Chapter 38

Shirley said, "That's why I applied to be Jonathan's secretary. World of Elegance is part of the Bennett family's empire, and Jonathan is the sole heir to Bennett Group. If he agrees, Velorix could be the first domestic brand to enter World of Elegance. You understand the significance of that, Dad."

Justin shook his head. "Shirley, it's not as easy as you think."

Bennett Group also had its own clothing brand, one much larger than the Jones family's. However, Bennett Group hadn't even placed its own brand in this mall, let alone a brand from another city.

But Shirley remained confident. "Dad, how will we know if we don't try? Give me three months. In three months, I'll convince Jonathan." She quickly added, seeing Justin's dubious expression, "I mean, I'll definitely get Jonathan to let Velorix into World of Elegance."

Cynthia listened silently.

Shirley was far too naive. Not only did World of Elegance have strict criteria for brand partnerships, but it would never tarnish its "top luxury" reputation by making an exception.

Moreover, Cynthia recalled Jonathan mentioning that World of Elegance wasn't under his control—it was managed by his sister, Viola, with whom he had a strained relationship.

Worst of all, Shirley was lying. She hadn't been hired as Jonathan's secretary, but as a secretary assistant—a position with little to no direct contact with Jonathan.

After dinner, Justin turned to Cynthia. "Why don't you stay the night? Your room has been empty for a long time."

Cynthia glanced at Selena, who remained indifferent. Cynthia felt a pang of disappointment, though she didn't know why she still hoped for Selena's affection after almost killing herself last time.

Just as she was about to decline, her phone rang. It was Kevin Shaw, Filip's childhood friend. "Cynthia, Filip's drunk. Can you pick him up?"

Using this as an excuse, Cynthia said, "Filip's drunk. I need to pick him up, so I won't be staying tonight."

Justin, relieved, assumed his advice had been heeded. "Alright, go ahead then."

Cynthia went to Room 1008 at the Opulence Club and opened the door. Loud music and chatter filled the room; people were drinking and singing, clearly enjoying a wild night.

Most of the faces were familiar—Filip's childhood friends, many of whom were also Cynthia's. In fact, she was closer to some of them than Filip was.

As soon as she entered, the room fell silent. Kevin quickly approached. "Cynthia, good to see you."

These people were a year or two older than Cynthia, but they respected her greatly. In their youth, Cynthia had been fierce and tough, never losing a fight against the boys.

"Since Filip's back, I organized a party," Kevin explained. "But he's not in the best mood today and drank a lot."

Cynthia glanced at Filip, slumped on the sofa. "You should have called Lilian. Why did you call me?"

Everyone knew the history between the three of them. Kevin joked, "Lilian? Who's that? I don't know her. You and Filip were a pair since you were kids, and now you're his rightful wife. Who else would I call but you?"

Cynthia ignored him and looked at Filip again. "Can he walk?"

Kevin gestured for two men to help Filip up and follow Cynthia outside. As they reached the Opulence Club lobby, Filip suddenly awoke. He shrugged off his supporters. "Let me go. I'm not drunk. I can still drink."

Cynthia stepped in front of him. "Can you walk? If you can, then walk yourself. I'll take you home."

Filip stared at Cynthia through hazy eyes. Suddenly, he embraced her tightly. His voice was choked with emotion. "Cyn, I've missed you so much!"

Cynthia froze, stiffening. It wasn't just the sudden hug—it was the nickname "Cyn," a childhood endearment she hadn't heard in years.

A wave of sadness washed over her. Filip clung to her, sobbing like a child. His shoulders shook. "Cyn, why did you leave me? Why?"

For a moment, Cynthia was dazed, then snapped back to reality, thinking, Filip is truly drunk, saying nonsense.

She patted his back. "Filip, look closely. I'm Cynthia, not Lilian."

"Cyn, you can't leave me. Everyone else can reject me, but not you. You can't look down on me. I've become who I am today because of you. All because of you. How can you be so heartless?" he cried.

Cynthia was confused, but her intuition told her something important was hidden in his words. Maybe this was her chance to understand how Lilian had driven a wedge between them.

Adopting a soothing tone, she coaxed, "Alright, I won't leave you. Just tell me, what happened? Why are you saying this?"

Meanwhile, Jonathan stepped out of the elevator with his friends and stopped. Their gazes followed Jonathan's, landing on the embracing couple in the lobby.

Tommy joked, "The Opulence Club has really gotten out of hand lately. Why is the waitress hugging the customer in plain view?"

Bruce added, "I don't think that girl is a waitress. They look like a couple in the middle of a fight, using alcohol to vent."

"That girl's in trouble," someone else said. "A guy that drunk could be really dramatic."

While they laughed, Tommy noticed something. "Wait… isn't that Jonathan's girlfriend?"

The group remembered. "Yeah, that's Ms. Jones."

They recalled Jonathan introducing Cynthia as his girlfriend at Tommy's birthday party, causing Celine to cry. Now, Jonathan's so-called girlfriend was cuddling with another man.

No one truly believed Jonathan and Cynthia were a couple. They suspected he was using her to push Celine away. But Cynthia was still the only girlfriend he'd introduced to his friends. Her current actions felt like a slap in Jonathan's face.

All eyes turned to Jonathan. His face darkened ominously.

Tommy, sharp-eyed, noticed something else. "The guy she's hugging seems to be Mr. Yates. No wonder she went toe-to-toe with Mrs. Yates at the golf course the other day. Turns out she really is Mr. Yates' lover."

Everyone was shocked. "So Ms. Jones has been playing both sides—hooking up with Mr. Yates while stringing Jonathan along?"