Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Can’t Go Back to Those Times

Jade Golding suppressed her emotions and glanced over at Wendy Rhodes, who was walking out of the restroom.

Seeing Wendy start to walk toward her, Jade shot her a cold, warning glare.

Wendy Rhodes stopped in her tracks. Not daring to go any closer to Jade Golding, she turned and blended into the crowd.

Ruby Croft led Caleb Keller to a quieter spot in the banquet hall.

She gestured for Caleb Keller to take a seat.

"Mr. Keller, please."

A smile played on Caleb Keller’s lips as he gazed at Ruby Croft with his naturally amorous eyes and sat down.

Once Caleb was seated, Ruby naturally took the seat opposite him.

Watching Caleb Keller’s demeanor, a phrase popped into Cecilia Croft’s mind.

’He has the kind of eyes that look soulful even when he’s looking at a dog.’

Caleb Keller’s eyes were probably that exact type.

Ruby Croft, however, showed no signs of discomfort under Caleb’s gaze.

After sitting down, she began to converse with him.

Caleb Keller was a man without any airs, which made it exceptionally easy for Ruby to talk to him.

Their conversation mostly revolved around the world of finance, connections, and development.

Cecilia had assumed that Caleb Keller, who was a constant fixture in the entertainment headlines, was nothing more than an incorrigible playboy.

But hearing him respond to Ruby’s topics with such ease, looking confident and speaking eloquently, she felt he was different from the person portrayed in the tabloids.

Cecilia understood her sister’s intention.

She was probably trying to build a connection with Caleb Keller to steer the Croft Group in a new direction.

Not wanting to get in her sister’s way, Cecilia discreetly got up and went to find Jasmine Vance.

Ash Quillan and Minnie Rhodes only arrived at the winery after seeing off all the guests.

The moment they entered, their eyes fell on Ruby Croft and Caleb Keller, who were sitting alone together in a spot by the window.

Everyone else was sitting on the long sofas, chatting and drinking.

It was unclear what Caleb had said, but a rare smile graced Ruby’s face.

Under the dim, warm light of the hall, she looked exceptionally gentle.

The hand hanging by Ash Quillan’s side clenched into a tight fist.

Minnie Rhodes sensed Ash’s emotional shift. She couldn’t help but squeeze the arm she was holding as she spoke.

"Ash, everyone is watching."

Ash’s eyes darkened for a moment, but by the time he pulled his gaze away from Ruby, he had already regained his composure. He strode toward Sebastian Hawthorne and the others.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting."

A chorus of congratulations erupted around them.

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

"Mr. Quillan and Miss Rhodes are truly a match made in heaven."

Jasmine Vance linked her arm with Cecilia Croft’s, leaning in close to gossip with her.

Cecilia listened quietly, showing occasional expressions of surprise.

After all, she had been away from Karthus for so long that she had completely lost track of the social circles.

She couldn’t help but feel a sense of wistful surprise hearing that people and families she once knew were hiding such big secrets.

Minnie Rhodes, however, noticed Cecilia and Jasmine at a glance.

Cecilia noticed someone looking their way, and when she looked up, her gaze met Minnie’s.

Jasmine Vance looked up as well and naturally fell silent.

Minnie instinctively assumed Cecilia and Jasmine were talking about her. She clenched her jaw, and her smile turned a little stiff.

"Jasmine, Cecilia, what are you two talking about?"

The subject of the gossip Jasmine had just been sharing was sitting right across from them. Being questioned by Minnie now, she couldn’t help but give an awkward smile.

"Nothing much, Minnie."

"Congratulations on your engagement! You and Ash are such a perfect couple, a true power couple."

Minnie secretly took a breath, feeling that Jasmine’s congratulations were particularly insincere.

Finn Vance and Sebastian Hawthorne were among the few who knew that Ash Quillan and Ruby Croft had dated.

Finn doted on his sister; who knew what he might have told Jasmine.

Jasmine was probably just telling Cecilia about Ash and Ruby’s past.

The thought of this made her feel a wave of irritation.

And with Ash’s gaze drifting toward Ruby from time to time, the feeling in her heart soured even more.

After they sat down, someone suggested playing a game.

Minnie maintained the smile on her face and nodded in agreement.

But Ash said in a low voice,

"If we’re going to play a game, everyone should join in. It’ll be more lively that way."

Minnie’s hand, resting on her lap, couldn’t help but clutch her skirt. "Ash is right."

As she spoke, she looked up toward Ruby and Caleb.

Everyone else followed her gaze.

They saw Ruby with a radiant smile, her eyes curved into crescents—a complete departure from her usual self.

Ruby had always been beautiful, but for years she had maintained the image of an ice queen. Her sharp, unapproachable gaze made many shrink away.

Caleb Keller’s looks were also top-notch.

Sitting together, the two of them looked indescribably harmonious.

Most importantly, no one had ever been able to make Ruby Croft that happy.

Everyone stared, stunned. The once-noisy room fell silent.

The sharp sound of a wine glass shattering on the floor quickly drew everyone’s attention back.

The wine glass in front of Ash had somehow fallen to the ground.

An unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes. Seeing everyone looking at him, he simply turned his head and called for a servant to clean it up.

A moment ago, everyone had been watching Ruby and Caleb, so no one had noticed Ash.

But Minnie Rhodes had seen it all clearly.

In the instant Ash had been lost in a daze, the wine glass had slipped from his fingers and fallen to the floor.

And yet, she had no right to ask him if he still had Ruby in his heart.

After all, she was the one who had forced his heart open, desperately squeezed her way in, and occupied a tiny corner.

And she had known from the start that most of the space in his heart belonged to Ruby.

Minnie took a deep breath to calm herself.

’So what if Ruby occupied most of the space?’

’The one marrying him is me.’

’In this war, I’m the one who won.’

’So what if he can’t let go of Ruby? With a personality as proud as hers, would she ever stoop to being his mistress?’

Having calmed down, Minnie looked up at Caleb and Ruby and said with a smile,

"Mr. Keller, Ruby, we’re about to play a game. We’re just waiting for you two. Come on and join us."

A bartender had already brought a large selection of drinks to the table.

Ruby had taken medicine earlier and didn’t want to participate in such a game.

The reason she had come to the winery was to build a connection with Caleb Keller.

She wanted to replicate the Keller family’s success for the Croft family.

Since their fields were different, she had many questions to ask him.

She just hadn’t expected that during their conversation, she would learn that she and Caleb were alumni and even had two mutual friends.

Yet, during those three years in Feridia, they had never once crossed paths.

Ruby had lost contact with those two friends from Feridia ever since she took over the Croft Group.

Caleb, however, had stayed in touch with them. Hearing some amusing stories about them from him just now, and recalling her time studying in Feridia, she could no longer suppress the smile on her lips.

Those three years had been the most carefree years of her life.

Her parents’ relationship was harmonious, and she wasn’t by her grandfather’s side, being raised under high pressure.

She would probably never be able to experience such a carefree time again in her life.