!"

This was tactfully put—she was one of Henry’s rumored past flings.

Hearing "Faye," Henry’s brows relaxed, and he smiled casually, his demeanor somewhat indifferent, "Oh, indeed, long time no see."

"We should have dinner sometime," Faye said, forcing a smile, then hurried off.

Crystal, paying attention to Henry’s side, shook her head, "Look at your man’s charming entanglements, Zoe. Only you could tolerate it for five years—I’d have thrown in the towel long ago!"

Tiana chimed in, "Right, being handsome isn’t everything, disregarding marriage is shameful!"

Hearing our voices, Henry glanced over. Our eyes met briefly, and with a mutual understanding, we shifted our focus away.

"Alright, today’s Leah’s big day; why talk about me?" I craned my neck, looking around, "Oh, Leah, where’s your parents and future in-laws?"

Connor was nowhere to be seen either.

Leah turned to look, "My parents went down to welcome relatives. Connor’s parents were here earlier—where did they suddenly disappear to? I’ll go take a look."

"Go ahead," I waved her off.