Chapter 14
Nighttime at Tranquil Bay. A high-end restaurant, serene and elegant.
Elizabeth pushed open the door to the private room, and the chatter inside stopped. Everyone stood up.
"Ms. Percy?" A man in his fifties spoke first. It was Sawyer York, Declan's close friend.
Yesterday, Declan had asked Elizabeth to attend this private dinner, organized by Sawyer and attended by industry bigwigs.
"She's Declan's precious daughter!" another man corrected.
Elizabeth looked around the room, smiling helplessly. She walked in gracefully, greeting everyone one by one.
After Elizabeth sat down, she noticed the two seats next to her were still empty. Clearly, some folks hadn't shown up yet.
Seeing she wasn't the last one to arrive, she let out a sigh of relief.
Out of nowhere, someone asked, "Mrs. Tudor's big birthday is coming up. What gifts are you all getting her?"
Elizabeth was about to sip her coffee and looked up.
"Have you heard about that rare ginseng in Lisbun?"
Elizabeth frowned and muttered, "Rare ginseng?"
"This ginseng is a one-of-a-kind tonic, super good for the elderly. Mrs. Tudor's health isn't great. If someone could snag this for her..."
Everyone laughed.
"There's only one in the world. Who could find it?" Sawyer chuckled.
Marshall Cooper suddenly turned to Elizabeth, "Ms. Percy, does your family have any?"
Caught off guard, Elizabeth replied calmly, "Nope, my family doesn't have it."
"If even a medical family doesn't have it, then this rare ginseng is really out of reach!" Everyone shook their heads, disappointed.
A younger guy in his thirties chimed in, "I know someone who can find it."
"Who?" Everyone turned to look.
Elizabeth also looked over, curious.
The guy said, "Glory M!"
Elizabeth suddenly started coughing.
Everyone looked at her, "Ms. Percy, you okay?"
Elizabeth waved her hand, signaling him to continue.
"Hey, you guys heard about the black market? Glory M is back today! She's so powerful, a rare ginseng is nothing for her!"
Elizabeth was about to take a sip of water when there was a knock on the door.
Everyone looked up.
Elizabeth glanced at the door and heard a familiar voice, "Sorry, I'm late."
That voice...
"Alexander? I thought your dad was coming."
"Kieran, isn't your dad coming too?"
Sawyer's voice came from behind.
Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat.
She saw two people walking in slowly. Alexander and Kieran.
Alexander, in a black suit, immediately spotted Elizabeth among the crowd.
Among the elders, she stood out.
Alexander frowned, his heartbeat racing, looking a bit uneasy.
When it was time to sit, Alexander and Kieran walked over together. It was a dilemma who would sit next to Elizabeth.
Kieran pursed his lips and eventually gave up the seat to Alexander.
At the dinner table, everyone was drinking and chatting, having a good time. But Alexander kept glancing at Elizabeth.
Noticing his gaze, Elizabeth felt uncomfortable.
She put down her glass and said to Sawyer, "Mr. York, I'm going out for some fresh air."
"Alright," Sawyer nodded.
Elizabeth quietly left.
Alexander got restless. After a while, he followed her out.
Elizabeth wandered the hallway, waiting for dinner to wrap up. She had zero interest in being around Alexander.
Seeing him always brought back his harsh words. And that time on the stairs, when he saved Esme without a second thought, leaving her to fend for herself? Yeah, that still stung.
Lost in her thoughts, Elizabeth bumped into a drunk guy at the corner. He was in his forties, about 6 feet tall, and built like a tank.
He grabbed her waist and took a whiff. "Mmm, you smell good!"
Elizabeth's face twisted in disgust. She kneed him in the groin. "Creep!"
The guy, now a bit more sober, was about to yell at her. But when he saw her face, he froze, then grinned. "Whoa, a beauty!"
"Is there a stunning beauty in Lisbun?" His words were slurred, and the stench of booze was overpowering.
Elizabeth cursed him again and tried to walk away. But he blocked her path, grabbing her wrist. "Don't play hard to get. How much for a night?"
Elizabeth looked at the idiot and laughed. "A hundred million dollars. Can you handle that?"
