Chapter 55
In the largest room of the Milky Way Hotel, more than ten young people sat around a huge round table. Among them were Robin, Lilian, and Celia. The young man seated beside Lilian was particularly striking; handsome, in a suit and tie. This was Ian.
He'd invited Robin and their old classmates for a gathering, ostensibly a reunion, but actually to see Lilian. He hoped to ask her to dinner, to get closer, and to publicly showcase their relationship. Ian and Lilian were both Oakhaven Film Academy students; getting closer shouldn't have been difficult. However, they rarely saw each other. Lilian acted in addition to her studies, and she deliberately kept her distance from Ian. Therefore, they were only ordinary friends—a fact Ian wouldn't admit. This was why he'd rushed back when he learned Lilian was visiting her grandmother; he wanted to seize this opportunity to strengthen their bond. He’d put considerable effort into this party.
"Everyone's here. Ms. Catherine, we'd like to order now, please," Ian said to the hotel manager, noting the arrival of over a dozen classmates.
"Yes, sir," Ms. Catherine replied promptly.
As the county's wealthiest man, Ian was a frequent diner at the Milky Way Hotel and knew the manager well. Ms. Catherine presented him with the menu.
Ian smiled at Lilian. "Lilian, would you like to order?" His words subtly conveyed her importance to him. Even Ms. Catherine noticed his obvious affection. She smiled at Lilian, saying, "Miss, Mr. Thompson is rather smitten."
The others laughed; they all understood Ian's intentions—he wanted to flaunt his relationship with Lilian. They played along.
Ian, pleased by his classmates' reaction, looked at the manager and said, "Ms. Catherine, Lilian is the most important person to me. Of course, she should order first." He yearned to confess his love.
However, Lilian was unmoved. Calmly, she replied, "Don't mind me. Ask everyone else what they'd like."
Ian felt embarrassed. Robin, disdainful of Ian's attempts to impress Lilian, was secretly pleased by Ian's failure. He glanced repeatedly at the private room door, wondering why Gilmore hadn't arrived yet. He'd texted Gilmore the room number and asked him to be there by 8:00 PM. His absence sparked concern; was Gilmore afraid?
Ian recovered from his embarrassment. Turning to his classmates, he said, "Everyone, order whatever you like!" Then to the manager, "Ms. Catherine, please get everyone a menu."
Ms. Catherine was surprised. This was unprecedented. Normally, she'd explain that she didn't have enough menus and ask them to order in turn. But Ian was a special guest—the county's richest man, and his father was friends with her boss.
"Please wait a minute. I'll get more menus," she said, using her walkie-talkie to request eleven menus for VIP room number one. A female voice confirmed the order.
"The menus will be here shortly, Mr. Thompson," Ms. Catherine assured him, after hanging up. Ian nodded.
A minute later, a young waitress arrived, slightly breathless, carrying a dozen menus. Ms. Catherine distributed them to the guests, then dismissed the waitress.
"You can tell Ms. Catherine what you'd like to eat," Ian instructed.
Everyone nodded, but hesitated while looking through the menus. While Ian had given them free rein, they couldn't order excessively expensive or cheap dishes. They knew the evening centered on Lilian; her preferences mattered most. They wouldn't upstage Ian, fearing his resentment. Consequently, no one ordered, leaving Ms. Catherine, ordering pad in hand, feeling awkward.
Suddenly, footsteps announced a new arrival.
"I'm sorry I'm late!"
All eyes turned to the speaker: Gilmore! Lilian and Celia were shocked. They also recognized Everly with him—the girl Gilmore had carried into a car outside the KTV the previous night. Was Gilmore flaunting his new girlfriend? Celia looked annoyed; Lilian lowered her head.
Ian frowned. "Why is this idiot here?" The others felt uncomfortable, knowing Gilmore and Lilian were deskmates and that Gilmore had a crush on her. No one knew what would happen next.