Chapter 53
Inside the car, Sophia sat stiffly. She still seemed upset about what had happened earlier.
“Don’t let Camille get to you,” I said. “She’s basically a grown woman throwing tantrums.”
Sophia took a deep breath and shook her head. ” just can’t stand her harassing and insulting you.”
I was caught off guard by her words and was touched by how she’d stood up for me.
When Sophia noticed me staring at her, her cheeks flushed slightly. She gave me a look and asked, “Why do you keep staring at me like that?
I didn’t respond, but silently made a promise to myself.
Once I succeeded in my career, I would pursue her and make her mine. But at that moment, I wasn’t good enough to stand beside her.
Sophia looked at me warmly and asked earnestly, “By the way, do you want to come with me to a dinner party tonight?”
“Sure.” I nodded in agreement, then couldn’t help asking, “What kind of dinner party?”
She siniled. “I plan to get together with some friends, talk business, and maybe expand my network. There’ll probably be some scions from wealthy families as well.”
“Oh…”
Something in my tone must have given me away because she quickly added, “What’s wrong? If you’re not feeling it, there’s no pressure to come.”
I smiled and said, “Not at all. We’re partners, so it makes sense that we’d go together.”
When I agreed, her cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded.
That evening, we arrived at a downtown restaurant.
On the second floor, Sophia knocked on a private dining room door, and I followed her in. The room was full of people—men and women clustered around the table, deep in conversation.
When those men saw her, their faces brightened considerably. But when they noticed me, their expressions soured and their brows furrowed.
I pretended not to notice their reactions and took a seat next to Sophia.
“Sophia, long time no see.”
“We heard about your new company–congrats!”
They completely ignored me as they chatted cheerfully with her.
Chapter 53
Sophia smiled warmly. “Thanks, everyone. I’d like you to meet my business partner, Max
Wexler.”
The second she mentioned me, every pair of eyes turned to me, and none of them looked particularly welcoming.
One of the men with gold–rimmed glasses glanced at me coldly. The barely concealed contempt in his stare made every nerve in my body tense up.
“Sophia, I knew you were starting a company, but I had no idea you had a business partner.”
Sophia smiled. “Hunter Levine, that’s pretty normal, isn’t it? When you’re just getting started, you need support.”
Hunter Levine adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses and gave me a thorough once–over before turning to his friends.
“Max Wexler? Which family is he from?”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of him. Is there actually someone like that in Brinestone?”
“Did I miss something while I was gone? When did the Wexler family pop up in this city?”
Several of them talked openly about my background right in front of me.
Sophia’s expression darkened slightly. She softly questioned, “Who says you have to be from some prominent family to be a business partner?
Seeing her defending me, Hunter’s face turned sour. He stared at me coldly, and something flickered in his eyes. “Max Wexler, right? That name… Why does it sound so familiar?”
Suddenly, someone slapped their thigh and pointed at me. “Wait! I remember who he is.”
Hunter immediately looked up at the speaker. “Who is he?”
The man grinned mysteriously. “Have you heard of the Layton family heiress?”
“The Layton family heiress? You mean Camille Layton?”
“Isn’t she famous for being wild and always having guys around her?”
“Yeah. But what’s his connection to Camille?”
The man looked me up and down, laughing mockingly.
“Camille has this secretary who follows her around like a trained lapdog and does whatever
she says. That dog is called Max Wexler.”
At those words, Hunter’s eyes lit up. “Oh! It turns out he’s just Camille’s lapdog.
