Chapter 224 Charity Auction
Oliver hustled over to Skyview, his jaw practically hitting the floor when he saw Willow standing next to him. "Wait, she's your girlfriend?!" he blurted out, totally floored.
Skyview looked just as surprised. "You know Willow?"
"Yeah, we met at some fancy event a while back," Oliver said. "I even asked her to dance."
"And?" Skyview asked, curious.
Oliver's shoulders sagged. "She turned me down. Hard."
Skyview turned to Willow, intrigued. "How'd you let him down?"
Willow grinned. "Two words."
Skyview's eyes lit up, and he burst out laughing. "Get lost?"
Willow nodded. "Bingo."
"Alright, no need to rub it in!" Oliver said, his face turning red. He gave Skyview a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Man, you're something else. Even Willow's your girlfriend. I'm definitely out of my league."
"Come on, let's hit the auction," Skyview said, motioning towards the ballroom. He glanced at Oliver, curious. "Where's your date? You always bring someone to these things."
"She's already inside," Oliver replied. "You'll see her soon. Trust me, you'll be surprised."
"Alright, now I'm curious," Skyview said with a grin.
They walked side by side, chatting and laughing like old friends. Kaelen and Nicholas trailed behind, looking like they were ready to explode.
"Who are those two?" Oliver asked, glancing back at them. "Why do I feel like they are quite angry?"
"This is Nicholas, Willow's brother, my brother-in-law," Skyview said, nodding towards Nicholas.
Nicholas scowled. "Don't even joke about that. I'm not related to you."
Skyview chuckled. "Nicholas has a bit of a temper. Don't take it personally."
Oliver caught on quickly and just smiled at Nicholas. "Nice to meet you."
"Get lost," Nicholas growled through clenched teeth.
Oliver, of course, didn't budge. And there wasn't much Nicholas could do about it. The Link Famly wouldn't dare mess with Oliver's connections.
"And who's this?" Oliver asked, pointing at Kaelen.
"No one important," Skyview said dismissively. "Just ignore him."
"Got it," Oliver replied, instantly understanding that Kaelen was persona non grata.
Kaelen shot Skyview a look that could kill. He was in a tough spot. Confront Skyview directly? Suzanne would step in, and he couldn't handle her. Try to outsmart him? Kaelen knew he didn't stand a chance. All he could do was glare at Skyview, which, predictably, did nothing.
The inside of the Starlight Voyager was stunning. The luxurious lounge, big enough for thousands, had been turned into a fancy auction hall, complete with a stage and rows of plush leather seats.
The charity auction was the main event of the Brighter Futures Ball. By now, most of the guests had found their seats. Even so, there were still plenty of empty seats left.
Skyview, with Willow by his side, found a couple of seats in the third row. Oliver and his crew settled in next to them, while Suzanne and Lily took the row behind. Kaelen and Nicholas, as bold as ever, plopped down in the seats to Skyview's left.
"Nicholas, Kaelen, do you really have to do this?" Skyview said, clearly annoyed. "Can you show a little decency?"
"I'll sit wherever I want," Kaelen shot back. "And chasing after Willow is my right. You can't stop me."
"You're unbelievable," Skyview said, rolling his eyes.
"He really is," Willow added, her voice dripping with disdain.
Most people would have backed off after getting called out like that. But Kaelen, completely oblivious, stayed put.
Skyview was at a loss. He decided to just ignore Kaelen as best he could.
"Speaking of dates, here comes mine now," Oliver said suddenly.
Skyview looked over and saw a slender young woman, her eyes hidden behind oversized sunglasses, making her way towards them. Even with her face partially covered, she was stunning.
"That's her?" Skyview asked.
"That's her," Oliver confirmed, standing up. "Come on over here!"
The woman, hearing Oliver, picked up her pace. Oliver's friends quickly made room for her. She slid into the seat next to Oliver, moving gracefully.
"Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Calliope Scott," Oliver announced, grinning.
Skyview and Willow exchanged surprised looks.
Calliope had shot to fame earlier that year after being on a talent show hosted by Penguin Company. She was the latest star in the entertainment world.
Oliver, though, had been publicly bashing Calliope on Twitter. Seeing them together now, as a couple, was pretty shocking.
"Oliver," Skyview began, disbelief in his voice, "you've spent weeks trashing Calliope on Twitter. What's the deal?"
"Well," Oliver explained, "LiveWave got bought by Penguin Company, right? As part of the deal, Penguin offered us some of their trained hosts for our live streams. That's how I met Calliope. Before that, I'll admit, I thought she was all hype, no talent. Someone who used drama to get ahead. But after meeting her, I realized how wrong I was. She's genuine, kind, and, well, adorable. And that's the story."
Skyview sighed. "To think, even you can misjudge someone."
Oliver grinned. "I'm happy, and that's what counts."
"As long as you're happy," Skyview agreed.
"Speaking of happy," Oliver said, his eyes widening, "look who's coming our way."
Skyview followed his gaze and saw Adam, the CEO of Penguin Company, striding towards them. Adam was a powerhouse, just as influential as Erin.
Oliver immediately stood up. Skyview, taking Willow's hand, did the same. Nicholas and Kaelen, reluctantly, followed suit. In fact, everyone in the surrounding rows stood up. This was Adam, after all.
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