THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 386: Who’s The New Catch?
Claire smiled knowingly, but she didn’t push further. "Fair enough. But I will say, you’re definitely giving us something to talk about with this entrance."
"I’m flattered," Lauren laughed and made to move on.
"Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, and Lauren, you look absolutely breathtaking tonight. I have no doubt everyone inside is going to be just as captivated as we are and once again, congratulations on your win, Lauren."
With that, Claire moved on to her next interview, and Lauren felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Steffan leaned in close, his voice low and warm. "You handled that perfectly. But now I’m curious, how did you really feel when you saw the dress?"
Lauren glanced up at him, her eyes still sparkling from the attention. "Honestly? I was stunned. I couldn’t believe how much thought went into it. It’s like you knew exactly what I needed even before I did."
Steffan’s expression softened, a mix of admiration and affection in his eyes. "You deserve nothing less."
"Your turn? How long have you been preparing the dress? Did you know there was going to be a party tonight?" Lauren asked.
"About the party, no, I had no idea about it, but figured a party after such a hectic competition wasn’t out of place, so I made the arrangements last night after we spoke and only had to pull a few strings today to make that happen fast."
"Hmmm. And my measurements...how did you know my size?" In the past, Steffan’s had also surprised her on her birthday with two sets of dresses as he knew her size. Did he suddenly remember it after she told him about their past?
"Let’s say, I got a little help on that too," Steffan said mysteriously.
"Hey, I’m sorry, but I promisec, I’ll try to remember some things with time," Steffan quickly said, seeing the slight change in Lauren’s expression.
The moment was brief, but still caught Steffan’s keen eyes.
"It’s fine. You’re not under any pressure," Lauren said, snapping back to her bright mood. "As long as you remember who I am to you and not spend most of your time with a certain colleague, I don’t mind," she teased.
"Now I’m sure you’ve been jealous all along," Steffan laughed.
"I was never jealous, I knew you were mine all along," Lauren boasted with a smug expression and with that, they finally stepped into the elegant interior of The Masters Place.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shifted.
The grand hall was lit with crystal chandeliers, their light reflecting off marble floors and polished wooden accents.
Soft music played in the background, blending harmoniously with the low murmur of conversations.
As they moved further into the hall, they were greeted by familiar faces.
The judges and organizers and colleagues from the other teams were all there and socializing freely.
Her teammates and the remaining workers from Empress brew were already in the hall and approached them as soon as they saw them.
Their table had been positioned in the front and as Lauren made her way to her seat, she exchanged greetings with the other contestants who were on good terms with Empress Brews.
As they took their seats at the dinner table, Lauren caught them staring at her strangely.
"Hello everyone, I believe you have met Dr Steffan," she poked as she glared at them.
What was with the look? Although she hadn’t told them the latest developments, shouldn’t they be happy seeing her finally together with Steffan after so many months?
"Good evening doc," Horatio’s the others and they all greeted Steffan with a warm smile.
An hour into the celebration, there was a commotion at the door and everyone turned towards the entrance.
Lauren’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw George looking as handsome as ever in a wine coloured blazer suit standing with an equally beautiful auburn haired woman hanging limply on his arms.
George’s eyes quickly swept over the room until it rested on Lauren who was too far away for him to see the expression she had in her eyes.
He saw her shake her head helplessly and his mouth shifted in a slight chuckle.
Seeing Steffan sitting so close to her like a child afraid of losing his mother in the crowd, his expression darkened.
’It turned out she chose him as her plus one. No wonder she didn’t reach out to him all evening. So much for relying in him.’ he smirked as he strolled leisurely in their direction.
As he approached, Lauren couldn’t help but glance at Steffan and was stunned to see the triumphant look instead of the signature sour expression he usually had when facing George.
Was he no longer jealous of George? In a way she was relieved but couldn’t help wondering what was going on in his mind.
Her workers also looked stunned as they stared at George. She could literally guess what was going on in their minds. Good for them. Who asked them to look down on her Steffan just because another handsome man appeared on the scene?
She had never bothered to clarify her relationship with George to them so they all assumed George was pursuing her.
Seeing him appear in the company of another lady when it was literally her show today, must have dealt them a harsh blow. But that was their problem to deal with, however she was sure they would not let her rest from their questions later on.
Her head turned back to George. ’Who was this new catch that he brought tonight? She hoped he’ll not involve her in their mess later on.’ She was tired of dealing with his endless mess.
Anyway, she’ll be too busy with Steffan to take care of his sorry ass when the time comes
All eyes in the room followed George until he arrived by Lauren’s table.
It wasn’t just because he was handsome and the new president of Barista Royale but some of them had also witnessed Peggy insinuating during the interview with the reporters that they were a pair.
But here he was with a totally different lady. Could he have broken up with Peggy after what she did?
They didn’t blame him, after all, who would want to have anything to do with such a rotten character like Peggy. But wasn’t it too early to get someone just after their breakup?
Unbothered about the curious glance he was getting, George finally arrived at the table Lauren shared with her staff and their dates.
"Hi, Ren," George greeted smoothly, his voice carrying that infuriating mix of familiarity and playfulness with his enigmatic smile that confused not only the staff from Empress Brew but also Steffan.
The auburn-haired woman on his arm clung to him with a subtle possessiveness that didn’t go unnoticed by Lauren.
Lauren’s eyes narrowed slightly at the nickname, something George had insisted on using despite her protests in the past.
Her gaze shifted between him and the woman hanging off his arm, taking in the situation with cool detachment. "George," she replied with a nod, deliberately ignoring the hint of challenge in his smile.
