Chapter 323

Shirley felt a pang of jealousy, imagining Cynthia's envy at her previous invitation. Surprisingly, Cynthia arrived uninvited. Shirley, waving her invitation teasingly, confronted Cynthia. "Cynthia, how dare you come without an invitation? Do you think QUEEN is your personal playground?"

Cynthia ignored Shirley, calmly telling the doorman, "I believe the QUEEN jewelry exhibition doesn't require invitations. Please check with your manager."

Guest information was already in the system, making invitations technically unnecessary, though they remained a tradition. The handsome doorman, a temporary replacement, quickly contacted his manager. He returned moments later, apologizing and admitting Cynthia and Jonathan. A facial recognition system was in place for invited guests.

Cynthia and Jonathan entered seamlessly. Shirley, initially surprised, then clenched her jaw in frustration, assuming Jonathan's influence had secured their entry. Annoyed, she approached the entrance, threw her invitation at the confused doorman, and attempted to enter. An alarm blared.

The doorman stopped her. "Miss, you can't go in." Cynthia, having just entered, turned back. Shirley, confused, heard Cynthia's casual remark, "Shirley, is your invitation fake?" Cynthia chuckled softly and walked away, knowing the invitation was real but exploiting the doorman's unawareness of the unspoken rule allowing invitation transfer. Cynthia's intention was to publicly embarrass Shirley, who had dressed ostentatiously to be the center of attention.

Shirley's face flushed with rage. She wanted to retaliate, but maintained her composure in the upscale environment. How could Whitney's invitation be fake? The doorman, however, seemed convinced. He knew of past incidents involving stolen invitations and potential theft. He refused to let Shirley enter, even threatening to call the police. The commotion attracted attention, including that of foreign guests. Shirley felt deeply humiliated and argued with the doorman.

Chapter 821

"Open your eyes and look closely! This is a personal invitation from Whitney Bennett of the Bennett Group. How could it be fake? Refusing me is an insult to Whitney Bennett. Can you accept that responsibility?"

Jacob Martin from the organizing team arrived. The troubled doorman reluctantly consulted him. Shirley protested, "Is this how you treat guests? Can you not tell if my invitation is real? Do you know who I am? If you don't let me in now, I won't come even if you invite me later!"

Shirley's public display of anger embarrassed her further. Jacob checked the invitation: "This invitation is real, but it's not yours; it belongs to Ms. Whitney Bennett."

Shirley insisted, "Ms. Bennett gave it to me. Do you know what happens if you offend her?"

Jacob explained, "QUEEN allows invitation holders to transfer them, but the original holder must accompany the guest." He advised Shirley to contact Whitney to gain entry. Shirley lacked Whitney's contact information and called Ruben. He responded, "Wait, I'll check with Ms. Bennett. If she doesn't come, you'll have to leave."

Ruben, too, was puzzled by the seemingly new rules; previously, unregistered invitations were accepted, and transfer was common. This was a VIP privilege.

Shirley was anxious; this event was crucial to her aspirations. She'd used Selena's jewelry without permission; failure to enter would be devastating. After five minutes, Whitney arrived, looking even younger than on TV. Shirley approached her.

"Ms. Bennett, remember me? I'm Shirley Jones." Although Whitney had helped her before, they'd never met.

Whitney glanced at Shirley, then turned to Jacob. "Why wasn't I informed I needed to accompany anyone I gave an invitation to?"

Jacob's demeanor changed; he was deferential but composed. "We're unsure. Mr. Wright sets the rules. Ask him directly."

Whitney's displeasure was evident. Jacob referred to Simon Wright, the enigmatic and unpredictable founder of QUEEN Jewelry. He was known for his impartiality.

Jacob quickly changed the subject. "Is this young lady a friend, Ms. Bennett?"

Whitney, disliking Shirley's naive appearance, saw potential use for her and nodded. "Let her in."

Jacob gestured, "Ms. Jones, Ms. Bennett, please." Shirley followed Whitney inside, staying close behind her. Shirley recognized Alex, a rising star, accompanying Whitney.

The text has been significantly improved for grammar, punctuation, and flow. Some minor inconsistencies and stylistic choices remain, as the original writing style wasn't entirely consistent.