The Kaelus Charity Auction Gala.
The last time Jaden Lancaster set foot in Kaelus, he had been invited with Wynn Shaw to negotiate a major partnership.
Back then, he had been full of confidence.
Backed by his outstanding business plan and Wynn’s support, he had navigated the negotiation table with ease.
Tonight, however, he had only managed to secure an invitation by having Summer Sullivan pull some strings with the Sullivan Family.
The stark contrast left him feeling rather dejected.
But it didn’t matter.
He wasn’t entirely on his own.
The auction gala was held in the ballroom of The Vista Hotel, Kaelus’s most prestigious establishment.
The air buzzed with the chatter of socialites and industry tycoons from all over, thick with the scent of wealth and power.
Jaden Lancaster straightened his tie, his eyes scanning the crowd for his target.
“Summer,” he asked in a low voice,
“did you speak with Director Ford’s assistant earlier?
Do you know where he’s sitting?”
It was also Summer Sullivan’s first time at an event like this.
She fidgeted with her hair, her eyes darting away nervously.
“He’s probably off toasting some other executives.
It’s normal for schedules to change at high-end events like this.”
In truth, her heart was pounding.
She had only managed to sneak into Kaelus’s most exclusive auction gala by secretly using her older sister’s invitation.
Given her status, she knew very little about the upper echelons of society.
How could she possibly have the connections to contact someone like Director Ford directly?
Jaden Lancaster keenly sensed her unease, but he didn’t dwell on it at that moment.
He and Summer Sullivan found an empty spot in a corner and sat down.
Watching the business titans and powerful scions of wealthy families moving about, he couldn’t help but marvel at the vast difference between the business circles of Kaelus and Eldoria.
Just then, his gaze locked onto the other side of the ballroom.
He had finally spotted Director Ford.
What shocked him, however, was the person standing across from Director Ford.
It was someone he knew all too well—
Wynn Shaw!
She wore a slim-fitting, silver mermaid gown, its hem adorned with fine crystals.
Her figure was impeccable, and her long hair was swept up in an elegant updo, revealing a slender neck and a refined profile.
She was chatting and laughing with Director Ford, her every move poised and graceful.
There was no trace of the frazzled, overworked woman he remembered.
“This is impossible…” Jaden Lancaster muttered, almost thinking he was hallucinating.
Director Ford raised his glass and gently clinked it against Wynn’s, his tone filled with admiration.
“So you’re Miss Shaw, Chairman Shaw’s daughter.
I thought Chairman Shaw didn’t want to see me and sent his daughter to placate me, but it seems I’ve underestimated you.
Our conversation today has been a pleasure.
I will definitely be supporting the Shaw Group’s products moving forward.”
A confident, polished smile touched Wynn’s lips.
“Rest assured, Mr.
Ford.
I won’t let you down.”
In fact, at her parents’ suggestion, this was Wynn’s first official appearance in Kaelus’s business circles as the heiress of the Shaw Family.
Shaw hadn’t had her take over the Shaw Group’s core operations immediately.
Instead, he started her off with a few smaller projects and brought her to the charity auction gala to network.
Wynn understood this was her father’s way of testing her abilities.
The Shaw Family was rife with internal strife and power struggles.
As the only child, if she continued to shirk her responsibilities, the family’s power would sooner or later fall into the hands of relatives from the second and third branches—the ones with sons.
Jaden Lancaster stared at that familiar yet foreign figure, and in that brief moment, something clicked.
All his resentment toward Wynn from the past few days instantly melted away into a feeling of being deeply moved.
He murmured to himself,
“So, she hasn’t given up on the Lancaster Group these past few days she’s been gone.”
He knew it!
No matter how much of a fit Wynn threw, her heart was still set on him and the company’s future!
She must be here to win over Director Ford—the “difficult” client the Lancaster Group had been dreaming of but could never land.
Beside him, Summer Sullivan was just as shocked to see Wynn.
“No way…
Jaden, you say she’s doing this for the company, but have you considered why she’s even here?
This is the most exclusive charity gala in Kaelus.”
Her words were a wake-up call for Jaden Lancaster.
‘That’s right.
Wynn is just an ordinary girl with no background.
In the past, she had to pretend to be my secretary just to get into some high-end events.’
‘And what kind of place is Kaelus?
It’s the central hub where all of Aethel’s top tycoons and wealthiest families gather.
Countless people would kill to get in here.’
Summer Sullivan squeezed his hand worriedly, her voice gentle.
“Jaden, I know Wynn is just trying to help the company, but…”
She paused, as if embarrassed,
“she shouldn’t have to sacrifice herself…
You know what Director Ford is like.
He’s notoriously difficult and looks down on most potential partners.
Unless…
unless Wynn used some…
improper methods…”
“Impossible!” Jaden Lancaster’s face changed drastically.
“Wynn loves me.
She would never do something like that.”
Summer Sullivan soothed him in a soft voice,
“It’s just a guess.
Maybe I’m overthinking it.
Don’t be too angry.
After all, you two had another fight recently.
She probably wants to show off her capabilities to make you think more highly of her, so you won’t dare to leave her so easily.
It’s not impossible for a woman to do something extreme under these circumstances.”
These words struck the deepest chord of Jaden Lancaster’s anxieties.
‘Summer is right,’ he thought.
‘Wynn has always been ruthless when it comes to achieving her goals.
I’ve seen how hard she pushes herself at work.
Otherwise, the Lancaster Group wouldn’t have risen so quickly in just a few years.’
He shot to his feet and, ignoring Summer Sullivan’s attempts to stop him, strode directly toward a waiting room not far away.
However, he was stopped by Director Ford’s bodyguards as soon as he reached the door.
“Hello, this is my business card.”
“I am the head of the Lancaster Group from Eldoria.
I know the lady inside; she’s my wife.
I request to be let in to discuss a partnership with Director Ford.”
The bodyguard eyed him, frowning.
“Lancaster Group?
Never heard of it in Kaelus.
Please leave immediately.”
From the bodyguard’s perspective, the woman inside was the heiress of the Shaw Group.
In Kaelus, with the exception of the Preston Family, her marriage prospects were top-tier.
Would she really fall for an ordinary man?
For this man who had appeared out of nowhere to brazenly claim to be her husband was simply absurd!
Jaden Lancaster’s face turned ashen, then flushed with anger.
‘Looking down on the Lancaster Group?’ he fumed inwardly.
‘The company was supposed to go public in Kaelus this year.
The process was only put on hold because of my recent conflict with Wynn.’
‘So what?’
‘Regardless, he believed that earning a partnership through honest work was always better than resorting to improper means.’
The thought of the price Wynn might be paying for this made him sick with worry.
Unfortunately, the bodyguards blocked the door tightly, adamantly refusing to let him in.
They even began to physically push him away.
In his desperation, Jaden Lancaster had no choice but to compose a text message and send it to Wynn.
Meanwhile, inside the waiting room, Director Ford had been drawn by the commotion outside and signaled for one of his men to check on it.
After hearing the report, he looked at Wynn thoughtfully.
“Miss Shaw, there’s a man outside claiming to be the boss of the Lancaster Group, and he says he’s your husband.
Is that true?
If he’s an old friend, why not invite him in to join us?”
He was skeptical.
If the heiress of the Shaw Family were already married, how could there be no news of it in the Kaelus media?
Wynn already knew who it was.
She wasn’t the least bit surprised that Jaden Lancaster was here.
He had long been desperate to break into Kaelus’s inner circle.
“My apologies for the disturbance, Director Ford.”
Wynn calmly lifted her teacup and took a delicate sip.
“I don’t know any boss by the name of Lancaster, and I am not acquainted with him.”
Director Ford nodded thoughtfully.
“Then he is indeed acting without a sense of propriety.
I’ll have someone notify the event organizers and have him removed from the gala.”
Wynn simply smiled without saying a word and returned to the main topic.
“It’s of no concern.
Shall we continue our discussion about the Shaw Family’s partnership proposal?”
During the intermission, Director Ford got up to toast some acquaintances.
Only then did Wynn take out her phone and open the text from Jaden Lancaster.
A cold sneer played on her lips as she read the self-righteous words on the screen.
He had sent her countless messages over the past few days, and she hadn’t replied to a single one.
The latest one read:
“Wynn, I know you’re doing this for the company’s sake, but don’t play games with your body.
You have to hold the line.
After all, I am the man you’re about to marry!
I’ll figure something else out for the company.
Don’t throw yourself away for a simple partnership.
We can talk about this.”