Lilia looked at the crowd around the red carpet before glancing at the president. She realized for the first time that Jean looked very tall. Even in high heels, Lilia's head only reached his chin.
Jean then felt the woman's gaze and turned his head, "Tense?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. His deep, low voice gave Lilia a sense of security.
Lilia answered his question by flashing a confident smile. She was a professional model. She was used to this kind of attention from the crowd. Lilia's only concern right now was the possibility that her appearance might damage Jean's reputation. After all, this was Lilia's first time accompanying Jean– a real estate tycoon– to a party.
"Do not worry." Jean's sharp eyes seemed to read Lilia's thoughts, "No one will be able to criticize your appearance tonight. You are the perfect partner. Besides, I'm also with you."
Hearing that last sentence, Lilia's heart felt warm. No one had ever said that to her. Jean made her feel that she wasn't alone.
"Come in." Jean offered his arm.
Lilia nodded and took Jean's arm. They started walking the red carpet while still looking straight ahead, ignoring the attention of the crowd.
"…Thank you." Lilia whispered softly to Jean.
She was sure that Jean wouldn't be able to hear her voice amid all this commotion. To her surprise, Jean glanced at Lilia with a light smile, 'How sharp is this guy's hearing?!' Lilia thought to herself.
After the two of them disappeared into the hotel lobby, someone in the crowd finally realized who the woman was, "Ah! That's Lilia Pangestu!"
In an instant, the crowd was again in an uproar.
"Doesn't Lilia Pangestu already have a fiancé? It became a viral topic two days ago. How come she is President Jean's fiancée?"
"It is impossible! Lilia Pangestu and President Jean have never had any relationship. How could they suddenly get engaged?"
"But President Jean wouldn't have brought her here if they didn't know each other!"
The debate about Lilia's relationship with Jean heated up. Some people even started searching for Lilia on the internet, which caused her name to go viral again.
*****
The feast began at half past six sharp.
As the founder and leader of the Genesis Company, Jean needed to deliver a speech from the stage.
Lilia was standing in the corner of the room, her eyes following Jean's figure walking towards the stage. The man greeted the guests with a warm smile on his face. He looked different from his everyday cold appearance.
"Hello, Sis Lilia!"
Lilia turned around when she heard the greeting. She was confronted by three unknown men. She then recognized the man who was standing at the front as Tom Wibowo. He wore a soft pink suit with a striking floral print shirt.
Lilia observed the other two men standing behind him. Their appearance looked calmer and more mature than Tom.
Lilia wondered if Jean chose his friends based on their attractiveness. They all looked like handsome young men who were popular among girls.
"Hello, Mr. Tom." Lilia greeted him politely.
Tom handed Lilia a glass of champagne from a passing waitress. He raised his own glass and began to boast to the two men behind him, "I told you, my sister-in-law definitely recognizes me!"
The man wearing the blue tuxedo sipped his glass and greeted Lilia, "Sorry to surprise you, Lilia. I'm Chris Hartanto, childhood friend of this guy and Jean." He introduced himself.
Lilia immediately recognized the name. This man came from the same family as Sara. The Hartanto family became famous in this city due to their feud case. Recently, the head of the Hartanto family fell ill and his two sons were fighting over the family's property. She had heard that the tension in their feud was getting stronger.
"Um… how is your grandfather's condition now, Mr. Chris?" Lilia asked, trying to sound polite.
"Fortunately, he is still stable. Thank you for your concern." Chris smiled gently. He didn't look like a cunning or greedy person who would fight with his own family for money. Lilia guessed that this nice man was just getting caught up in the feud.
"Hey, I'm Alex Vander!" The man beside Chris spoke up as if he didn't want to lose. He was wearing a plain black suit that didn't stand out at all. The man looked like an educated person with the white-edged glasses on his face.
Lilia felt that the name sounded familiar and she tried to dig into her memory.
A moment later, Lilia's eyes opened wide, "Ah! Are you Van the fashion designer?"