First Banquet

The banquet was held at the same hotel where Erik and Aryana were staying. To be honest Aryana was not really excited because she did not have any acquaintances at the party other than Erik and Marlon.

They entered the banquet hall at six thirty pm and while Erik was just a guest a lot of eyes were on them.

'Hmmp, Erik has a lot of female admirers and is quite a charmer despite his serious and cold face.' Aryana observed.

Soon he was surrounded by middle-aged men in an expensive suit. Wherever Erik was, Marlon needed to be there. Aryana had no choice but to entertain herself by enjoying the array of pastries and desserts at the buffet table.

"Aryana Jones what a surprise. You are here." A deep voice spoke from behind her.

Aryana turned around and came face to face with a familiar face.

"Antonio Lopez?" She furrowed her brows as if trying to ascertain she remembered the name correctly.

Antonio extended his hand and out of courtesy, Aryana did not reject the handshake. Instead of releasing it, Antonio brought it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.

Aryana frowned and pulled back her hand. While Antonio looked dignified in a formal suit, his eyes showed a malicious intent that made Aryana shiver and she stepped back.

"You looked beautiful tonight. I thought you are one of the models." He winked at her mischievously and handed her a wine glass.

"I am here for a vacation. Coincidentally, Erik is also here for business. He invited me here." She said in a calm manner though deep inside she was unsettled.

"Tony!" A deep baritone voice called out.

A man in his late forties and a younger version of him strode towards Aryana and Antonio.

"Uncle Henry, Justin you are here too."

'Erik's father and half-brother are also here? What a coincidence is this.' Aryana said to herself.

"And why not, Henry Ty is my best friend and business partner, besides us having the same first name."

He paused and studied Aryana.

"And this is?"

"Oh, she is Aryana Jones's Uncle. She came here with Erik."

Henry Lee raised his eyes brows and sized up Aryana.

"Father, I now remembered. She is the daughter of Erik's chauffeur. The one who died a few years ago." Justin butted in.

Henry glanced at Aryana. "I see. No wonder the eyes reminded me of someone. So he is Robert's daughter." He looked at Aryana hatefully.

Aryana felt uncomfortable. She took a sip of wine to calm her nerves.

She gave a forced smile. "What a coincidence to bump into you guys. And I thought this banquet will be boring but I chanced upon my fellow countrymen. Nice to meet you again Mr. Lee and …." Aryana paused. She forgot the name of Erik's brother.

"Justin."

"Justin" Aryana repeated.

The three men proposed a toast to her and she has no choice but to down the wine from her glass.

She wanted to escape from them but before she can excuse herself to the washroom, an excited voice called out to her.

"Aryana it is really you. So this is the banquet that you are attending with your guar …friend?"

"Mu Chen?" Aryana was surprised to see him.

"Yes, it's me. These are your friends?" He asked perfunctorily.

Aryana did not know how to answer.

"They are Erik's family and friends."

"Come, I'll introduce you to grandpa." Mu Chen dragged her to a corner where a few men seemed to be in serious discussion. Erik was one of them.

The three men who were behind looked at each other, a common thought in their minds. 'How the heck did Aryana get to know the grandson of the two famous Titans of S City.

"Grandpas. This is Aryana Jones. The one I told you about. Aryana this is my maternal grandfather. His English name is Henry Ty and this is my paternal grandfather Mu Heng. Mu Chen excitedly introduced her.

'Huh. Why is his introduction so ambiguous? What does he mean when he said the one I told you about?'

Aryana smiled sweetly and her two dimples appeared on her slightly flushed cheeks.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Henry Ty and Mr. Mu Heng." She said politely.

"I came here with Erik. I am Mu Chen's English tutor online and coincidentally we meet here."

She briefly glanced at Erik before bowing slightly to the two elders to show her respect.

Mu Heng stiffened. That voice, the dimples, and the lips reminded him of a girl from his memory. But when he looked at her eyes, she was a totally different person.

He gave her a gentle smile while Henry Ty nodded at her in acknowledgment.

Silence…

Aryana was awkward. It was a good thing that she was a teacher so she was trained on how to handle difficult situations.

To break the silence she added hastily. "Mu Chen is very lucky to have both of his grandpas." Then she gave a sad smile and added. "I never knew who my grandpas were." She has a forlorn expression on her face but was immediately replaced by a gentle smile.

All four men looked at her and seemed to be mesmerized by her voice and smile. She was a smart woman after all. She knew how precious the time of these people was.

"I will not hold your time. Nice meeting you both." She bowed again and then she hooked her hand on Mu Chen's arm and urge him to leave.

Erik's disapproving look trailed her before he shifted his attention to the two giants of the real estate industry.

Aryana went to the restroom. When she came back, she met Antonio in the corridor.

'Was he waiting for me?'

"Can I talk to you for a minute? I have a business proposal for you."

"Okay." She said while eyeing him cautiously.

"Let's go over there." He pointed to a secluded area in the garden.

Alarm bells were ringing in Aryana's ears.

"As you said Mr. Lopez, it's a business proposal. We are not dating, right? So can we go over there?" She pointed at the lounge area.

Antonio laughed. "I did not realize you have a sharp tongue."

He led her to the lounge area, asked for two glasses of wine from the waiter, and gave one to Aryana.

"You are beautiful Aryana. More beautiful than many of the models I have worked with." He leaned towards Aryana and whispered hoarsely.

Aryana arched her body back to create more distance from this shameless jerk.

"Name your price. Be my woman!"