Then the helicopter door opened.

Calin stepped out with a radiant smile, wearing a blazing red gown studded with diamonds that clung perfectly to her figure, dazzling enough to rival the chandelier lights themselves.

Gasps immediately rippled across the hall.

Some guests stared in open awe at the sheer extravagance of the entrance, while others enthusiastically praised how breathtaking she looked.

A staff member in a black suit carefully escorted her down the carpet as her red high heels clicked elegantly against the surface.

Behind her followed her mother, equally poised and glamorous.

Even Yeri was momentarily speechless. It seemed Calin had truly gone all out this time, determined to surpass the engagement banquet Yeri once had with Shin Keir in every possible way.

At this point, Yeri would not even be surprised if the person secretly fueling the trending online comparisons between her engagement and Calin’s was Calin herself.

"Gosh, this is too extravagant! Sis Calin looks so gorgeous! But where’s Brother Bryce? Is he arriving in a different helicopter?"

Netizens clamored in the livestream, bullet comments raining down so fast they were impossible to read.

"As much as I’m in awe, I can’t help feeling that Calin is trying too hard? It’s just an engagement, not her wedding yet. Is she afraid she can’t surpass Yeri?" another commenter wrote, only to be immediately swarmed and scolded by Calin’s brain-dead fans.

"Too much money wasted. Another rich socialite who only knows how to squander money while there are people who can’t even afford bread."

Netizens who hated the rich also joined the livestream.

"A red dress for an engagement? For a moment, I thought she was attending a red carpet awards show."

"Fake smiles, fake people, fake love! What are you all giggling for? Don’t forget Bryce Gate cheated on her not long ago, while Calin also got into a car accident with her ex not long ago! No one talks about it, but Vanessa is still missing. These two fake lovers should be investigated!"

While the livestream buzzed like a chaotic marketplace, Calin had already entered the hotel.

From a distance, the staff signaled to one another, and the live broadcast abruptly cut away from her side, now focusing on the guests instead.

The moment the camera shut off, Calin’s smile vanished instantly, her expression turning menacing as she stared at her PA.

Her personal assistant trembled while explaining that they still couldn’t reach Bryce Gate, assuming his plane hadn’t landed yet.

"It’s fine. If the guests ask, just say he’s delayed because of an outfit malfunction, like the planner suggested," Madam Ricci comforted softly. "Actually, we could even use this as an opportunity to hint that someone is trying to sabotage your engagement. That would definitely create hype, right?"

"Are you saying I need more hype?" Calin scoffed coldly.

Madam Ricci opened her mouth to explain that it could be good publicity for the company, but Calin had already waved her hand dismissively and walked ahead in her diamond-studded storm of red.

Back at the banquet hall, guests mingled and chatted.

Many approached Yeri upon recognizing her. Even those old foxes from the business world wore friendly smiles, obviously assuming she would be easy to please if it meant gaining access to Shin Keir.

Just then, Yeri spotted Anri.

Both of them showed surprise at first, though Anri’s expression quickly turned venomous the moment her eyes landed on Yeri.

Yeri ignored her reaction. Somehow, Anri always reminded her of a stray cat fiercely guarding a stolen fish.

"Wow, I can’t believe Big Sis Calin actually invited you. Don’t you feel ashamed using Shin Keir to snake your way into this circle?" Anri sneered as she stepped closer.

Yeri tilted her head slightly and shrugged.

"I don’t."

Anri froze, not only had Yeri refused to get upset by the provocation, she had practically admitted it with pride.

"So you’d better stop dangling in front of me. Maybe one of these days I’ll get bored and ask Brother Shin to deal with your father," Yeri said arrogantly.

"What did you just say?" Anri hissed, immediately triggered.

Yeri smiled like a delicate flower hiding a needle beneath its petals. "Do you think he wouldn’t do what I ask? You rely on your hotelier father to throw your weight around. I can do the same with my fiancé."

Anri was so furious she nearly ground her teeth into powder, but Yeri merely smiled sweetly before walking away.

Someone who couldn’t even handle a simple provocation actually thought she could piss her off?

Yeri shook her head inwardly while mentally taking note of how Anri addressed Calin.

Were the two actually close?

"Where did you go? Dad told me to keep an eye on you." Jj walked over holding two drinks, one in each hand, before passing a glass of juice to her.

Yeri accepted it, about to say that in such a crowded place, nobody would dare do anything to her, when someone suddenly called her name angrily.

"Yeri Zhi!"

Anri couldn’t hold herself back anymore and stormed over, ready to lash out.

However, the moment her gaze landed on the man standing beside Yeri, she abruptly froze.

Her eyes locked onto Jj, but because she had shouted rather loudly, several nearby guests turned to look. Only then did Anri snap back to reality. Instantly, her entire expression changed like an actress switching scripts mid-scene.

Smiling awkwardly, she hurried forward, though not toward Yeri.

Instead, she immediately stretched her hand out toward Jj.

"Hello, I’m Anri. I’m seventeen years old and a student at SC University. My father is Ludwig Rune, the famous hotelier behind Rune Hotels, with a net worth of billions."

Jj: "...?"

Yeri: "...?"

Was this girl actually unhinged?

Yeri quietly nudged Jj. "Brother Jj, I think Dad’s looking for us."

Jj nodded slightly, but Anri’s eyes widened in shock.

"Y... you... Yeri Zhi, he’s your brother?"

Yeri merely smiled, suddenly having a very bad feeling about this.

Anri also forced out an awkward smile. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shyly stole another glance at Jj.

"Senior Yeri is very famous at school. How come I’ve never heard she has such a handsome brother?"

Jj gave her a polite nod. "Nice to meet you. I’m Jj Zhi."

"Brother Jj!" Anri immediately grabbed his hand enthusiastically before suddenly shoving her phone toward him.

Jj: "...?"

"Let’s exchange contacts, okay?" she asked brightly.

Yeri was utterly speechless. Wasn’t this girl supposedly in love with Shin Keir? How had she switched targets in an instant?

"Weren’t you checking the school forum?" Yeri asked innocently. "Not long ago, some crazy junior student actually pushed me just so she could get Brother Shin’s attention."

Anri stiffened instantly, but she quickly forced a laugh.

"I’m just a fan! I admit I went a little too far that day, but Sis Yeri, you don’t blame me, right?" she said hurriedly. "How about I formally apologize to you? What’s your address?"

"So you admit that student was you," Yeri replied smoothly.

Anri: "..."

Before the conversation could continue, the crowd suddenly began to stir.

Soft live music filled the banquet hall as all eyes shifted toward the grand staircase.

Under the glow of crystal chandeliers, Calin slowly descended the staircase in her blazing red gown, her demeanor like a queen gazing down upon her subjects.

"Where’s Bryce Gate?"

"This engagement really has too many surprises. Is he coming from a different entrance?"

"I’m honestly getting tired. Feels like we’ve been sitting here forever already."

The guests muttered among themselves as everyone gradually returned to their seats.

Yeri and Jj also made their way back to their family’s table. However, the moment they sat down, Yeri heard the loud scraping of a chair against the floor.

Turning around, she saw Anri somehow dragging over a chair from another table before shamelessly settling herself beside them.

"Brother Jj, you wouldn’t mind if I sit here, right?" Anri asked brightly.

"Even if we minded, I doubt you’d leave," Yeri muttered under her breath.

Jj could clearly tell something strange was going on between the two girls, but in an occasion like this, he wisely chose to pretend he noticed absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile, Calin took the microphone and gracefully apologized for the delay, explaining that Bryce had encountered an outfit malfunction and was still getting ready.

She delivered the excuse with enough humor that many guests laughed along politely.

Soon, the engagement activities resumed as usual. Waiters moved around carrying champagne towers that glittered beneath the lights like liquid gold, while Calin elegantly made her rounds greeting guests table by table.

"If it was really an outfit issue, wouldn’t the stylist have prepared backup suits already? I don’t think that’s the real reason."

Calin’s footsteps paused slightly when she overheard the comment, her body tensed for a brief second before she continued walking as though nothing had happened.

Internally, however, she had already cursed Bryce thousands of times.

Once this engagement was over, she was definitely going to tear him apart for embarrassing her like this.

Just then, her eyes landed on Allen’s parents seated near the front.

Instantly, Calin adjusted her expression into one of gentle concern before strutting toward them gracefully.

"Uncle, Auntie, thank you so much for coming. It really means a lot to me and Brother Bryce," Calin said sweetly.

The elderly couple greeted her politely, though traces of exhaustion and sorrow lingered heavily on their faces. Their attendance clearly felt more like an obligation than genuine celebration.

"How’s Brother Allen doing?" Calin asked softly.

"Still the same," Allen’s mother replied, her eyes reddening faintly.

According to the doctors, although Allen was already out of danger, he would most likely remain in a vegetative state.

Calin dramatically covered her mouth in shock before offering a string of shallow comforting words.

Allen’s mother gently patted Calin’s hand.

"We don’t blame you, dear. Don’t mind us. Just focus on being happy during your engagement."

Calin smiled sweetly and thanked her, though the warmth in her eyes never quite reached the bottom.

--

Meanwhile, far away from the glittering banquet hall... At the airport, Bryce finally stepped out after the plane landed.

His suit was wrinkled, his tie hung loose around his neck, and his face carried the exhausted look of someone who hadn’t slept properly for days.

Compared to the extravagant fairy tale unfolding at the hotel, Bryce looked less like a groom-to-be and more like a man returning from war with only caffeine and bad decisions keeping him alive.