Chapter 1201

Aßen watched Skylar retreat to the restroom. The news he'd delivered had clearly shaken her. Perhaps this was for the best; she wouldn't lose composure when she saw Ned. Hearing the truth from Ned himself would have been another blow. Besides, Ned and his fiancée, Rosa, were due to arrive at the gala dinner any moment.

His thought was barely formed when he spotted them entering. Silence fell over the room. Many stared in disbelief.

"Mr. Martin?" someone gasped.

"He's not Mr. Martin," another corrected. "He's Mr. Sowle, the CEO of Hawking Technologies."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. "What? The CEO of Hawking Technologies?" "Not Mr. Martin?" "How can there be two people who look so alike? They're practically identical!"

The shock reached Ned, who wasn't surprised at the confusion. Months earlier, he'd seen a news photo of Joe and learned some details about him.

Aiken, momentarily stunned, found himself lost in thought. Photos and videos were one thing, but seeing Ned in person revealed an uncanny resemblance; they looked like twins.

Rowan and Caleb simultaneously exclaimed, "What the heck?" Their astonishment was palpable.

Rowan, unable to contain his curiosity, rushed towards Ned. Caleb, about to follow, remembered Skylar and frantically searched for her, finding only Aiken staring blankly at Ned.

The shock wasn't limited to Aiken; most guests had met Joe, and their astonishment was universal.

Rowan approached Ned, scrutinizing him closely. "Damn it! They look the same," he thought. "Are you… not Joe?"

Ned's expression remained impassive. "No, I'm not," he replied coldly.

Rosa interjected, "You must have mistaken him. He's Ned Sowle, CEO of Hawking Technologies. We don't know anyone named Joe." Since hearing Ned called Joe at the café, Rosa had been researching Joe's background, becoming increasingly startled by her findings.

"Are you really not?" Rowan persisted, examining Ned from head to toe. "Are you sure you grew up in Murida?"

A graceful figure hurried towards them. Ned turned to see Skylar standing before him.