Chapter 222 The Invitation
Debra snagged that knockoff Alexa necklace from Jessica, and man, it worked like a charm!
When she handed it over to Ada on the down-low, she was sweating bullets, scared it might get busted.
But even if it did, no biggie. She had a story ready, saying she got duped by some so-called friend and didn't know squat about jewelry. Smooth, right?
Turns out, whether Alexa's apprentice was just that good or what, Ada didn't catch on at all. She slapped that necklace on right then and there, grinning like a kid in a candy store!
In the end, Ada signed the contract with Debra, no questions asked.
And get this, thanks to Tiffany busting her butt, Debra, who never even got close to the inner circle, got a sweet promotion from Patrick to a director spot. Now she could roll with the big boys at those high-level meetings!
That night, Tiffany and Debra were chilling on the balcony, sipping on some celebratory wine.
"Debra, once Ada's wedding wraps up, Patrick's gonna hand over the hotel to you. Your first move is a success. Soon enough, you'll be on the board, and we'll kick Edward to the curb!" Tiffany hugged Debra, her eyes gleaming with hope. "Debra, I can't count on Molly. You're my ace in the hole!"
"Tiffany, chill! Once I make it, I'll start chipping away at Edward's power. Soon, the whole Wellington Group will be ours!" Debra's eyes sparkled as she clinked glasses with Tiffany.
Just then, the butler's voice came from outside the door,
"Mrs. Wellington, Miss Wellington, someone just dropped off an invite for you two."
Tiffany and Debra exchanged looks and stepped off the balcony.
Debra asked, "Who sent it?"
"It's from the secretary of the general manager of KS WORLD Hotel, last name Flynn," the butler said.
'KS? Did Evelyn send it?' Debra wondered.
"Got it, you can go back to your duties." Tiffany took the invite and shut the door.
She opened the envelope, finding two invites to a charity jewelry auction inside.
Tiffany's bright red lips pursed slightly, her expression a bit hard to read.
"Tiffany, Evelyn's been quiet for days, and now she suddenly sends an invite. Think it's a trap?" Debra asked, worried.
"What are you scared of? Ada's already signed the contract with you. It's a done deal. Even if she tries something, it's too late!" Tiffany said, full of confidence.
Right then, the TV was blaring the evening news, and one of the headlines was about this charity jewelry auction!
"Tiffany! The event's organized by 'MINT'!" Debra pointed at the TV screen, excited. "That's a big-time fashion mag. Celebs fight to be on its cover! And Evelyn's running a 'MINT' event! Plus, Ada and a bunch of other celebs are gonna be there!"
They thought without Ada, KS WORLD's buzz would tank. But nope, Evelyn pulled off a 'MINT' event. Her connections must be off the charts!
Debra clenched her fists, green with envy. "No matter how big it is, a loss is a loss. She's just trying to save face with this event!"
Tiffany ground her teeth. "She sent us an invite, so it'd be rude not to show up, right? Let's go. I'm not scared of her! We can keep tabs on her and make sure she doesn't mess with Ada and screw up our plans!"
Meanwhile, Evelyn had just wrapped up a call with the editor-in-chief of 'MINT,' laughing it up.
Then she slipped into a tight sports outfit, ready to hit the backyard for some kayaking when Landon showed up to see her.
"Landon!" Evelyn squealed, bolting downstairs and leaping into Landon's arms.
Tall, dark, and handsome, Landon wrapped her up in a hug. Her tight outfit showed off all her curves, making her look drop-dead gorgeous.
Landon raised an eyebrow, "It's late. You planning on working out?"
"Yeah, Landon! I'm in such a good mood, I thought I'd go kayaking in the backyard!" Evelyn tilted her head back, flashing him a bright smile.
"It's pitch dark out there. What if you fall in? You know you're not a great swimmer." Landon gently pinched her waist. "And it's freezing outside. You could catch a cold dressed like that."
He shot a look at William, "Evelyn's usually got no one but you around. Why didn't you keep an eye on her?"
"Sorry, Mr. Taylor, my bad!" William quickly bowed, looking all kinds of apologetic.
"Chill, Landon. Don't blame William. He did warn me, but he can't control me," she said.
Sitting on the sofa, hand in hand, Evelyn leaned her head on Landon's broad shoulder. "Landon, the editor-in-chief of 'MINT' just called to finalize the event details. Thanks for hooking me up with such high-end resources! I love 'MINT' so much. I grew up reading it. It got me into fashion design!"
The chief editor of 'MINT,' Eiss, was a big deal in the fashion world. A single frown from her could tank a brand. Her influence was massive.
But this big shot had just called Evelyn personally!
Evelyn was over the moon, her palms sweating as she tried to keep her cool.
"Evelyn, as long as you're happy." Landon's eyes softened as he lightly tapped her nose. "I was worried you'd be bummed about Ada being snatched up by the Wellington Group. I know you can't sit still, so I found something to keep you busy. When you're busy, you won't be upset."
"I'm not that fragile. I've been eating and sleeping well. I don't even think about it." Evelyn pouted, her voice sweet as honey.
William bit his lip, trying to keep his cool, and stared at Evelyn's slightly pink cheeks.
Only in front of Landon did Evelyn show this cute, girly side. She was just too adorable.
He couldn't help but steal glances at her.
"You say you're fine? Look at those dark circles." Landon sighed, his rough fingertips gently brushing her delicate eye sockets.
"That's not because of that. By the way, Landon, how do you know Eiss? You two seem tight. She trusted me with such a big event?" Evelyn's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "You know, 'MINT's' charity events have never been held in Mugden!"
"I'm not close with Eiss," Landon said coolly.
"Then why?" Evelyn asked.
"She's had a thing for me for about ten years."
Evelyn and William both gasped, "What?"
Landon shrugged, "But I've turned her down several times. She keeps trying, and I just ignore her."
'The fashion queen Eiss is almost fifty, right? Although Landon is thirty, that's still quite shocking!' Evelyn thought.
"It's tragic, really tragic." Evelyn sighed.
"Yeah, having a fifty-year-old admirer is pretty rough," William nodded.
"No, I mean Eiss is the tragic one!" Evelyn said, her eyes wide. As a fan of Eiss, she had to stand up for her idol. "Age isn't the issue. The problem is she picked the wrong person!"
Landon stayed silent.
William stayed silent too.
