Chapter 3

The phone rang three times. Nicholas didn't pick up.

My brows furrowed.

It rang three more times, and then he declined the call.

My mouth twitched. I suddenly remembered what Arthur had said earlier: "Mr. Vance is currently in an important board meeting."

Nicholas took his work very seriously. It wasn't the first time he set his phone to "Do Not Disturb" during critical meetings, though he always called back immediately afterward.

Still, being hung up on in front of everyone made me feel incredibly annoyed.

Meanwhile, the crowd's mocking reached a fever pitch.

"This is hilarious! Did she really think she could get the CEO's attention?"

"What was she thinking? Why would Mr. Vance ever care about a nobody like her?"

Bianca looked at me with a patronizing smirk. "Chloe probably just wanted to spice up the gala, so she played a little prank on us."

She intentionally flipped her hair, exposing her diamond earring fully to the audience. "But honestly, you don't seem to have a sense of humor. This joke isn't funny at all."

As she said this, the temperature on stage dropped a few degrees.

The host laughed awkwardly to break the tension. "Bianca, have you decided on your guest?"

Bianca nodded and looked toward the crowd. "I've invited an important business partner. He said he's on his way."

The crowd showered her with compliments again.

"Our Bianca's connections are on another level!"

"I wonder which handsome young billionaire it is?"

The host played along, asking for the identity of this mysterious friend.

Right then, my phone vibrated. I received a text from Nicholas.

Nicholas: [Honey, I'm in a board meeting. Your dad is here too, so I have to behave.]

My dad was a major board member. He had only found out about our relationship because of that leaked photo, and he had hauled Nicholas in for a stern talk that very day. In the end, he reluctantly accepted our relationship.

Last night, Nicholas was still whining to me at home, saying my dad had grumbled about him giving me his late mother's heirloom but still not giving me a public confession. My dad said it was unacceptable.

Back then, Nicholas had wrapped his arms around me, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

He kept insisting that since my father had given the green light, we should go public. I finally gave in under his relentless pleading.

And then, this perfect opportunity fell right into our laps.

Thinking about how he just hung up on me and made me lose face, I didn't really want to reply nicely.

I simply texted him the details of the gala task and gave him an ultimatum: [This is our best shot to go public. If you miss it, we'll have to wait. Your choice.]

This time, his reply was instant: [I'm on my way.]