“Oh, man, I’m starving!” Tanya Thorne said, arching an eyebrow and rubbing her stomach with a troublemaking look.
“After a screw-up this big, shouldn’t the club’s owner be pulling out all the stops to appease us?”
Ivy Holden was just about to suggest they go find something to eat when a sharp, disgruntled voice questioned her from behind.
“Ivy!
What’s going on?
Why aren’t they letting anyone leave?!”
“What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?” Ivy Holden turned to face Leila Lane and James Zimmers, who was standing beside her.
“James has something to attend to, so we wanted to leave early, but the bodyguards said something hasn’t been cleared up yet, and no one is allowed to leave.
What is this, a birthday banquet or a death trap?
And I find it so strange—the owner of this Arundo Club, Susan Spencer, has been best friends with your stepmom for years.
Even out of respect for Auntie Morrison, a mistake like this shouldn’t have happened!”
Ivy Holden felt her anger rise as she watched Leila Lane’s shameless pot-stirring, but before she could speak, Tanya Thorne beside her laughed.
“Ma’am, you can eat whatever you like, but you can’t just say whatever you like.
Weren’t you just begging Jensen Morrison to give this guy next to you a leg up?
How can you turn around and start bad-mouthing his mother?
Your skill at sowing discord is truly masterful!”
“Miss Thorne, you’ve got me all wrong…”
“Alright, alright, I don’t have time to chat.
Since you’re here for the birthday banquet, wait until it’s over before you leave.
That’s basic courtesy.
Besides, after what just happened here, even I suspect those cowardly rats were targeting my father.
If this isn’t investigated thoroughly, I’m afraid no one will be able to answer for it.” Tanya Thorne pulled Ivy Holden away, giving Leila Lane no chance to say another word.
Although Zachary Thorne was a businessman, he was a descendant of The Red-Hats.
Even in modern society, he was a man whose influence reached the highest levels.
No matter how clueless Leila Lane was, she wouldn’t dare to openly oppose the Thorne Family.
So, she had no choice but to swallow her anger and say to James Zimmers, “Let’s just wait for now.”
“We’re not getting that role in Jensen Morrison’s music video.” A layer of frost seemed to cover James Zimmers’s delicate features, and his charming, almond-shaped eyes were filled with a cold chill.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment idea anyway.
If we can’t get it, we can’t get it.
It’s just that girl, Ivy Holden…
she’s so strange, it’s like she’s a completely different person…” Leila Lane’s gaze remained fixed on Ivy, a huge question mark forming in her mind.
She couldn’t for the life of her figure out what game Ivy was playing.
‘That girl used to be so obedient.
All it took was a few words of provocation, and she’d start barking at the Holdens like a rabid little mutt.
How could she go away for two days and suddenly have a complete personality change?
What went wrong?’
“Didn’t you say she was wrapped around your little finger?” James Zimmers shot Leila Lane a cold glance.
‘This woman’s face has gone under the knife so many times it’s practically built from silicone implants.
She seems beautiful, but I can never remember what she looks like after I’ve seen her.
In contrast, Ivy Holden’s natural, icy beauty is unforgettable.
It makes your heart skip a beat.
She used to look at me with that sickening, starstruck expression, which was nauseating.
But now that she’s acting all cold and aloof, I can’t help but want to get closer to her.
Men really are gluttons for punishment, and I’m no exception,’ James thought to himself.
Zachary Thorne made a single phone call, and soon, people arrived discreetly, silently screening everyone present.
Because it was a birthday banquet, the Holden Family didn’t want to cause a scene.
At Zachary Thorne’s signal, the news about the fallen chandelier was strictly suppressed.
Guests began to leave around two in the afternoon.
Carson Holden and Brooke Morrison maintained their composure, standing at the club entrance to see off the guests as they left in small groups.
Inside the club’s VIP lounge, the atmosphere was so thick it felt suffocating.
In the inner room, Edison Holden was half-sitting, half-reclining on a chaise longue with his eyes closed, resting.
The doctor Susan Spencer had called was crouching down to examine him.
As the club’s owner, Susan Spencer was feeling incredibly angry, terrified, and utterly frustrated today.
She had been running her own business since she was nineteen, and in over twenty years, she had never encountered such a fucked-up situation.
“Miss Holden, would you like something to drink?” Susan Spencer asked Ivy Holden cautiously.
“That won’t be necessary.” Ivy Holden stood behind the sofa with her arms crossed, her head lowered as she watched the doctor’s every move.
In the outer suite, Zachary Thorne and Jensen Morrison sat on opposite ends of a sofa, listening to Zachary’s assistant deliver the results of the investigation in a low voice.
“Mr.
Thorne, we’ve finished checking the information on everyone at Arundo today.
One file contains the guest list with their backgrounds; the other has a list of all Arundo staff and their backgrounds.” Zachary Thorne’s assistant, Gene Aldrin, presented a tablet to him and opened a folder.
Zachary Thorne took the tablet, slowly swiped through the lists, and then handed it to Jensen Morrison.
“Ninety-nine percent of the guests today are from the entertainment industry.
I imagine Director Morrison is more familiar with them than I am.”
Jensen Morrison took the tablet but didn’t look at it right away.
Instead, he asked Zachary Thorne, “Can I keep a copy of this list?”
Zachary Thorne nodded.
“Of course.”
“Thank you.” Jensen Morrison handed the tablet to Gene Aldrin.
“Assistant Aldrin, please send a copy of this list to my email.”
While Gene Aldrin was taking the tablet to send the email, Susan Spencer and the doctor came out from the inner room.
Jensen Morrison was the first to stand up.
“Mr.
Spencer, Doctor Cheney, how is the old gentleman?”
“Rest assured, apart from slightly high blood pressure, Mr.
Holden is otherwise fine,” Doctor Cheney said.
“High blood pressure is no small matter!” Zachary Thorne said with a frown.
Susan Spencer quickly said, “We’ve already given the old gentleman medication for his blood pressure.
As long as he gets proper rest, he’ll be fine.”
“Mr.
Spencer, there’s no need to explain to me.
You should be thinking about how you’re going to answer to the Holden Family.” Zachary Thorne lifted his gaze and nodded at Ivy Holden, who had followed them out.
“Ivy, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”
Ivy Holden gave Zachary Thorne a sincere and apologetic bow.
“Thank you very much, Mr.
Thorne.
My grandfather is still resting, so I won’t see you all the way out.
Tomorrow…
if you have time tomorrow, I would like to visit you to express my gratitude properly.”
“I’ve told you, there’s no need for such formalities between us.” Zachary Thorne smiled kindly and turned to leave, leaving his assistant, Gene Aldrin, staring at Ivy Holden like an idiot for a long moment.
It wasn’t until Jensen Morrison clapped a hand on his shoulder that he finally snapped out of it.
After leaving the Arundo Club, Gene Aldrin looked up at the clear blue sky, then raised a hand to feel his forehead and muttered to himself, “I don’t have a fever!
How am I hallucinating?”
Jensen Morrison, who had come out to see the guests off, watched Gene Aldrin with amusement.
“What’s wrong?
Are you feeling unwell, Assistant Aldrin?”
“N-No.” ‘There was no way Gene Aldrin was going to admit he’d been spooked by his boss’s smile.’
“Good to hear.
On behalf of the Holden Family, I’d like to thank you for all your hard work today, Assistant Aldrin.”
“Not at all, not at all.
I’m just doing my job.
I do whatever my boss tells me to.
‘Hard work’ doesn’t enter into it.
As for thanks, the Holden Family only needs to thank my boss.
Goodbye, Superstar Morrison.” Gene Aldrin turned, saw that Zachary Thorne had already boarded the shuttle boat, and hurriedly chased after him.