Chapter 4 A Party

Sara's tone came as a surprise to Jacob. He had never thought that she would speak to him so coldly. All of a sudden, he felt awkward and uncomfortable talking to her, but he said in a cold voice, "There's a party this evening. I need you to attend with me as my wife. If anyone asks questions, just remember what I told you."

Before Sara could refuse, he disconnected the call abruptly.

He had reminded her not to forget his threat to destroy her father's company.

When Ethan saw the grim look on Sara's face, he knew what must've happened. "It was him, wasn't it? He said something to upset you," he muttered.

"No, it's not that. I have to go home. That's it," Sara replied as casually as she could.

Upon hearing her words, Ethan immediately hit the accelerator, placing his hands on the steering wheel.

He'd always been very considerate towards her. He would satisfy her every need without asking any questions.

The party was nothing but a flashy way for the rich to strengthen their connections with influential people.

Thompson, Jacob's best friend, wouldn't miss any of their parties. He was there dressed in a well-tailored suit, which made him look even more handsome than usual. He laughed and talked to Jacob's cousins, behaving like a true gentleman. When the other girls noticed how strikingly attractive he was, they couldn't help but swoon.

After hesitating at the door for a moment, Sara raised her head and smiled.

Her pale face shimmered under the soft yellow light as she walked in. Her delicate features, glass-like skin, and dark hair immediately made heads turn. Every man in the room was smitten by her beauty.

She walked into the room with a smile, took a glass of champagne from the waiter, and nodded to her friends and family with grace. Her elegance and charm was simply awe-inspiring.

She was wearing a black evening dress that wrapped around her voluptuous body like a second skin, making her look ravishing.

There was no doubt that she was the most gorgeous looking woman at the party.

As they said, the rich had many distant relatives. Even after being married to Jacob for four years, Sara could barely remember any of them. She only knew a few of his close friends and family members whom she met often.

As her eyes searched for Jacob among the crowd, she saw a casual acquaintance approach her.

"Hi, Sara! I bet I've seen you in this same dress." It was Jacob's distant cousin. Drunk, she walked towards Sara with a mindless attitude.

Sara sighed inwardly.

Jacob hadn't given her the time to buy a new dress, so she had just worn a boring old one, hoping that no one would notice what she was wearing.

Unfortunately, someone had. Sara faked a smile and said, "Really? You must be mistaken!"

As the hostess of the Shi clan, she couldn't afford to be seen wearing an old dress, for people would ridicule her for repeating an outfit.

The woman thought about it long and hard and then shouted, "I remember you attending the charity dinner wearing the same dress!"

"You're drunk. Just go home and save yourself from the embarrassment." Before Sara could reply, a cold voice interjected, shocking everyone at the party.

Embarrassed, the woman blinked her tears away and disappeared into the crowd.

Sara could tell whose voice it was without even looking at him.

She turned around to see Jacob walking up to her. He glanced at her as he took a sip from the wine glass he was holding, without uttering a word.

Sara asked with a puzzled look, "Are you trying to show off that you can drink or what?"

Her burning words indicated a trace of anger within her.

She had only just started to feel happy that she was travelling with Ethan when Jacob had forced her to return, putting a stop to her trip halfway.

How could she even try to be in better spirits after that? She didn't want to be pleasant to the man who had ruined her day.

Jacob didn't even flinch. He had grown used to Sara's cold and emotionless words. "My dear wife, you know how important your image is, right? You are the face of the Shi Group," he said, tracing the corner of her lips with his long and slender fingers.

He then cast a disgusted look at her dress.

With a sardonic smile, Sara asked, "What? Should I be ashamed of what I'm wearing? But what can I do? According to you, I'm nothing more than just an object with a clear price tag."

After seeing Jacob's disgusted look, Sara no longer felt guilty for being so cold towards him. After all, people weren't laughing at her, they were laughing at the hostess of the Shi clan.

"You..." Jacob glared at her. He'd never seen her speak to him in such a disrespectful way before, especially in public. Her haughty attitude was infuriating for him.

"Wow! You two have been married for so long, yet you've managed to keep the romance alive. Are you trying to torture us singles with your remarkably sweet chemistry?" Thompson asked, walking over. He was a typical playboy who had a group of women following him wherever he went.

Sara took the lead and laughed. The frown on her face had vanished and her elegant charm had returned as she said, "Thompson, you are so attractive! No matter where you go, you are always favored by beautiful women. I'm sure any man would envy you."

The mischievous smile on Thompson's face suddenly froze. 'Does she really think of me as such a playboy?' he thought to himself as a hint of frustration flashed across his face.

Jacob noticed the quick change of Thompson's expression and realized something, but he wasn't sure if he was right or wrong.

At that moment, Thompson turned around and signaled for the women standing behind him to leave. They all gave him a smile before dissolving into the crowd.

"Hey, Sara, we haven't had a drink together in a long time. Let's get a drink," he said with enthusiasm. He then took the champagne glass away from her, and handed her a glass of strong whiskey.

Sara hesitated for only a moment, but before she could take the glass, Jacob interrupted, taking the whiskey away from her. "Are you trying to cause trouble? You know that she can't handle her drink well, don't you?" he asked, turning to Thompson.

Without another word, Jacob raised his head and gulped down the whiskey until there was nothing but a drop of it left.

When Sara saw this charming chivalrous side of him, she was momentarily infatuated but she quickly calmed down.

She was lost in thought. She felt like a mess for letting herself get distracted by Jacob when she had already decided that she wouldn't pay any attention to him. But why did she still feel like he was the most handsome man in the whole room?

After downing the whiskey, Jacob turned to Thompson. "Mr. Leo is here. Let me introduce you to him." He put a hand around Thompson's shoulders and took him to where Mr. Leo was.

Across the room was Jacob's oldest cousin, a man in his fifties. Whenever Sara looked at him, it sent a chill down her spine.

Trying to avoid eye contact with him, she turned away, and instead found Thompson staring at her with his deep black eyes,

his gaze deep as the ocean.

When their eyes met, he felt as if she was pulling him towards her.

Feeling the rising tension between them, Sara turned and looked away.

Although she didn't know what exactly she was trying to stop, she felt guilty for indulging him. She quickly walked to the balcony, wanting to have a moment of peace.

As her fingers trailed along the cold marble rail, she finally heaved a sigh of relief. She raised her head and stared at the beautiful starry night sky.

"Sara, hi! Why are you here all by yourself? Jacob can't be so cruel as to leave you here all alone, right?" She heard a frivolous voice laced with the strong scent of alcohol.

Sara turned and saw Jonathan. She didn't expect to see him at such a lively party. It was as though he had such a good relationship with everyone that no one minded his background as an illegitimate son of the clan.