Chapter 33

“Mr. Doyle’s mother is a good friend of Ms. Lorelei. Since he’s questioning the validity of someone’s presence, it’s naturally my job, as the person in charge, to sort this out!” replied Adam.

Adam added, “Since I’ve never seen this gentleman before, and his clothing seems quite out of place for a banquet like this, I need him to show me an invitation!”

Given that it was a reasonable request, Roselynn could not refute it.

What do I do?

Then, someone shouted, “His name is Emmanuel Lowe, and he is a gynecologist. I daresay he snuck inside without an invitation!”

Milani had been waiting for this opportunity. How could she pass up a chance at revenge? She really wanted to see Emmanuel kicked out. It would be satisfying and allow her to vent her hatred.

“Right! Just look at his outfit! He claims he received an invitation. I refuse to believe it!”

As soon as Milani spoke, the women surrounding her echoed in agreement. This banquet certainly didn't lack lapdogs and self-righteous women, fond of using someone’s allegedly low status to elevate themselves. Right now, Emmanuel was nothing but a lowly miscreant to them.

“Sir, please show me your invitation. Otherwise, you can’t blame us for being rude.” Adam’s expression had turned grim. As the banquet manager, Adam could be blamed for negligence if someone slipped inside amidst the confusion. If the situation escalated, it would be hard for him to explain what happened.

“I don’t have an invitation,” confessed Emmanuel.

Roselynn looked on helplessly; her invitation didn't qualify her for the third floor, let alone bring in a guest. This scene caused an uproar.

“Ms. Roselynn, this man is riffraff! He has no business being with you. Come over to my side!” An arrogant smile spread across Keegan’s lips. He was showing off in front of Roselynn, his disdain for Emmanuel evident. He's good-looking and skilled, so what? He has no identity or status. He's scum. How can he compete with me?

“This is an outrage! How did you sneak inside without an invitation?” Adam asked angrily. If this became a bigger issue, he would have a hard time explaining it to his superiors. Fortunately, the incident hadn't yet alerted the higher-ups; otherwise, containment would be even harder.

“Goodness, Emmanuel. What are you going to do this time?” Milani was overjoyed, her gleeful excitement plain to see.

Emmanuel couldn't explain. If he told the truth, Roselynn would be implicated. He chose to remain silent.

“Why is there such a ruckus? What on earth has happened?”

Claudette, attending another event at a different banquet hall, had just reached the third floor when she saw a crowd gathered. She hurried over and noticed Emmanuel and Roselynn at the center.

“Emmanuel seems to be in a tight spot. What do I do?” muttered Claudette. Seeing so many people deliberately making things difficult for him, she grew anxious.

Claudette had a unique illness. Many female gynecologists had failed to cure her; Emmanuel, a male doctor, had succeeded. The cure wasn't instantaneous; she had met him many times in secret. Of course, she had undressed numerous times in front of him—a rather embarrassing thought. She was barely twenty years old at the time. Women possess a sense of loyalty, and Claudette vaguely affirmed his character simply because he had seen her body so many times. Most importantly, he had shown no ill intent during her examinations. His clear eyes and serious expression were deeply imprinted in her mind. Gradually, she developed a liking for the tall, handsome Emmanuel, different from her feelings for other men.

Just then, Milani's voice rang out again. “Everyone, be careful. He might be a thief who snuck in to pickpocket us!”

Immediately, everyone frantically checked their valuables. Roselynn panicked; with so many people present, she feared someone would announce a loss, leaving Emmanuel with no chance of proving his innocence.

Emmanuel frowned; he hadn't expected Milani to be so vicious.

“Everyone, please accept my apology. I was the one who brought him in!” Claudette strode in.

Her arrival caused another uproar. Though discreet, she was a scion of the wealthy Lenoir family; few present didn't know her. A classy beauty with many admirers, her support for Emmanuel created mixed feelings. Emmanuel saw her faint smile. He returned a faint smile. Just as he was about to be swept away by accusations and insults, this young lady stood up for him, a small boat against the current. He was grateful.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Lenoir. Although you are a distinguished guest, you have no right to invite an outsider!”

“No. She didn't invite me!” Emmanuel defended Claudette before Adam could make things difficult. “Ms. Lenoir only wanted to help out of kindness. This has nothing to do with her.” He was prepared to be ejected and didn't want to implicate anyone else.

Claudette sighed helplessly; she hadn't expected him to say this. Now everyone was ganging up on him, treating him like a thief. Even though she had no right to bring him in, she could at least smooth things over. Why did he refuse her kindness? Doesn't he consider me a friend?

“Fine. If that’s so, then you admit to sneaking in!” Adam, losing patience, spared Emmanuel no glance. “Guards! Drag this riffraff out of here!”

The crowd, previously cold observers, erupted into activity.

“Hmph. Imagine being a loser and still having the guts to sneak into a prestigious event like this. We can’t let this slide! He needs to be handed over to the police!”

“Indeed! He disturbed public order and should be subjected to administrative detention!”

“Everyone, check your valuables. There’s only one person to blame.”

Many banquet attendees had come merely to show off their superiority, a superiority gained at someone else's expense. They saw this person, who had no right to be here, trespassing on private property. They, as rightful guests, felt a sense of accomplishment, some even posting it on Instagram.

Things having gone this far, Claudette could do little more. She merely looked at Emmanuel’s lone figure and sighed.