"It's really too much trouble for you, Ned. It's your birthday, and yet you went out of your way to drive over and pick us up. I feel so bad!" Seeing her ideal future son-in-law in his sharp suit, Isabella couldn't stop beaming.
"It's no trouble at all. Lara is my date; it's only right that I come personally to get her." He replied politely.
Hearing this, Lara was overjoyed, her shy delight written all over her face.
"Then let's get going. We can chat in the car!" Isabella looked at the handsome pair, her heart filled with happiness.
It wouldn't be long now—her wish would soon come true. Everything was proceeding smoothly…
The sky had already turned pitch black. It was nearly seven o'clock. Sophie took the bus to the vicinity of Ned's villa and, after a fifteen-minute walk, arrived at the imposing white super-wide iron gate.
Unsure how to enter, she stood at the entrance for a long time. She called Ned several times, but no one answered.
"Hello?" Her phone suddenly rang. "Have you arrived?" Amid the noisy voices on the line came Ned's concerned tone.
"I'm at your front gate. How do I get in?" Sophie mustered her courage.
"Oh, got it. Wait there—I'll come get you." He hung up.
Clutching her phone, Sophie waited at the gate for about ten more minutes. Looking around, the villa district was serene, with dense greenery partially obscuring the shadowy outlines of the mansions. Only the area near the gate where she stood was lined with numerous luxury sedans, indicating many guests had arrived tonight.
In the dim light, someone seemed to be waving at her. The background lights were too bright for Sophie to make out his face.
"Hi!" As the side door of the white iron gate opened, Archibald stepped in front of her.
Sophie stared at him, a little surprised.
"You're really gorgeous tonight!" He whistled, smirking roguishly. "I've always thought you were beautiful—the type I like. But dressing up like this tonight gives you such a special aura. Really, really captivating!"
Sophie smiled but said nothing. Suddenly, she felt a sense of estrangement toward Archibald. He had always been carefree and flippant, but never with this kind of deliberate teasing.
"Follow me. Don't just stand there. Ned asked me to come get you." He scratched his head, grinning.
Sophie paused. "You're here to pick me up?" She hesitated, then asked, "Where is he? Why isn't he the one coming out to get me?"
"You mean Ned?"
She nodded, looking a bit lost.
"He's..." He chuckled. "Busy. Can't get away. Having me come get you is the same thing, right? He specifically asked me to fetch you. Come on in! Stop dawdling."
"Um... alright." Sophie followed him through the gate.
Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst, cold sweat breaking out from nerves.
Once inside, Sophie saw that the villa, the villa's garden was vast, and there were many people. If she stayed in a corner, no one would likely notice her.
"Wait here for a moment. I'll go get Ned," Archibald said.
"Okay." She nodded, standing stiffly under a tree, her eyes locked on his retreating figure.
She watched as Archibald walked to the other side of the garden, where Lara and her mother stood with Ned and another elegant lady—judging by their closeness, she must be Ned's mother.
"Tonight's banquet is so romantic and unique! The elegant napkins, the subtle floral scent, the exquisite assortment of petite desserts and fruit salads arranged in the garden center—and this little orchestra's music is just lovely!" Lara spared no effort in flattering Victoria. "It doesn't lose to any five-star hotel at all. So refined and special!" Her words were so sugary they felt almost excessive.
Isabella chimed in: "Holding banquets in hotels these days is so tacky." She immediately realized her words might be misconstrued. "Oh, of course I don't mean C&C is tacky." She glanced at Jonathan Harrington, who was engaged in animated conversation nearby, and smiled. "What I mean is, Madam's idea is brilliant. Hosting a banquet like this here is so unique!"
"Thank you for the compliments, thank you! I'm thrilled that you like it!" Victoria was blooming with joy from the mother-daughter duo's praise. She turned to instruct Ned: "Son, Lara is your date tonight. You have to help Mom entertain her properly, understand?"
"Yes!" Ned replied with a smile.
When Archibald approached him, the three women were chatting and laughing merrily.
"She's here," Archibald whispered in Ned's ear.
Ned nodded, then said to the women around him: "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
"Huh?" Victoria frowned. "Where are you going?"
"I'll be back soon." Ned just smiled and nodded.
"Hey, Ned—" Victoria tried to stop her son, but he had already turned and strode away.
Sophie was half-hidden among the crowd, standing in the shade of a large tree. He spotted her quickly and headed straight toward her.
"You're here. You look stunning tonight—absolutely beautiful!" He approached from the side and said to her.
"Thank you!" She smiled. "It's the dress that's beautiful. This outfit I'm wearing today is what's pretty."
"No," Ned took her hand. "You've always been beautiful. Even though you've never worn clothes like this before, if a person's aura isn't right, no matter how gorgeous the outfit, it won't suit them. When I say you're beautiful tonight and praise how stunning you look, it's because your whole presentation feels so special to me. The beauty is you, not the clothes you're wearing."
Sophie burst out laughing: "Did you smear honey on your lips? You're such a smooth talker—I can't compete with you." The atmosphere between them suddenly lightened considerably.
"Sorry I didn't come out to meet you earlier. My mother was holding me back; I couldn't get away."
"It's fine. You didn't need to come out specially anyway. I only called because... because I didn't know how to get in." She smiled self-deprecatingly, then continued: "I've never walked through a gate this tall, grand, and beautiful before. So in my gut feeling, this simply isn't a place I should be coming to... that's why I called you."
He looked at her for a long moment before saying softly: "From now on, whenever you need anything, call me anytime, anywhere. Got it?"
She smiled at him. "Okay, I will."
"I'm really so glad you came," Ned said with a smile. "Let me take you to get some desserts."