"Miss Spencer, you’re awake. We’re outside."

"I’ll be right there!"

Irene Spencer, annoyed, hung up the phone. She grabbed a bottle of purified water and took a few sips to moisten her dry throat. Feeling exhausted, she sank onto the sofa and ran a hand through her hair.

She had only had two or three glasses of wine when dining with Nathan Leafcastle earlier, but she had slept so deeply that she couldn’t even remember how she had returned to the hotel.

While Irene Spencer was trying to recall the earlier details, there was a knock at her door. She went to open it.

Outside was Nathan Leafcastle’s assistant.

Stepping into the room, the assistant looked her up and down. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine." Irene Spencer casually closed the door. "I just can’t quite remember..."

"You were a bit drunk at the time, so Mr. Leafcastle had you sent back to the hotel to rest. Seeing that your two assistants were idle, I let them go out and have some fun. If you’re feeling okay, Mr. Leafcastle has arranged an event for you tonight."

"Sure, no problem," Irene Spencer responded with a smile.

She didn’t think too much of the assistant’s explanation.

"Then, please get ready. When you’re done, give me a call, and I’ll take you there."

The assistant smiled at her, then excused himself and left.

Irene Spencer pulled out her phone and called her assistants again. They said they were already on their way. She hung up and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

By the time she finished showering, her two assistants had returned, their arms full of shopping bags.

Irene Spencer scolded her two assistants irritably before immediately ordering them to help her prepare for the evening’s event.

The two assistants, who had used the shopping card given to them by Nathan Leafcastle’s assistant to go on a shopping spree, were in high spirits. They didn’t mind the scolding and immediately got busy helping her prepare.

Irene Spencer stood before the mirror, examining her outfit. Satisfied, she pursed her lips into a smile and then ordered her assistants to call Nathan Leafcastle’s assistant.

When the car arrived, she immediately went downstairs with her two assistants.

The moment she reached the staircase landing, journalists swarmed forward.

"Miss Spencer, may I ask what you’re doing here in Vanora?"

"Did you know that Mr. Cooper is also staying at this hotel?"

...

Irene Spencer was secretly surprised. They actually know I’m here, and that Kris is here too? Interesting. A faint smile touched her lips. "I’m here for work. Please don’t misunderstand; the fact that we’re staying in the same hotel is merely a coincidence."

She knew perfectly well that journalists loved to take things out of context. So, she deliberately phrased her words ambiguously. It sounded like an explanation, but she was actually intentionally muddying the waters.

"May I ask how long you’ll be staying here, Miss Spencer?"

"Well..." Irene Spencer deliberately hedged, "that depends. I have a date tonight, so I must be going."

Pushing past the journalists, she quickly got into the car. The vehicle started and pulled away from the hotel entrance.

Inside the hotel lobby, Nathan Leafcastle gently stirred his coffee with a silver spoon, watching the car speed away. A cold smirk touched his lips.

「...」

「The next morning.」

Kris Cooper had just gotten out of bed when there was an urgent knock on his door. He went to open it, and Tommy Taylor rushed in.

"Mr. Cooper, you need to call Miss Vera right away!"

"What happened?" Kris Cooper, who had been stretching and was about to yawn, instantly sobered at these words. "What’s wrong with Vera?"

Tommy Taylor frowned. "Miss Vera is fine. It’s you who’s in trouble!"

"You scared me!" Kris Cooper shot him an exasperated look. "What is it?"