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A month later, the annual National Financial and Economic Conference was held in Shanievlle.
Sebastian, as a representative of Hoficaster, was invited to give a keynote speech at the forum.
As a popular economic columnist, I was also invited to attend.
We packed up and returned to Shanievlle together.
During the day, Sebastian was tied up getting ready for his keynote speech at the forum, while I was caught up in another author panel discussion.
We only ran into each other right before the cocktail party.
With a secretive smile, Sebastian handed me a large gift box.
He grinned. “Bringing my gorgeous girlfriend to such a big event for the first time, I’m totally showing off!”
He’d picked out a stunning, body–hugging red evening dress with a daring neckline for me.
“Sebastian, isn’t this a bit over the top? Red is so bold. Aren’t we going to stand out too much?” I hesitated.
It looked amazing, but honestly, it felt like too much of a statement. I felt a little self-
conscious.
He just grinned. “You’re already a showstopper. You can pull off any bold look and handle all
the attention.”
Then he leaned in and gave me a quick, proud kiss.
I stopped fussing, slipped into the dress, and linked arms with him to the party.
Unexpectedly, Zackery was at the party, too.
Honestly, he hadn’t crossed my mind in ages.
But really, an event like this wouldn’t be complete without Zackery, Shanievlle’s financial big shot.
When I spotted Zackery, I was planning to greet him politely.
But he clearly wasn’t interested in being friendly.
Zackery was there with Xandy, who was all smiles, mingling with the crowd. But the moment
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00:52 Sun, 31 Aug
Chapter 9
he saw me and Sebastian walk in, he immediately shot me a glare.
He left Xandy behind and marched over, fuming.
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When he realized the so–called “other man” in my life was actually Sebastian, his old classmate, he got even more pissed off.
Zackery gripped his wine glass and shot me a glare. “Yvonne, quit playing games. After all this time, you’re still not done with the drama? You brought him just to rub it in my face,
didn’t you?”
I chuckled. “Zackery, I honestly forgot you’d even be here. Sebastian and I were both invited. Why would we bother coming just to mess with you?”
The way I talked about Sebastian made it obvious how close we were, and Zackery’s eyes instantly darkened.
He tried to grab my arm.
I sidestepped, dodging his
grasp.
“Yvonne, can you please stop making a scene?” Zackery said, sounding a little desperate.
He continued, “Come on, don’t be mad. Let me explain, okay? Xandy’s just the daughter of my parents‘ old friends. There’s nothing between us. I’m just looking out for her, like she’s my kid sister.
“That engagement ring? I only had her wear it to mess with you, to get you to come back to me. I’ve told you everything now. Can’t you just stop being so stubborn?”
I let out a slow breath.
Zackery was still the same as ever–never changing.
But what he didn’t realize was that I’d changed.
I honestly didn’t care about what was between him and Xandy anymore.
“Yvonne, if you keep this up, there’s really no chance left for us,” Zackery threatened.
I just smiled, “Zackery, hasn’t it already been over between us?”
Just then, Xandy walked over and looped her arm through his.
She looked all sweet and innocent, but the way she glanced at me was anything but friendly.
“Zackery, there are plenty of other fish in the sea,” she said, her voice soft but with a hint of something else.
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00:52 Sun, 31 Aug
Chapter 9
Zackery pulled his arm free, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Get lost.”
His face grew even darker.
Just then, Sebastian squeezed my hand and, to my surprise, put on a pouty act.
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“Yvonne, I’m thirsty. Can we go get some water over there?” he whined, sounding adorably needy.
Then he turned to Zackery, his face turning serious as he staked his claim. “Zackery, you two already broke up. Let’s leave each other with some dignity. She’s my girlfriend now—”
Before Sebastian could even finish his sentence, Zackery suddenly slammed his wine glass down and threw a punch at him.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Picking up the woman I tossed aside. Scavenging for my leftovers and thinking you hit the jackpot?” Zackery spat.
Sebastian’s temper snapped. No way he’d let Zackery talk about me like that in public. He fired back with a flurry of punches.
The two rising stars of the financial world, usually all suits and smiles, were now brawling right in the middle of a glitzy, high–society gala.
I felt a pang seeing Sebastian get hurt, but at the same time, I was dying of embarrassment over the whole mess.
Zackery watched as I gently tended to Sebastian’s wounds, tears threatening to spill as I ignored him completely. For the first time, that cold, proud look in his eyes gave way to something else–pure, unmistakable despair.
As expected, the next day, the headlines were everywhere.
[Breaking News: Hoficaster’s big shot vs. Shanievlle’s finance big cheese–Battle at the Gala]
[Gossip: Forget finance. This time, it’s all about fighting over a girl]
[Showdown: Way juicier than any merger. Finance bros brawling at the party]
The paparazzi had to get high–def photos and videos of the whole mess.
From every possible angle, they captured the two guys brawling on the floor and me freaking out on the sidelines.
This time, my embarrassment was off the charts.
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