Chapter 5

The ones who recognized Benedict were Chelsea's mother, Felicia West, and sister, Wendy Yarwood.

The two were out shopping for clothes and came to Riverside Piazza for a meal using Chelsea's card. They didn't expect to bump into Benedict here. They were still clueless about Chelsea and Benedict's divorce.

Fire burned in Felicia's chest when she saw Benedict together with a beautiful lady with an excellent figure. She stood up, ready to teach him a lesson.

"Mom, wait!" Wendy held Felicia back and said in hushed tones, "You need evidence to catch them in the act. What if he denies it when you accuse him of having an affair?"

"So what should we do? He looks so honest and down-to-earth, I didn't expect him to be so shameless. He's blessed to be your sister's husband, but he doesn't treasure her and fools around behind her back. I can't believe this!" Felicia snapped.

Wendy said, "Don't panic. We'll watch him closely and take photos of him being intimate with this woman. Then, we'll call Chelsea and tell her to divorce him!"

Felicia calmed down and nodded at Wendy's suggestion. "You're right. We'll do as you say. I've been unhappy with him for a long time. He's not worthy of your sister! Let's get evidence of his affair and force him to divorce her so we can chase him away. We won't let him get away with even a cent of our money!"

The mother-daughter pair quickly arrived at a consensus. They sneakily pulled out their phones and focused all their attention on Benedict, taking photos nonstop.

The waiters and waitresses in Riverside Piazza were dressed to the nines, looking dashing and beautiful, even more so than air stewards and stewardesses.

A beautiful waitress led Benedict and Victoria to a tranquil and elegantly furnished dining spot.

"Ms. Marshall, this is the seat you reserved."

Plants decorated the hall, serving as dividers between each table, which were a distance away from each other to ensure privacy and sufficient space.

After settling down, Victoria sought Benedict's opinion before deciding on two set meals priced at 28,888 dollars.

The restaurant only offered set meals and did not have an à la carte menu. Each guest had a minimum order of one set meal. Even the cheapest set cost 2,688 dollars.

The set meal Victoria ordered, priced at 28,888 dollars, was the supreme set meal. Yet, it wasn't the most expensive option available.

The most expensive set meal available here was a six-figure royal supreme set meal. However, only royal card members had the privilege of ordering it. It wasn't available to other members, even if they tried to pay for it.

The royal card membership wasn't something one could attain just by having money. The boss of Riverside Piazza had to step in and approve the membership issuance. Apparently, there were only three such members since the establishment of the restaurant.

Even Victoria didn't have the qualifications to order a royal supreme set meal.

"I heard that the royal supreme set meal comes with an exclusive dance performance. Guests who order this set meal will enjoy it at a special venue, which is the pavilion right in the middle of the lake in this restaurant."

As they waited for their dishes to arrive, Victoria told Benedict more details about Riverside Piazza. She pointed at a huge man-made lake in the middle of the vast hall. A stunning pavilion stood right in the middle of the lake.

Benedict stared at the pavilion, recalling what Chelsea had once told him about the royal supreme set meal and dining in the pavilion.

Last year, when she invited a partner to a meal at Riverside Piazza, she chanced upon someone having a meal in the pavilion and even caught glimpses of the dance performance. It shook her completely.

Benedict remembered her returning that night and telling him all about it. She remarked that when the boss of Riverside Piazza gave her a royal card and invited her to the pavilion for a meal, then she would be truly successful.

He sipped on the tea and asked casually, "The boss of Riverside Piazza is probably someone out of the ordinary."

"Indeed," Victoria went on, nodding. "Have you heard of the Monarch of Southshore?"

Benedict looked at her and shook his head. "No."

Victoria leaned forward against the table, accentuating her curves.

She said in hushed tones, "The boss of Riverside Piazza is the Monarch of Southshore. Not many know about it, and even I have only recently heard about it from my father. Most people think Riverside Piazza was opened by a foreign businessman, but he was just a facade the Monarch of Southshore put forward."

"Oh," Benedict said rather indifferently with a nod.

In truth, his attention was drawn toward Victoria's stunning figure. What else did she expect? She had a voluptuous figure, one that made Chelsea look plain in comparison.

Victoria felt Benedict's gaze on her. She flushed bright red and hurriedly straightened up.

Coincidentally, Wendy managed to capture the perfect angle from where she sat.

"That succubus is leaning so close and whispering into his ear. She's clearly trying to seduce him, but she's pretending to be coy and all. What a bitch!" Wendy said huffily, snapping away with her phone.

Just like Chelsea, Wendy was a stunning beauty. Given her youth and the fact that she was still a university student in her twenties, there was a tinge of innocence in her eyes that set her apart from women like Victoria and Chelsea, who were already exposed to the harsh realities of life.

Felicia said furiously, "Take as many photos as you can, and do it well. We must collect enough evidence today so your sister can divorce him!"

Just then, a beautiful waitress approached Benedict's table with exquisite dinnerware. She began serving the dishes from the set meal.

"This is Symphony of the Seas.

"This is Celebration of Divine Roast.

"This is The Ocean's Embrace.

"Please enjoy the meal."

Three dishes were served consecutively, with their elegantly crafted names and exquisite plating. The portions, however, were not huge. Each dish could be finished in one to two bites.

The point was the exquisite and refined taste profiles of each dish. The set meal consisted of dozens of dishes, so one to two bites each was certainly sufficient to fill one up.

Benedict looked at the plates before him. Symphony of the Seas was basically lobster bisque, while Celebration of Divine Roast was beef wellington. The Ocean's Embrace was wild seabass.

Aside from these three dishes, they were also served a rare, expensive bottle of liquor that came with the set meal.

After the waitress poured them a glass of liquor each, Victoria picked up hers and said with a bright smile, "Mr. Drake, a toast to you. Thank you for saving my father's life."

"Don't mention it."

Benedict smiled back at her and picked up his glass. They clinked glasses and drank everything in one go.

Once they put down their glasses, Victoria urged, "Let's try the food and see how they taste."

Benedict scooped a spoonful of food and suddenly frowned. He turned to ask the waitress standing next to them, "Did something odd happen in your kitchen the past two days?"

Victoria was stunned and confused by Benedict's sudden question—it came out of the blue. She stopped just before she could send a spoonful of food into her mouth.

The waitress was equally confused; she started stuttering, unsure of what to say.

Just then, an entourage walked past their table. An elderly man leading the pack overheard Benedict's question, and his brows furrowed. The look in his eyes changed as he stopped in his tracks.

A middle-aged man dressed in a smart suit stood next to the elderly man. He whispered, "Monarch…"

The elderly man raised a hand to stop him from going further. He then approached Benedict and asked, "Young man, how did you know that something odd happened in our kitchen?"