Cecilia said, "Don't be ridiculous. It's too late for you to take a taxi back. I must accompany you."
Lucy was deeply touched by her sister's loyalty, but after hearing Cecilia talk about her relationship with Tristan, she decided not to add insult to injury in their already plastic-like marriage.
"Cecilia, Mr. Harrington is coming straight to the charity event as soon as he gets off the plane. Moreover, the organizers didn't even know he was coming. I really think he might have been away on a business trip for too long and couldn't wait to see you, so he deliberately came to find you."
Cecilia responded coldly, "Impossible."
Lucy retorted, "Why is it impossible? Otherwise, why would he message you and ask you to go with him?"
Cecilia choked, "Anyway, it's just impossible. Stop speculating, I've already told him that there's a driver picking me up. Let's go."
Lucy, feeling frustrated, said, "How can a driver be the same as a husband? Do you know how desirable your husband is? How many people want to be in his car..." She paused for a moment, then patted Cecilia's shoulder. "Look, Cecilia, quick, look at what Lydia Sterling, that little white lotus, is up to. Her eyes are glued to your husband."
Cecilia followed her gaze and saw Tristan standing with Adrian Whitfield. Adrian tilted his head, and it was unclear what Tristan had said, but Adrian glanced in Cecilia's direction, his eyes full of understanding. He raised his glass and clinked it against Tristan's, saying, "Bring your little sister-in-law when we meet next time."
Tristan tilted his head back, finished the drink in his hand, placed the glass on the table, glanced at the message Cecilia sent him on his phone, and calmly replied, "We'll talk about it another time."
Adrian raised an eyebrow teasingly, looking at him with a mocking expression.
Tristan ignored him, his gaze falling on Cecilia. He walked towards her, while Lydia, not far away, casually flicked her hair. Today, she wore a red strapless long dress, with a hint of cleavage, gracefully approaching Tristan and stopping him. She smiled at him and reached out her hand, "Mr. Harrington, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Her tone was familiar, but Tristan didn't even look at her, instead he exchanged a glance with Claire.
Claire quickly stepped forward and extended her arms to block her, avoiding any possibility of being photographed with Tristan by the media present. She politely said, "Sorry, Miss Harrison. Our Mr. Harrington has other arrangements coming up. If you have any business, please make an appointment at NexaGlobal Group."
Upon hearing Claire directly address her by her original surname, Lydia's lips twitched, retracting her hand and forcing a smile. "It's not a big deal, really. Just a few days ago, when I was having dinner with my father, he mentioned wanting to invite Mr. Harrington over for a meal. I met Mr. Harrington here and thought to ask when he might be available, on behalf of my father."
Her "father" certainly wasn't her actual father, but Dominic Sterling. Bringing up Dominic made Claire hesitate for a moment, seeking Tristan's approval. "Mr. Harrington..."
Under the curious gazes of the onlookers, Lydia maintained a confident smile. She was certain that Tristan wouldn't refuse Dominic's face. Most of the people present were from the entertainment industry, and being able to exchange a few words with Tristan would fuel their imagination. Naturally, some would be willing to speculate and deliver favorable resources and endorsements to her.
Her eyebrows raised slightly as she glanced at Cecilia standing by the entrance.
A bold provocation.
Tristan furrowed his brows lightly and said, "Sorry, I don't know your father." By "father," he referred to Lydia's biological father.
His voice remained calm, but Claire could still sense Tristan's impatience.
Lucy suppressed her anger and nudged Cecilia's back, leaning close to whisper in her ear, "That white lotus is trying to seduce your husband. Let's go."
Cecilia crossed her arms in front of her and calmly replied, "Tristan doesn't even look at her."
Before the words had fully settled, Claire gestured to Lydia as a sign of dismissal.
The smile on Lydia's face was on the verge of crumbling, but she forced herself to say, "Well, Mr. Harrington must be busy. I won't disturb him."
She turned around, took a deep breath, and her high heels clicked on the ground as she walked away, her head held high, making it difficult to determine whether she felt defeated by Tristan or not.
"So, Tristan sent her packing, didn't he?"
Cecilia pursed her lips and nodded, unable to contain her joy at Lydia's obvious embarrassment. Even though they couldn't hear what Tristan said, Lydia's unmistakable expression revealed that she had been slapped in the face.
As Tristan walked towards them, he casually dropped a line, "I'll be waiting for you in the car," and continued his stride with his long legs, heading outside.
Cecilia was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had already disappeared from the banquet hall.
Didn't she tell him that the driver had come to pick her up?
Did he not see?
Lucy clicked her tongue and said, "I told you that your husband came specifically to pick you up. You didn't believe me, and now he's asking you to go home together again."
"He might not have seen the message I just sent him. Let me tell him again," Cecilia picked up her phone to call Tristan, but Lucy held her hand and said, "Our homes are not on the way, and it's late. Don't bother with all this, just have your driver drop me off and you can ride back with Tristan. That should work, right?"
Lucy made the decision without any objections from Cecilia. Thinking about how Tristan made Lydia back down earlier, Cecilia was in a good mood and didn't oppose.
As they walked out of the hotel, Cecilia asked her driver to bring the car and send Lucy away before approaching Tristan's car.
The driver opened the backseat door for Cecilia, and Tristan sat on the left side of the car with his suit jacket unbuttoned, legs crossed, leaning lazily against the seat. In the dim light, his peach blossom eyes were deep and mysterious.
Cecilia got in and placed her bag between them. Suddenly, Tristan turned his head and Cecilia found herself facing his face. She noticed a faint blush at the corners of his eyes. His skin was fair, and in that moment, he emitted an enticing aura.
Cecilia stared at his face for a few seconds, only to be startled by a deep voice that pierced her eardrums, "Have you seen enough?"
Cecilia snapped back to her senses and hit the back of her head straight into the car roof.
Tristan tried to reach out to block but was a step too late, only touching her smooth forehead.
With a thud, Cecilia felt a painful dizziness, holding the back of her head. She glared at the culprit with a faint angry face and asked, "What are you scaring me for?"
If he hadn't suddenly spoken, she wouldn't have hit her head.
Tristan withdrew his hand and scanned her with his gaze. She was holding her head, her big watery eyes glaring at him intently, making sure she was okay. He adjusted his posture and said softly, "Sit properly."
That's it? She hit her head and he showed no remorse at all.
Cecilia gave him a cold look, becoming angry, and pointed to her own head, saying, "Apologize for hitting my head."
Tristan didn't even lift his eyelids. "You hit yourself."
"If you didn't startle me, would I have hit myself?"
Tristan turned his face to the side, smiling ambiguously. "I startled you???"
Recalling how she was 'startled', Cecilia choked but still couldn't let it go. She stiffened her neck and boldly proclaimed, "So what if I just glanced at you a few more times? What, you're so good-looking but not willing to be looked at?"
Tristan: "..."
The car drove smoothly in the middle of the road. Cecilia sat on the furthest right seat, as far away from him as possible. She stared out the window, observing the scenery passing by. Inside the car, there was a sense of tranquility, contrasting sharply with the bustling city center outside. Couples walked by on both sides of the road, displaying intimate gestures, deeply immersed in their sweet romance. Their faces were filled with smiles of happiness, making people involuntarily feel joyous.