Chapter 24
As the banquet began, Graham called Cyrus over. At that point, Simone was left alone in a corner.
The moment she was by herself, people started approaching her.
“Miss, may I have the honor of sharing a drink with you?” A man in a black suit, impeccably dressed from head to toe, had been eyeing Simone for quite some time.
This was the first time he’d encountered such a captivating beauty, and excitement flickered in his eyes.
Simone turned to glance at him, and the heat in his gaze made her feel nauseated.
“No, thank you,” she said, withdrawing her gaze and rejecting him flatly. She had met plenty of men like him in her past life and had never felt any fondness towards them.
The man was taken aback, not expecting to be refused. His expression darkened, but realizing she was Cyrus’s daughter, he didn’t dare voice his displeasure. He slinked away, defeated.
Soon, several more men approached, each with ulterior motives–whether to covet her beauty or to curry favor with Cyrus. However, Simone rejected them all.
The upper–class gatherings were typically driven by self–interest, and Simone had little interest in mingling. So she decided to step outside into the garden for some fresh air.
The Irwin family was a top–tier family in Sogin, and the banquet was held in an upscale hotel with a stunning back garden.
As she strolled, Simone suddenly heard the sound of bones cracking, accompanied by muffled groans from a man.
She walked a few steps forward and saw a group of people beating up a man dressed as a banquet server.
Nearby, another man lounged in a rocking chair with his legs crossed, casually smoking a cigarette while watching the bloody scene unfold with interest, embodying a carefree yet unreachable stature.
His tousled hair fell over his forehead, making his face flicker in and out of visibility under the street lamps.
As Simone looked over, the man seemed to sense her gaze and slightly lifted his head, locking eyes with her.
Simone saw his face. It was undeniably handsome, with sharp features that gave off an unapproachable aura. There was a rebellious glint in his eyes, akin to an untamed wild stallion.
In her previous life, she had devoted her entire youth trying to tame him. To her surprise, she was now meeting Ethan earlier than 18 years old.
Ethan was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the girl before him. For some reason, she gave him a sense of familiarity, yet he was certain he had never seen her before.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Have we met somewhere before?”
“No,” she replied. In her past life, just before her death, she had wished she could tear him apart, but now that she faced him again, she felt surprisingly calm.
Simone shifted her gaze from him to the group of people surrounding the injured man.
The ones doing the beating were merely spoiled brats who fawned over Ethan; they were throwing punches without holding back, as if they intended to kill the man lying on the ground.
The beaten man didn’t scream, enduring the blows as best he could.
Simone glanced at the injured man, noting that he was handsome in a way that diverged from Ethan’s rugged stoicism. His features were finely chiseled, almost delicately sculpted, but his overall appearance was softer.
The slight upward tilt of his eyes gave him an enchanting allure that was both passionate and cold–hearted.
In stark contrast to that deceptively beautiful face were his deep eyes, which held a profound mystery, difficult to fathom.
When their gazes met, Simone couldn’t help but shudder. In that instant, a chilling cold seeped into her bones, making her feel as though she were being targeted by a serpent, sending shivers down her spine.
But that face felt oddly familiar; she felt like she had seen him somewhere before. Simone strained to recall, and without realizing it, she found herself lost in thought.
1/2
Ethan noticed Simone’s gaze and furrowed his brow. “Are you here to defend him?” For some reason, seeing her eyes drift toward another man annoyed him.
Simone calmly withdrew her gaze and replied, “I don’t know him. Excuse me, you all can continue.”
With that, she quietly turned to leave. Ethan suppressed the unusual feeling stirring within him and forced himself to look away.
Just five minutes later, the police arrived with a noticeable commotion, redirecting everyone’s attention at the banquet back to Ethan.
Who wouldn’t want to know about the son of the richest man in Capitalton? Even more surprising was that someone in Sogin had the audacity to provoke Ethan; they must be quite reckless.
“Stop! You all need to come with us to the station.” The lead officer shouted, firmly putting a stop to the one–sided assault on the man on the ground.
Ethan glared at the police, his expression dark as he and a few other young nobles were taken away from the banquet.
“Ethan, it must have been that girl who called the cops,” one of the young noblemen said.
Ethan’s gaze shifted, and he suddenly looked up, spotting Simone’s delicate figure on the balcony of the second floor. Their eyes met, and he sensed a trace of amusement in her expression.
Interesting. someone dared to bring this upon me,‘ he thought to himself.
“Let me go.” Ethan forcefully broke free from the officer’s grip. He stood up, pointing directly at the girl on the second floor.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” His tone was questioning but overwhelmingly certain.
Simone wiped the smile off her face and returned to her innocent demeanor, unbothered by Ethan’s questioning. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Ethan scrutinized her, then turned away. While this situation wasn’t going to cause him any trouble, he was publicly embarrassed.
Ethan had always been someone who made others feel inferior; this was the first time someone had dared to do the opposite to him.
The exchange between Ethan and Simone had not gone unnoticed by everyone present. While most might not have spotted anything unusual, the Irwin family was savvy enough to figure it out.
Graham shot Cyrus a fierce glare. “Look at how well you’ve raised your daughter, even daring to provoke Ethan.” With that, he turned and left.
Cyrus’s attention was fully on Simone, so he dismissed Graham’s words entirely.
After Graham left, Cyrus approached Simone. He scanned her from head to toe, relieved to find that she seemed to be alright.
“Did you really call the police?” Cyrus asked.
This time, Simone admitted it. “Yes. A brawl like that, especially with gang–like behavior, should definitely be handled by the police.” Her tone was firm, with a hint of pride.
Cyrus was momentarily at a loss for words, looking at his daughter.
“Do you know who he is?” Cyrus pressed.
Simone nodded and responded nonchalantly, “Yeah, he’s the son of the richest man in Capitalton.“
“Little girl, you’ve got some guts.” As he thought about the Wilde family, Cyrus’s expression darkened. ‘It seems I need to work harder to protect her, he thought.
