Chapter 138 Drugged
The next afternoon, Gregory received a last-minute invitation to a charity gala.
Normally, he wouldn't need to attend such events personally; a donation from Leo would usually suffice. However, the White Group was currently negotiating a project, and the business partner had personally extended the invitation, making it difficult for him to decline.
Thus, he had no choice but to call Abigail and tell her not to wait for him tonight.
The hotel hosting the charity gala happened to be a property of the White Group, located just over half an hour away from the White Group's headquarters.
As soon as he got out of the car, countless reporters and media surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.
"Mr. White, we heard that Mr. Roman White and Miss Jessi Martin have registered their marriage. Is this true?"
"Two White family members have married two sisters from the Martin family. Won't this complicate family relations? What are your thoughts on this?"
"Is your marriage to Abigail true love or a business arrangement?"
"Mr. White, please answer our questions!"
Gregory frowned slightly, his cold gaze sweeping over the reporters. His thin lips parted, "Sorry, no comment."
With that, he turned and walked into the hotel lobby without looking back.
The reporters were used to his aloof demeanor, so they weren't too disappointed despite not receiving any answers.
Today wasn't a total loss; they managed to capture several good shots of Gregory, who looked even more handsome in person than he did on magazine covers.
However, their satisfaction quickly dissipated when Leo instructed them to delete all the photos and forbade uploading them, warning, "Don't say I didn't warn you. Offending the White Group is very unfortunate."
Gregory was always low-key and disliked appearing in public, so most domestic media didn't dare to expose him easily.
After all, the White Group was not an entity they could afford to offend.
Without much thought, they obediently opened their cameras and painfully deleted the photos.
Leo nodded in satisfaction before turning to leave.
When Gregory appeared, the entire lobby fell silent for a full three seconds.
He stood tall, with handsome features, and his well-tailored suit added a touch of aloofness and severity to his demeanor.
The entire room was almost overwhelmed by his imposing aura.
"Mr. White, long time no see. I thought you wouldn't come tonight!"
A middle-aged man in his forties broke the silence, smiling as he walked toward Gregory.
This was Griffin from Virtual Vista Villas, who had recently acquired a piece of land in the suburbs of Aramore and was negotiating a partnership with the White Group.
Gregory attended the event for this very reason. He smiled faintly and greeted Griffin.
Griffin motioned for him to sit on a nearby sofa to chat.
"Have you considered the partnership, Mr. White?" Griffin asked tentatively.
Gregory crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa, speaking nonchalantly, "Griffin, I've looked into Virtual Vista Villas. There are quite a few negative reports online. How can you assure me that my investment won't suffer losses?"
Griffin's expression froze, and he quickly explained, "Mr. White, most of those negative reports are just rumors spread by competitors. The truth can be easily verified."
Gregory glanced at him indifferently, saying nothing.
Griffin felt a chill down his spine, his face showing an awkward expression he couldn't hide. "Alright, I admit, some of the negative reports are true, but Virtual Vista Villas has a new CEO now. Such issues won't happen again."
"I know nothing about your new CEO's character. Why should I trust you? And while the land is profitable, it's ultimately limited. Compared to a piece of land, I could invest in technology and new energy industries," Gregory said.
A few casual words made Griffin break out in a cold sweat. He wiped his forehead, his heart racing as he struggled to find a response.
Gregory glanced at him and slowly stood up. "Griffin, if you don't give me a satisfactory answer within three days, I don't think our partnership needs to continue."
Griffin's face turned pale, as if he had lost all strength.
It seemed he had messed up the partnership!
Gregory walked around the lobby and suddenly heard someone calling him.
He turned around to see Olivia, in high heels and holding up her dress, running towards him with a look of surprise. "Greg, is it really you?"
Gregory frowned and said sternly, "I told you not to call me that."
Olivia was stunned, her eyes instantly turning red. "I didn't mean to. I was just too excited to see you. Please don't be mad."
The man accompanying her frowned and glared at Gregory disapprovingly. "What's with your attitude? It's just a name. Is it that serious?"
Gregory looked at the man. He was Colin, one of Roman's close friends.
Facing Gregory's cold gaze, Olivia panicked and quickly stopped him, "Colin, don't say that!"
Colin liked her and had been pursuing her, but she hadn't agreed.
On one hand, no other man could compare to Gregory in her eyes. On the other hand, Colin's family had only recently come into wealth; his father, once a rude and uncouth man, had just happened to strike it rich.
If Colin weren't Roman's good friend, she wouldn't have paid him any attention.
Gregory couldn't be bothered with them and turned to leave, but Olivia grabbed his sleeve. "Gregory, I know I was wrong. I'll change. Please don't be mad at me!"
Gregory pulled his sleeve from her grasp and said coldly, "I have no reason to be mad."
People who didn't matter weren't worth his anger.
Olivia's eyes reddened as she watched Gregory turn and leave to chat with others. She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of unwillingness.
Colin was startled by her expression. "Olivia? What's wrong?"
Olivia snapped back to reality, quickly adjusting her expression and gently shaking her head at him. "I'm fine, thank you, Colin."
Colin's mind went blank for a moment as he looked at her sweet smile, his ears turning slightly red.
He scratched his head awkwardly. "No need to be so polite. You're my good friend's cousin. It's my duty to take care of you."
Olivia gave a perfunctory smile, but her eyes never left Gregory.
Colin, however, was oblivious and kept talking non-stop by her ear.
She frowned in annoyance, trying hard to suppress her impatience.
If he weren't still somewhat useful, she wouldn't waste her time here!
"Colin, I need to go to the restroom." With that, Olivia walked away without looking back.
On the other side, Gregory was talking to someone when a waiter brought over some drinks.
He put down his empty glass and took a new one.
After a few sips, he felt something was off.
A wave of uncontrollable heat surged through his body, like flames rolling inside, eventually gathering in one place.
His gaze fell on the half-empty glass, his eyes turning icy cold.
The two people beside him were startled by his grim expression.
"Mr. White, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? You look pale." one of them asked.
Gregory forced a smile. "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."
He looked around and noticed that the person who had handed him the drink was gone. He quickened his pace toward the restroom.
His eyes darkened, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in them. Daring to scheme against him was a death wish!
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