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"It seems old habits die hard, right, Adrian?" Shane said as he turned to face the young man from earlier, after acknowledging his grandfather.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, brother," the young man said, all the color draining from his face as he saw Shane, turning deathly pale.
"Senior brother," Shane corrected the man, whose eyes widened.
"What?" the man asked, stuttering.
"It seems you've lost your manners. Do I need to show you what I do to people without manners?" Shane said, making the young man's eyes widen as fear flashed through them.
"Not at all, senior brother! It mistakenly slipped out. Please forgive me. I think I heard my name being called by my father. Enjoy the party," the young man said, quickly leaving. He wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes searching the room until they landed on the person he was looking for.
"Father, Shane is here! Why is he here? You were so sure earlier that he wouldn't make it," the young man said to his father, who looked back at him with fierce eyes.
"And why did you go confront my father? I clearly told you to wait for the right time," the man said, looking over at Shane, who was talking gracefully with his grandfather, Sophie by his side, making the man's jaw tighten.
"That seemed like the right time, Father. It had already been an hour, and Shane hadn't shown up. You were so sure he wouldn't come," the young man said with a taunting tone, provoking his father's anger.
"Shut up, Adrian," the man snapped. He watched his son walk away, remembering the phone call he made earlier. His spy at Shane's mansion had informed him that Shane and Sophie had faced problems and wouldn't be able to show up.
"What are they doing here? Why did that boy possibly show up? I thought I'd use this opportunity to gain favor from Father by his absence. But it seems that boy always wants to cause problems for me," the man thought, his mind darkening as he stared at them.
Olivia had just stepped out from the bathroom and into the main hall, where she saw people chatting among themselves. Looking ahead, she spotted a man with a black mask covering his face. Her eyes widened upon seeing him. *He's here. He's actually here. It seems the universe is working in my favor today*, she thought, walking toward him.
The senior master of the Collens family couldn't contain his joy upon seeing his grandson and granddaughter-in-law, grabbing them in a tight hug.
"Shane, my boy, you've made me proud," he said, patting his grandson on the back. Sophie felt awkward standing there, feeling like she was interrupting their moment.
"What a beautiful wife you have!" the old master said, his eyes glistening with excitement as he looked up at Sophie.
"My great-grandchildren are going to be so beautiful," he added, making Sophie blush deeply, knowing the comment was directed at her.
"Shane, how could you not introduce me to her earlier? You kept me from meeting my granddaughter for so long. Why would you treat this poor old man like this?" the old master said, looking at Shane with feigned sadness. Shane rolled his eyes, knowing his grandfather was putting on a show to get sympathy from Sophie.
"Granddaughter, your husband doesn't treat me well at all! He punishes and tortures me so much," the old man said, looking at Sophie, who felt awkward and slightly pitied the old man, knowing how cruel Shane could be.
"Does he treat you well, granddaughter? Tell me if he treats you badly, and I'll deal with him," the old man said as Sophie choked and let out a fit of coughs, unsure whether to tell the old man the truth about his grandson.
"Oh dear, granddaughter, come let me get you some water," the old man said, tugging Sophie away, leaving Shane standing there.
"Mr. Collen, it's nice to see you here," Olivia's whiny voice called out as she stretched her hand toward him. He barely acknowledged her presence, and when he didn't take her hand, she quickly retracted it, feeling embarrassed but not showing it.
"I didn't know you attended formal events," she said, looking up at Shane, expecting him to reply. His eyes continued to roam around the hall like he was searching for someone.
"My name is Olivia. Olivia Rudricks, the only daughter of the prestigious Rudricks family," she said, shifting her hair from her face with a proud smile. Her constant rambling finally caught Shane's attention, and he looked at her, realizing someone was speaking to him.
"I've heard of you," he said, his eyes darkening. Olivia's face flushed red as she blushed.
"I knew I was famous, but I didn't know my name had reached the likes of Mr. Collen," she said shyly, moving her hair again. Shane assessed the woman in front of him, her body tightly fitted into a red gown that looked uncomfortable to walk in. Her breasts threatened to spill out of her off-shoulder gown, and her makeup, though seemingly flawless, was overdone, giving her a gaudy appearance. She wore high heels that elevated her height, and one thing was for sure—he felt disgusted by her mere presence. Of course, he'd heard of her; her name had been mentioned as the current owner of the 'Queens Stylist Institute.'
"I don't like you," he said plainly, his bluntness making her cough in surprise.
"But, young master, I'm sure I can make you like me," she said, unconsciously touching his shoulder, which he quickly brushed off. He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped where she had touched him, and called a waiter to dispose of it before walking away.
Olivia stood there, feeling humiliated by his actions. She quickly smoothed herself out and walked away as if nothing had happened, checking to make sure no one had noticed their interaction.
The senior master of the Collens family took the microphone, ordering the whole room to gather around, smiling widely.
"First of all, thank you all for honoring my invitation and attending today," he began. The crowd eagerly awaited his next words. Only a fool would ignore an invitation from the Collens family, especially to a party, which they rarely threw. When they did, it was always a grand affair, and being on the guest list was a great honor.
"As you all know, I called you here on short notice for this small gathering," he continued. Sophie looked around the hall, standing close to Shane. *'Small gathering?'* she thought, glancing around the massive room. She couldn't even see the end of the hall due to its size. Her father rarely threw parties, and even when he did, they were nothing like this. *If this is small, then what is big?* she wondered.
"Though the reason for the occasion wasn't clearly stated, I'd like to introduce you all to my grandson, the future heir to Collens Industries, along with his newly wedded wife," the old master announced. Sophie's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to call them out.
Shane stepped forward, holding Sophie's hand tightly as the crowd gathered around, congratulating them on their marriage.
"Ah, Shane, it's been a long time since I've seen you," the senior master of the Rudricks Industries said, stepping forward with his son to congratulate him.
"It really has, hasn't it, Robert?" Shane replied, spitefully calling the man by his name.
"I was planning to introduce you to my daughter, but it seems you're already taken," Robert said, looking at Shane, then at Sophie, assessing her. He wondered where he had seen her before, until recognition dawned on him.