Joanne White looked up and saw Zara Walsh, subconsciously trembling slightly.

Zara Walsh met her gaze unflinchingly, her eyes filled with disgust and ridicule.

Joanne White silently averted her eyes. She placed her right hand on her lower abdomen, forcing herself to stay calm as she subtly leaned closer to Zane Simmons.

Beside Zara, Kylie Walsh, dressed in a dark green cheongsam, gracefully took a seat as well.

As the elder, Kylie Walsh immediately greeted Zane Simmons upon sitting down. "Mr. Simmons, I hear you’re in charge of the new energy project Simmons Group is working on with the government. You’re so young and accomplished, just like your father was in his prime."

Zane Simmons offered a polite smile and replied modestly, "You’re too kind, Miss Walsh. I’m just helping my father out."

Kylie Walsh smiled, pursing her lips. Then, her tone shifted as she said with feigned concern, "You young people... it’s one thing to be busy with work, but you can’t neglect family matters. You’re not getting any younger. It’s time you had someone at home to look after you. That would put your mother’s mind at ease."

Instantly, everyone at the table looked at Zane Simmons, especially Zara Walsh. The corners of her lips curved into a suggestive smile as she blinked at him.

The smile on Zane Simmons’s face faded slightly. He extended a long arm, resting it on Joanne White’s slender shoulder. "What are you talking about, Miss Walsh? Oh, right, I forgot to introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Joanne White."

Then he gestured to Lucy White, who was sitting on the other side. "And this is her sister."

Zara Walsh understood the implication in Zane’s words. The smile on her face froze instantly, and she silently tightened her grip on her glass.

’These two sisters are so shameless! They’re actually willing to share a man!’

Kylie Walsh’s expression, however, remained unchanged. Without so much as a glance at Joanne White, she spoke to Zane Simmons in the tone of an experienced elder. "I know it’s normal to want to have fun at your age. But once you’ve had enough, it’s time to settle down. You should still find a girl from a family of equal standing to marry."

Zane Simmons just smiled. Out of respect for Kylie Walsh’s status as a Walsh family elder, he didn’t argue back.

Kylie Walsh then turned her gaze to Sophie Thorne beside her and said warmly, "Sophie, you’re here too! I haven’t seen you in ages, you’re getting more beautiful every day! You should bring Ronan Rhodes over to visit sometime. I’ve recently learned a few new dishes, I’ll cook for you."

Faced with Kylie Walsh’s warm overture, Sophie Thorne offered a polite smile. She said nothing more, simply nodding. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Walsh."

She knew Kylie Walsh had been pursuing Ronan Rhodes’s uncle for years, but her affection was unrequited. As part of the younger generation, Sophie didn’t want to get involved.

Kylie Walsh’s gaze then shifted to Melody and Nina Summers beside Sophie, and she asked curiously, "Sophie, are these two your friends?"

Before Sophie could open her mouth, Zara cut in, pointing at Melody. "Auntie, this is the Miss Summers I mentioned before. She’s Yuri’s and my neighbor."

Kylie Walsh paused. Zara had told her before that Yuri had taken a liking to a girl from an ordinary family named Summers living next door...

At this thought, her gaze toward Melody Summers grew more appraising.

’She’s pretty, presentable enough to be seen in public,’ she thought. ’But she comes from an ordinary, low-status family... Yuri is the most outstanding of the younger Walsh generation. Barring any surprises, he’s the next head of the family. A girl with Melody Summers’s background is absolutely not good enough for him.’

Melody felt uncomfortable under Kylie Walsh’s scrutinizing gaze. She frowned slightly, wondering what game these people were playing. She lowered her eyes and kept her expression neutral, saying nothing. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Nina Summers kept her head down and remained silent. If Melody didn’t speak, neither would she.

Watching Melody and Nina with their heads lowered in silence, Zara sneered and said pointedly, "It seems just about anyone can show up at a high-society banquet these days. If you ask me, you shouldn’t try to force your way into a circle you don’t belong in... What do you say, Miss Summers?"

Her words were laced with insinuation, making even the sisters, Joanne and Lucy White, look uncomfortable.

Melody raised an eyebrow at the comment, but before she could speak, Sophie Thorne was already unhappy.

Sophie’s expression soured. "Miss Walsh, are you mistaken about something? Melody is a good friend of mine. She came to this banquet as my guest."

Zane Simmons also chimed in with a smirk. "What’s all this about belonging? Miss Summers is my friend, too. We’re just a group of friends having dinner and a chat. I’m afraid we don’t understand what you’re getting at, Miss Walsh."

Zara hadn’t expected Zane to defend Melody. She froze for a second, then turned to glare viciously at Melody. ’I knew it!’ she thought. ’These girls from ordinary families are all shameless vixens, using their pretty faces to seduce rich men everywhere!’

Melody met Zara’s furious gaze head-on. In a cold, irritated tone, she said, "Who wants to be in your circle? You can keep your little club to yourself. I was sitting here first. Weren’t you the one who decided to join us?"

Melody’s temper was flaring up. She had chosen this corner seat specifically for some peace and quiet, but she still couldn’t escape people looking for trouble.

Zara’s eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you speak to me like that!"

Just as Zara was about to tear into Melody, she saw her own brother, Yuri Walsh, approaching.

Yuri had just finished greeting some guests and was scanning the room for Melody. He finally spotted her in the corner and quickly made his way over.

But when Yuri reached the table, he was surprised to see his aunt, Kylie Walsh, and his sister, Zara. He paused for a moment but then sat down in the only empty seat.

Ignoring Zara’s smirk, Yuri greeted everyone at the table. Finally, his gaze settled on Melody, and he said softly, his eyes gentle, "Melody, thank you for coming... You look beautiful tonight."

Melody was feeling some collateral animosity. Having just argued with Zara, she wasn’t in the mood to say much to Yuri and simply gave him a perfunctory nod.

Yuri didn’t seem to mind Melody’s coldness. From across Nina, he repeatedly tried to start small talk with her.

Sophie Thorne glanced thoughtfully between Yuri and Melody. She remembered Yuri’s call to Melody a few days ago when the incident happened at The Metropolis Residences...

In an instant, it was like a light bulb went off in Sophie’s head, and everything clicked into place. She lowered her head, hiding the smile that touched her lips.

Zara, sitting directly across from Yuri, watched him fawning over Melody, so angry she could have ground her teeth to dust. Just as she was about to say something, the banquet hall lights suddenly dimmed.

All eyes turned to the brightly lit stage—the banquet was starting.

A host in formal wear walked onto the stage. The large screen behind him began playing a documentary introducing the achievements of the miracle drug developed by Paige Walsh’s research institute.

First, it showed the early stages of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic ash, so thick it blotted out the sun, drifted everywhere. Many people who inhaled it developed severe respiratory and pulmonary infections, leaving them on the verge of death.

Hospitals were overflowing with patients. As time went on, the death toll climbed relentlessly. The government implemented emergency measures to try to control the spread, but in the face of such a massive outbreak, their efforts seemed futile.

Then came the miracle drug, which saved the patients tormented by the illness.

As patients were cured one by one, the death toll curve, which had been rising exponentially, was dramatically forced down, eventually approaching zero.

As Melody watched the documentary on the big screen, her fingers trembled slightly with excitement. A profound sense of accomplishment washed over her.

’In my past life,’ she thought, ’I remember that death toll curve climbing for a full six months. Before the long winter ended, the total number of deaths was dozens of times higher than in this life!’

’Even those who were lucky enough to survive were tormented by lingering side effects. I myself would have fits of coughing, sometimes severe enough to bring up flecks of blood.’

’In this life, thanks to the miracle drug, the number of people left with chronic side effects was drastically lower.’

Seeing the drug she helped develop assist so many people made Melody incredibly happy. The foul mood Zara had put her in was instantly swept away.

In the dim light, Yuri discreetly watched Melody. She was completely engrossed in the screen on stage, her beautiful eyes sparkling as if they could never be clouded by shadow...