Chapter 591 - 589: Self-Awareness
After leaving Vespera, Aria Joyce didn’t ask President Kane to take her home.
Sitting in her car, the thought of Ian Shaw made her feel like she had just eaten shit. The more she thought about him pestering her these past few days, the more nauseated she became.
But she was also furious. ’Does that bastard Ian Shaw really see me as just like those other women? The kind who’s so easy she’ll jump into bed with anyone after a few sweet words?’
The more she thought about it, the more her stomach churned.
She had to stay far away from Ian Shaw from now on. She would have absolutely no more contact with him.
’After this banquet, I’ll just assign someone else to the LK project. Tristan doesn’t care anyway, so there’s no point in me handling it personally anymore.’
Sighing, Aria Joyce started the car and drove off.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered the banquet tomorrow night. Tristan would probably be there too.
At that thought, she smacked her forehead. Even though Ian Shaw disgusted her, she still had to ask him whether Tristan was attending. If Tristan was going, she had to prepare meticulously and make the most of the event.
She took out her phone and called Ian Shaw directly.
The phone rang for a long time and was answered just before it would have disconnected. The moment the call connected, she heard a woman’s breathy moans, followed by Ian Shaw’s furious roar, "Fuck! Who the hell wants to die?"
After he swore, Ian Shaw glanced down at the caller ID, and his anger instantly vanished. "Well, damn. Aria Joyce, am I seeing things? You’re actually calling me first?" As he spoke, he pushed himself off the woman and sat on the sofa, phone in one hand. His other hand wasn’t idle; he started toying with the woman’s hair.
Listening to the woman on the phone, Aria Joyce’s face flushed beet red. Then, at Ian Shaw’s words, her expression darkened. She practically spat the words through gritted teeth, "Mr. Shaw, you certainly have a lot of stamina!"
"Of course. Why don’t you come and try me out, Miss Joyce? I guarantee you’ll be back for a second round."
Aria Joyce was furious enough to kill him, but she hadn’t forgotten why she called. Suppressing her rage, she asked coldly, "Mr. Shaw, I’m only calling to ask one thing. Will Tristan be at the banquet tomorrow night?"
"What’s this about, Miss Joyce? Tristan’s a married man now. You’re not still trying to make a move on him, are you?" Though Ian Shaw’s tone was still as flippant as ever, it held an obvious chill that wasn’t there moments before.
"My affairs are none of your business, Mr. Shaw. Just tell me if Tristan is attending tomorrow night. If he doesn’t show up, I’m afraid I’ll have a hard time explaining things to my father..."
At her words, Ian Shaw let out a cold laugh. "Of course Tristan will be there. No need to bring your father into it, Miss Joyce."
With her question answered, Aria Joyce simply hung up, satisfied.
Back at Vespera, Ian Shaw gripped his phone, the expression in his eyes slowly turning to ice.
The woman got up from the sofa and leaned against Ian Shaw’s shoulder. "Is something wrong?" she asked softly.
"I have a banquet tomorrow night. Interested in being my date?" As he spoke, Ian Shaw tossed his phone aside, his hands already beginning to roam.
"I can go?" the woman asked, her eyes lighting up with a smile.
Whatever fondness Ian Shaw might have felt for the woman vanished in that instant. His touch was no longer gentle, and his voice grew cold. "I’ll take you, as long as you take good care of me tonight."
Hearing his words, the woman blushed. She boldly climbed onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and pushed him back against the sofa, kissing him.
***
Ever since she opened Jasmine’s gift that day, Mika Summers’s mood hadn’t improved.
Though she and Tristan had an unspoken agreement not to bring it up, the thought would still occasionally surface in her mind.
Normally, she was so swamped with work at the company she could barely keep up. But for the past two days, it felt like there was hardly anything to do, and she finished her tasks surprisingly quickly.
She didn’t want any downtime. Even five minutes of idleness was enough to send a wave of panic through her.
When Tristan came to get her for lunch, she brought her work with them.
During the meal, she barely even looked up at him.
Tristan knew she was in a bad mood, so he didn’t chatter on incessantly like he usually would, and he made sure not to disturb her work.
After they finished eating, she packed her files into her bag, stood up, and went to pay the bill.
Seeing this, Tristan Grayson reached out and caught her arm. "I already paid. You don’t have to."
Mika Summers finally turned to look at him. "Oh. In that case, I’ll head back to the office. Things have been really busy lately, so I’ll probably be home late tonight."
Her words made Tristan’s heart ache. He softened his voice and said quietly, "Don’t go back to the office this afternoon. There’s a banquet tonight. I want you to come with me."
"A banquet?"
"Yeah. I’ll take you to buy a dress first, and then we can get you ready."
Mika Summers thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. "Is it an important banquet? Do I have to go?"
"It’s a banquet co-hosted with the Joyce Family. Aria Joyce will be there. Honey, if you don’t want other women eyeing me all night, you should come with me."
"Let’s go." The truth was, she had already finished all her work that morning. She only wanted to go back to the office to avoid having to face Tristan. But now, hearing he was going to a banquet where Aria Joyce would be present, she had no choice but to agree.
After all, she knew exactly how that woman felt about Tristan.
「Empyrean Hotel, 8:00 PM」
Over a dozen security guards stood watch outside the main entrance.
Only those with an invitation could enter.
Everyone in attendance was a luminary of high society.
LK was originally supposed to organize the banquet, but since Aria Joyce’s family was in the hotel business, the preparations were handed over to the Joyces.
Aria Joyce had arrived early to oversee the arrangements, with Leo Joyce and Tiana Grayson tagging along for the fun of it.
Leo Joyce watched as Tiana ate nonstop from the moment she arrived, a look of pure adoration in his smiling eyes. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "You’re such a little glutton!"
"Leo, I’ve noticed I’m getting hungrier and hungrier lately. I want to eat everything."
"Mm, at least you’re self-aware," Leo Joyce said, playfully tapping her on the head and nodding with mock seriousness.