Chapter 381 Mysterious Guest
Mary's eyes went wide as she shot William a suspicious look. She reached out, touched his forehead, and laughed. "William, you ain't got a fever."
William grinned, slid his arm around her waist, and said, "Take it easy, just messin' with ya."
Mary didn't say anything else and went off to greet the other board members.
Harper watched them whispering, stomped her foot, and stormed out of the venue. She needed to figure out what was up with Lazlo and clean up William's mess.
The Price family was trying to team up with BK Pharmaceuticals. If something happened to William, that deal was toast.
It was a little incident, but the fallout was spreading like wildfire.
Half an hour later, the party vibe started to chill out, and folks went back to chatting.
After all, the drama earlier didn't really involve them. It was merely an embarrassment for BK Pharmaceuticals.
During this time, Jeffery checked on Lazlo a few times, got the gist of his situation, and headed back to the hotel. Lazlo didn't hit up the hospital but bounced from the hotel, whereabouts unknown.
Maybe a storm was already brewing.
Realizing his main backup for the night was gone, Jeffery felt a bit uneasy.
But he had a Plan B, so he wasn't sweating it too much. He stood off to the side, watching Mary and William, plotting his next move.
Meanwhile, the host of the party, Lindwood City's big shot in the pharma world, Phineas Oswin, took the stage.
Phineas had spent his life building up the industry, earning mad respect for his integrity and generosity.
BK Pharmaceuticals had shelled out big bucks to get him to host tonight's shindig.
The party was a big deal for BK Pharmaceuticals' future.
Phineas missed the earlier beef between William and Lazlo. If he had been there, he would've stepped in for sure.
Plus, he had some ties with the Gonzales family from Imperial City.
As soon as Phineas hit the stage, people started crowding around. It was said a VIP guest was in the house tonight, and everyone was buzzing about who it might be.
In their circle, they were already top dogs. So, a VIP guest must be a big shot.
Phineas adjusted the mic and kicked off with a funny opening speech. Even at nearly seventy, he was still full of energy.
"Ladies and gents, tonight we've got a special guest among us, someone super important. But her identity's a secret, as per Ms. Smith's request. If you're looking to blame someone, she's your gal. While she might not be a regular in our social scene, I bet once I drop her name, everyone here will know who she is," Phineas announced.
William smirked, and said, "A special guest tonight? Didn't hear about this. Is she really that big of a deal?"
Mary nodded, "Yeah, she is Scarlett Ashford, a big-time celeb who was once named one of Time magazine's most influential people. She's got fans all over the world. She just came back to boost her career."
"Most folks just know her as a superstar, but they have no clue about her powerful background," Mary added.
'Scarlett? Why does that ring a bell?' William thought, frowning, and then he was stunned.
Then he stared at Mary in disbelief and asked, "Are you sure the mystery guest tonight is named Scarlett?" It had to be a coincidence. He could only hope it was.
"Yeah, why? You a fan too?" Mary asked, glancing at William with a sly smile.
After all, Scarlett was an international superstar. While she'd been chasing her career overseas, her recent return had the media buzzing.
"Is it really her? No way it's that much of a coincidence," William muttered.
Mary finally caught on and asked William, surprised, "You don't know Scarlett?"
She quickly pulled out her phone, opened up Scarlett's Instagram, picked a photo, and handed it to William, saying, "It's her. You really don't know?"
Now, William looked like a total oddball in Mary's eyes. How could he not know Scarlett? Was he living under a rock?
William really didn't know who Scarlett was. He was not an idolater and barely watched entertainment news.
Seeing the phone Mary handed over, he glanced at it and felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
It really was her.
William felt a headache coming on. It was that spoiled woman from that night.
"You seriously don't know her?" Mary asked, clearly amused by William's troubled expression.
William gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know her. I never watch entertainment news. I barely know a few domestic stars. And like you said, she was always abroad, so it's even less likely I'd know her."
On stage, Phineas, with a big smile, said, "Ladies and gents, our mystery guest just got back from overseas. Her presence at this party is gonna have a huge impact on Lindwood City's pharma industry. Before she even got here, she pledged to invest a billion dollars into our city's pharma sector!"
As soon as Phineas finished, the whole banquet hall went nuts.
A billion-dollar investment in Lindwood City's pharma industry?
This was unbelievable!
Who could this person be, with such deep pockets?
It was practically a flex.
With this billion-dollar investment, every bigwig in the room would be dying to get in her good graces.
This investment would clearly set the stage for Lindwood City's pharma industry and would breath new life into BK Pharmaceuticals.
Obviously, this big shot was invited by BK Pharmaceuticals, meaning this investment was tied to the company.
"Quiet down and listen up. This billion-dollar investment is just the first step for our guest in entering Lindwood City's pharma industry. There will be more investments to come, with the amount steadily increasing."
Someone shouted, "This is just the first phase? Who the heck has that kind of money?"
A voice guessed, "Didn't you hear she came back from abroad? Could it be a consortium from Unityland?"
"So loaded! I can't wait to meet this mystery guest!" another voice chimed in.
William wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, "Didn't expect her to be a rich lady. What is Emrys up to?"
He felt pretty helpless.
Such a substantial investment was indeed in line with the Ashford family's usual practice.
Phineas stood on stage, watching the crowd's reactions. With a satisfied smile, he said, "Ladies and gents, let me make it clear that our mystery guest hasn't picked a partner in Lindwood City yet. So, everyone here has a shot, depending on your capabilities."
As soon as he said this, the party's atmosphere hit its peak.
With a billion-dollar investment on the table and the final partner still undecided, everyone had a fair shot at the opportunity!
A billion dollars was a massive fortune!
Once this funding was secured, the returns could be several times, even dozens of times over!
This investment had morphed into a tantalizing prize, with everyone eyeing it like hungry wolves.
Phineas, with the most enthusiastic smile, said, "Now, let's give the warmest applause to welcome tonight's mystery guest, Scarlett Ashford!"
As soon as he finished, flashlights lit up the entrance of the hall.
Two rows of four men, all in white suits, slowly walked in from the entrance. Each one looked heroic and had a vigilant gaze.
With a cold and intimidating presence, they were clearly well-trained bodyguards.
After they entered, a slender and alluring figure, illuminated by spotlights, appeared at the entrance of the hall.
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