Chapter 171

Christine had encountered annoying people before, but never anyone so infuriating as Tobias. She had repeatedly refused his advances, yet he persisted. "He even asked if I hated him!" she thought. "Is he bored or something?" Speechless, she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Mr. Weston," she said with a strained smile, "I don't understand why you think that. Could you please excuse me?"

Christine tried to control her emotions, but Tobias remained unmoved, glaring at her. His coldness stemmed from her twice rejecting his attempts at courtship—once refusing to dance, once to drink champagne. He perceived her as dismissive and frigid, a stark contrast to the deference he usually received. This wounded his pride, leading to his rude interruption and questioning.

Seeing her continued indifference, even annoyance, he flew into a rage. "Christine," he said in a commanding tone, holding out a glass of wine, "I'll move, on the condition that you apologize and drink a toast with me." His words implied dire consequences for disobedience.

Christine's eyes widened in shock. "Did I hear that right? He wants an apology and a toast? Is he insane? And that tone!" she thought incredulously. "Does he think he's some dominant king whose every word is law?" She sneered. This was a waste of time with this scoundrel.

Tobias remained, blocking her path. She turned to leave, only to have him intercept her again. Repeatedly. He was deliberately obstructing her.

Nearby, important figures noticed their strange interaction. "Mr. Weston, what do you want?" Christine asked gloomily.

"Miss Foster," Tobias pressed, "why won't you even have a drink with me?" His humiliation seemed directly tied to her refusal of the champagne.

Just then, a cool voice cut through the tension: "You want a drink? I'll have one with you."

Before Tobias could react, Gilmore snatched the champagne. He'd seen Tobias's harassment and felt compelled to intervene, despite being only Christine's fake boyfriend. He was determined to help.

Seeing Gilmore's timely appearance, Christine felt an indescribable warmth and joy. It was as if she'd been waiting for his rescue. Her worries vanished. It was magical.

Gilmore raised the glass, smiling at Tobias. "Mr. Weston, to you! Cheers!" He drank it down.

Tobias was furious. Gilmore had thwarted his plans with Elaine at the Langford Hotel, and now this! He longed to harm Gilmore, but restrained himself in public. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Gilmore, shouldn't you be with Claire? Are you pursuing Christine as well?"

Gilmore chuckled. "Even lovers have time apart. And Claire's not alone. I'm not pursuing Christine; I'm inviting her to dance."

The onlookers were stunned, even nervous. Isn't inviting a girl to dance a form of courtship? they thought. He's incredibly bold!

Tobias seized on this, sensing a weakness in Gilmore's words. He laughed, raising his voice for all to hear. "Crap, Gilmore! You're shameless! Your girlfriend, Claire, is here, and you're courting Christine and inviting her to dance. Aren't you cheating?"

The nearby important figures, and many young ladies, turned to watch. Tobias’s words had the desired effect; many condemned Gilmore's apparent infidelity. The young ladies, in particular, voiced their outrage at such behavior. The young men, meanwhile, expressed their dislike for Gilmore for having put them in a difficult situation.

Despite the accusations, Gilmore merely smiled. "Mr. Weston, do you think inviting a girl to dance is the same as cheating?" He paused. "If that's what you think, then you're right. I am cheating on my girlfriend."

He bowed to Christine, extending a hand. "Christine, may I have this dance?"

Everyone was shocked. Christine was speechless. Gilmore's audacity was breathtaking. Christine felt her heart race, her face flush. After a moment, she replied, "Okay…"