Chapter 194 Are You Interested in Unveiling My Veil?
It turned out that Ms. Jackson wasn't smiling at Jared at all; it was all his wishful thinking from the beginning.
Those who had just expressed envy towards Jared now laughed wantonly.
"Jesus, this is killing me! Ms. Jackson wasn't smiling at him at all."
"Yeah, it's hilarious. Look at how smug he was. He really thought he had succeeded and caught Ms. Jackson's eye."
"With his looks, what could he possibly use to attract Ms. Jackson? He has no self-awareness at all."
"Exactly; look at him; he's about to cry, poor baby."
Listening to these harsh taunts, Jared felt even more miserable. He wished he could find a hole and hide in it immediately.
This humiliation was ten times, a hundred times worse than what Harmony had given him last time. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. His body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes reddened, and he was on the verge of tears.
Roberts, standing nearby, noticed Maria's reaction, and his expression grew extremely serious. Following Maria's gaze, he widened his eyes and saw a man sitting on the sofa with a magazine covering his entire face, dressed very plainly and completely out of place with the scene.
'Is this the man Maria is looking for?' he thought.
Roberts stared intently at James, still very curious. He had never seen Maria so agitated over any man before.
"The gentleman sitting on the sofa, what magazine are you reading? Can you bring it up for me?" Ms. Jackson said to James, her tone cold and emotionless, as she regained her aloof demeanor.
At this moment, everyone turned to James, who was pretending to read a magazine.
When James heard Maria's words, his heart sank, cursing inwardly that he was doomed.
'What kind of eyes does Maria have? I am so far away, and my face is covered by a magazine, yet she still spotted me?
'Maybe Maria is just guessing.'
He analyzed this situation in his mind.
Holding onto this sliver of hope, he glanced around furtively and noticed that in this corner, beside him, no one else was reading a magazine.
Michael and Harmony, standing nearby, were stunned, their mouths agape. They never expected Ms. Jackson to call out to James specifically.
'Who is Ms. Jackson? She is Mr. Jackson's daughter, of noble status. And James? He is just an ordinary person, dressed plainly tonight, in stark contrast to the gentlemen in suits. Moreover, James has been very low-key, hiding in the corner. How did Ms. Jackson notice him?'
Realizing this, Michael and Harmony both found Ms. Jackson's behavior bizarre.
Not only them but also many others present also found it unbelievable.
Joe looked over and spotted James, which shocked him. He thought, 'Isn't this Dr. Smith? He has come tonight too?' He recalled that not long ago, James had become Brandon's benefactor and earned Herman's appreciation.
'Now, he has caught Ms. Jackson's attention? This is simply incredible!' He was amazed.
As for Jared, he also recognized James. At this moment, he was beyond feeling miserable and humiliated; he was utterly devastated.
James felt like he had become the center of attention, and sweat began to form on his forehead. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
He had no choice but to pretend he hadn't heard anything.
Michael snapped out of his daze and gently kicked James, saying, "James, Ms. Jackson is talking to you."
James feigned ignorance. "Huh? Who's Ms. Jackson?"
Michael pointed to the stage and whispered, "Mr. Jackson's daughter, Ms. Jackson. She's talking to you. You should stand up and respond."
James felt bitter inside. He glanced at the window, contemplating whether he could leap out, but quickly dismissed the idea. The building was too high, and it would be disastrous to fall.
Next, he glanced at the emergency exit behind him, thinking that with his speed, no one could stop him.
Harmony squinted her eyes. As a woman, she sensed something abnormal immediately.
Just as James was planning to make a run for it, Ms. Jackson spoke again from not far away, "What, am I not as interesting to you as the magazine in your hand? Or are you feeling guilty?"
At that moment, Maria had already confirmed James's identity. She was both delighted and annoyed that James knew she was here and was still hiding from her.
Joe then said, "Dr. Smith, why are you covering your face? Come forward and apologize to Ms. Jackson."
He was afraid that James would offend Ms. Jackson and drag him down with him.
But James still didn't respond, acting as if he were deaf, completely unmoved.
His unusual behavior made many people realize something was off, but they couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
Seeing that James was ignoring her, Maria grew even more annoyed. She decided to step off the stage and walk towards James.
Her action left everyone present astonished and puzzled. Was Maria interested in James, or was she angry?
Michael began to sweat. He had brought James here, and if James really offended Maria, he wouldn't escape responsibility either.
But now that Maria was already approaching, he was anxious but couldn't say anything more. He could only stand by and frantically give James signals not to offend her.
Hearing Maria's footsteps approaching, James grew even more flustered and regretful.
'I should have left earlier; why did I stay to be Harmony's dance partner? Now, Maria has caught me. If she finds out I am already married, who knows how she will react?'
Thinking of this, James felt his scalp tingle.
Maria stood in front of James, looking at the man she had missed for five years. Her heart was filled with excitement, unable to find peace for even a moment. Her body trembled slightly, and her usually cold eyes involuntarily welled up with a thin layer of mist.
Fortunately, she was wearing a veil and standing in a corner with her back to the guests. Otherwise, her excitement would have been noticed.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, looked down at James, and said, "Everyone else looks at me, but you don't. Do you not want to be my husband?"
Her tone revealed curiosity, confusion, and interest in James, making it seem as if she was attracted by James's apparent indifference.
Indeed, among all the young talents present, no one failed to show concern for her except for James, who hid in the corner with a magazine covering his face. This difference naturally caught Ms. Jackson's attention.
Many people were thinking the same thing at the moment. Those young talents who had been eliminated suddenly realized their mistake and regretted it deeply.
'Someone like Ms. Jackson must have heard all kinds of flattery. The more attentive one is, the less likely it is to pique her interest. On the contrary, deliberate ignorance might arouse her curiosity and favor.'
They thought about it, a regretful expression rising on their faces.
James sighed and made a last-ditch effort, deliberately making his voice hoarse. "Ms. Jackson, I'm sorry, my face is cramping. You'd be scared."
Maria raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It's okay, I've never seen a face cramp before."
James knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. If he didn't show his face, Maria wouldn't let it go. He stood up and removed the magazine.
His features were all scrunched up. He looked extremely comical, making it hard for others to recognize his appearance.
Maria was immediately stunned.
Seeing Maria's reaction, James felt a bit smug.
'With this twisted face, let's see if you can still recognize me like this.' he thought.
However, the next moment, Maria burst into laughter.
"You're so funny," Maria said, covering her mouth and laughing, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Seeing Maria's reaction, James felt despair. In the end, Maria still recognized him.
Soon, he noticed the mist in Maria's eyes, and her reddened eyes were filled with excitement. He sighed deeply. Well, he had disappeared for five years without a word due to a family mission. Maria must have missed him terribly during those years.
At this thought, James's heart softened.
"She laughed! Oh my God, did I see that right? Ms. Jackson laughed! "
Someone immediately exclaimed in surprise.
"Who is this guy who can make Ms. Jackson laugh?"
"Look at his clothes. They're so shabby! The threads are coming loose. Damn, I've never worn such poor-quality clothes in my life!"
"Why is it this guy who made Ms. Jackson laugh? I'm not convinced!"
"And the guy's face is ugly!"
Those originally proud young talents saw Ms. Jackson being amused by an inconspicuous ordinary person and cried out in frustration.
Jared couldn't even describe his feelings as miserable anymore; he felt like dying.
As for Michael and Joe, they were completely dumbfounded. How could such a thing happen?
Maria looked at James with a smile and said, "You are the only man tonight who has successfully made me laugh. Are you interested in coming to my room to unveil my veil?"
As soon as she said this, the sound of wine glasses dropping to the floor echoed around the room.
Everyone present had their mouths wide open, with their eyes filled with jealousy on the verge of overflowing.
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