Chapter 103

He could have done nothing at all. But Cassian was concerned about potential misunderstandings and had arranged this romantic evening. She should be grateful for that. With this thought, Anastasia’s mood lifted, and she began enjoying her meal again. Seeing this, Cassian’s lips curved into a slight smile.

After dinner, they left together. As they reached the hotel lobby, Sharpson Kingsley unexpectedly emerged from another elevator. He caught sight of Cassian and Anastasia walking past him. When Sharpson saw Cassian, he gasped. Was he seeing things correctly? That was Cassian Rhodes! Seeing Cassian and Anastasia together left him completely stunned. That girl really did know such an influential person.

At Patricia’s birthday banquet, Sharpson had been suspicious when he saw Cassian pick up Anastasia. Now he was certain—their relationship was significant. Sharpson felt excited and considered approaching them, but feared disturbing Cassian, so he held back. There would be other opportunities. He needed to find out exactly what kind of relationship Anastasia had with Cassian.

The next day, Anastasia arrived at work and was immediately called into a meeting. When everyone had assembled, Barbara announced, “I’ve called you all here with good news. There’s a fashion gala this weekend, and the organizers gave us several invitations. All our department’s designers can attend.”

“This is a rare opportunity,” she continued. “Many celebrities and socialites will be there, and their outfits and jewelry will be major focal points. You should take advantage of this learning experience.”

The room erupted with excitement. The fashion gala was directly relevant to their work—the styling choices of celebrities and socialites would provide valuable inspiration. Plus, they could network with influential people, potentially leading to future collaborations. This was partly why attending such events was so valuable. It was also a chance to broaden their horizons—opportunities like this were rare. The designers were all eager to participate.

Anastasia remained calm—she’d attended similar events before and knew what to expect. But since her supervisor had announced it, she would certainly participate. The other designers were already discussing what gowns to wear and which jewelry to choose. At an event like this, they couldn’t afford to look out of place.

After the meeting, Anastasia called Ronan to ask him to prepare an outfit for her. She trusted Ronan completely—he always handled whatever she asked perfectly. Ronan immediately agreed. He was determined to make sure Anastasia would shine at the fashion gala and dazzle everyone there. After hanging up, Anastasia dove back into her work.

Around noon, she received a call from Sharpson. “Anastasia, are you busy?” came his ingratiating voice. Hearing Sharpson’s voice, Anastasia frowned and immediately felt guarded. “What do you need?” Her tone was neutral, trying not to reveal her emotions.

Sharpson chuckled with false warmth. “Nothing major—I just haven’t seen you in a while and wanted to check how you’re doing. Are you free for dinner tonight?”

Anastasia thought cynically, Of course he wants something.