CHAPTER 105: THE ARRIVAL OF SARAH AND HER BOYFRIEND

The dazzling chandelier cast its glow overhead as the crowd parted like the Red Sea.

The expansive dance floor now held only Beauty and Lucas.

She had to tilt her chin up just to meet his gaze, standing a full head shorter than him.

The entire time, she kept her eyes locked on his, her neck aching from the effort.

Murmurs rippled through the onlookers.

"They look perfect together—who is that girl?

Does anyone know?"

"Must be from an elite family," another woman chimed in, eyeing Beauty with envy.

"Just look at her poise—every gesture screams old money."

The whispers swirled, speculating about her background, especially how effortlessly she matched Lucas’s every move, as if they’d been choreographed.

Then, the murmurs hit a sudden pause.

Sarah stepped out of a sapphire-blue sports car, arm-in-arm with Ryan Jones.

She leaned close, whispering something to him with a coy smile.

All eyes snapped to her.

After all, she wasn’t just a shareholder in Lucas’s empire—she carried herself with the sharp elegance of a CEO.

More notably, she was the only woman Drake had ever publicly claimed as his girlfriend.

Everyone had assumed she wouldn’t show up tonight.

Yet here she was, strolling into the grand hall on another man’s arm, head held high, her lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile.

Oh, this was going to be good.

The crowd exchanged knowing glances, their gazes now laced with amusement.

This birthday gala had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

Samantha followed the crowd’s gaze and spotted Sarah, her eyes lingering particularly on the strikingly handsome man standing beside her.

A flicker of surprise crossed her heart.

As far as she knew, Sarah had been single all these years—aside from Lucas and Drake, no other man had ever been seen by her side.

"Sarah, you’re here! We were just talking about you."

Samantha clung to Drake’s arm, her delicate frame leaning into him as she glanced between Sarah and the man beside her, Ryan.

Her eyes brimmed with suspicion and astonishment.

Ryan naturally took Sarah’s hand, his refined features softening with a faint smile.

"I believe we’ve met before.

I’m Ryan Jones."

The words struck Samantha like a bolt.

But she quickly recovered, flashing a knowing grin.

"Oh!

So you’re the heartthrob who chased Sarah back in high school!

You’ve only gotten more handsome over the years.

Your pursuit of her was the talk of the whole school—who knew you two would end up together now?

Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Ryan replied, tilting his chin slightly as his gaze shifted to Drake.

The air between the two men crackled with unspoken rivalry, their eyes locking in veiled hostility.

Yet Drake masked it better, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Resting his arm around Samantha’s shoulder, he said coolly, "Congratulations, Sarah.

It’s a relief to see you’ve finally found someone to take care of you.

Now I can... rest easy."

The words left Sarah speechless. Her grip on Ryan’s hand tightened imperceptibly, though her expression remained unreadable.

Only Ryan noticed her unusual demeanor.

His large hands gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his warm fingertips brushing against her cool earlobe, sending a flutter of nervousness through her.

She pursed her lips, feeling slightly unsettled.

All these years, apart from Drake, no other man had ever been this intimate with her.

Though she had called Ryan here today to help her out of a tight spot, she hadn’t expected him to play his role so convincingly—almost too real.

But maybe that was for the best... Drake and Samantha probably wouldn’t suspect a thing now.

If this was an act, she might as well make it even more believable.

Suddenly, Sarah tilted her head up, meeting the line of his jaw.

Rising onto her tiptoes, she planted a quick peck on his right cheek.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice tinged with shyness.

The gesture visibly angered Drake.

His grip around Samantha’s slender waist tightened, fingers digging in as if he were imagining wringing Ryan’s neck instead.

A sharp pain shot through Samantha’s side, forcing her to inhale sharply.

She lifted her gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she glanced at Drake.

Only then did he realize his own roughness, his pupils contracting briefly in self-reproach.

"Let’s go face the press," he said coldly, pulling Samantha along by the hand.

Clearly, he intended to publicly announce his relationship with Samantha right in front of Sarah.

Good thing she had prepared herself—otherwise, she would have been the laughingstock of the entire event, with no escape.

As they stepped onto the red-carpeted stage, the lenses of every media outlet swiveled toward them, capturing the image of Drake and the beauty standing beside him.

Mr. and Mrs. Drake stepped forward gracefully from behind the crowd.

"I’m truly delighted you could all join my birthday celebration today," he announced with a composed smile.

"There’s something important I’d like to share—this woman beside me, Samantha, is my girlfriend." ...

The banquet hall erupted in murmurs and hushed conversations.

Those who had never seen Samantha before whispered among themselves, speculating about which prominent family she belonged to.

Just then, the staff wheeled in the birthday cake—a towering ten-tiered masterpiece that gleamed like a colossal crystal.

Meticulously crafted from white chocolate and mousse, its crowning detail was a pair of figurines, a man and a woman, unmistakably resembling Drake and Samantha today.

A match made in heaven, the perfect golden couple.

At the very top sat a chocolate-crafted box, encrusted with dazzling crystals that shimmered under the lights, refracting brilliance in every direction.

"There’s a diamond ring on the cake!" someone gasped.

" Mr. Drake is so romantic! Is he going to propose to Miss Samantha at his own birthday party?

How incredibly dreamy!"

All eyes instantly locked onto the radiant diamond ring, its facets catching the light with mesmerizing sparkle.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd: "Mr. Drake, are you proposing to Miss Samantha?"

Standing on the elevated platform, Samantha’s cheeks flushed a deep pink.

Overwhelmed with shyness, she couldn’t bring herself to meet Drake’s gaze, yet her happiness was unmistakable.

Like a bashful young woman in love, she nestled gently into Drake’s embrace.

Sarah felt a dull buzzing in her head, as if countless birds were fluttering their wings inside her skull, leaving her momentarily deafened.

All around her, people were chattering excitedly, their faces alight with congratulations—yet to her, their voices seemed muffled, distant.

Suddenly, she remembered how Drake had done the same thing seven years ago, parading her before the media and declaring her his woman.

Now, those memories have become nothing more than a joke on everyone’s lips.

Thankfully, Ryan was by her side today.

Without him, she might have drowned under the weight of their pitying, mocking stares.

"That’s right—today, on this birthday celebration, I want to propose to my girlfriend, Samantha.

Soon, she’ll be my fiancée."

As he spoke, his assistant retrieved a dazzling diamond ring—large as a pigeon’s egg—from its box.

His eyes brimming with delight, he slid the ring onto Samantha’s slender finger.

Applause erupted like crashing waves...