As the evening wore on, Lerisa found herself in the comfort of her room, when suddenly her phone rang. It was Anthony on the other end of the line. By 5 pm, she was ready, having taken the time to dress up and add a touch of makeup to her face. She felt a surge of anxiety as Anthony's name appeared on the caller ID, unsure of whether to answer his call or not. She was consumed with worry, unable to bring herself to tell him about Clara's betrayal. Inhaling deeply, Lerisa managed to pick up the call just before it could disconnect, and Anthony's rich, masculine voice welcomed her. "Hey there, Lerisa..." "Good evening, Anthony. I'm on my way now," Lerisa swiftly responded. Anthony inquired, "Are you certain? Or are you not interested in coming to my birthday party tonight?" Anthony enjoyed having Lerisa's presence around, as he saw her as a dear younger sister. Lerisa quickly responded, "Of course I'll be there for your birthday! I'll be there soon, please... Just a minute," she plead
After one last glance at his reflection in the mirror, Anthony left his bedroom upstairs. He traced the path of the upper level and descended to the event hall in the second wing of their grand estate. "Welcome the celebrant! Just as we have eagerly anticipated this joyous occasion, we are thrilled to join him in celebrating his new age. Anthony Gregson!" The female host exclaimed with excitement as she witnessed Anthony's grand entrance onto the front stage in the event hall. "Thank you all, Thank you," Anthony expressed with gratitude as the round of applause grew louder for him. As he stepped onto the stage, he gracefully took the microphone from the host, who was dressed in an elegant white gown. Despite being married, she was the host of the show. She greeted Anthony with a warm smile, reciprocated by him and the other guests who had gathered in the event hall alongside him and his family. They all enthusiastically applauded him as well. Lerisa stood at a corner in the event ha
Ben strolled out to the stage alongside Lerisa. Since Anthony and the rest of the event shows hadn't begun. As Lerisa stepped onto the stage with Ben, the music of a beautiful love song filled the air. All eyes in the event hall seemed to fixate on her, creating a moment of suspended attention. As she stepped onto the stage, her nerves were palpable. Ben stood by her side, offering support as she tightly gripped his hands. She hesitated to glance around the table where her parents sat, their expressions filled with surprise. She was aware of her mother's personal endorsement of Anthony as a potential spouse. As Ben held her waist tightly, Lerisa could feel her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Despite Ben's height advantage over her, he possessed a similar stature to Anthony, exuding masculinity. Lerisa couldn't help but constantly compare Ben to Anthony. Perhaps it was because she had always dreamed of catching the eye of someone as charming as Anthony, given that they still re
Lerisa hurriedly descended from the stage, not bothering to wait for Ben to join her. As the hallway grew dim, illuminated only by a single, faint bulb, she accidentally bumped into a mysterious man whose face remained hidden. She offered him a sincere apology, her gaze fixed downward as she softly uttered the words, "I'm sorry." As she hurriedly tried to escape the event hall, hoping to avoid witnessing Anthony's proposal to Clara on stage, a strong man firmly took hold of her left wrist and swiftly turned her to face him. Lerisa let out a startled gasp, "Ah!" She bumped into the man's chest and gazed up at his face, as Anthony and Clara carried on dancing together on the stage. "Hi, Pretty," Remy greeted. The sight of him sent a jolt through Lerisa's veins as she recognized him as the same man who had been locked in a passionate embrace with Clara earlier that day, right there on the side of the road. "Hi," Lerisa was astonished, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Ben swiftly m
Remy was taken aback when he caught sight of the lady's face. He had glimpsed her earlier, dancing with Anthony, but hadn't gotten a clear look at her face at the time.After he exclaimed, "What the heck!" he attracted a lot of attention to himself, as Anthony was still yet to propose to Clara. Clara was completely caught off guard when Remy showed up unexpectedly. Her heart raced as she watched Anthony drop down to one knee, a nervous anticipation filling the air. It was clear that Anthony had something important to ask her, and the thought of him proposing in front of everyone made her feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. The disapproving expressions on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Gregson mirrored the disapproval shown by Lerisa's parents, who were also seated in the VIP section. Their collective frowns deepened as they witnessed Anthony's intention to propose to another woman. Everyone had high hopes for Anthony and Lerisa's relationship, wishing for their love to solidify the bon
Ben's expression soured as he witnessed Remy's interference in Anthony's proposal to Clara. His hand tightened into a fist, a clear indication of his disappointment and desire for confirmation. Ben gazed into the distance, locking eyes with Emma who stood nearby, her gaze mirroring his own. She seemed wounded, having witnessed him dancing with another woman. However, Ben averted his gaze from Emma, reiterating his lack of romantic feelings for her and emphasizing that their relationship should remain strictly physical. 'Why couldn't Emma grasp the fact that his heart belonged elsewhere?' Ben left the event hall with a frown on his face. Many of the staff who were invited by Anthony witnessed the dramatic events that unfolded earlier. They were left wondering if the birthday celebration was still in progress or if it had come to an end. And shouldn't they also begin returning to their respective homes? Anthony exited the event hall and returned to the cozy living room of his family m
Martha approached Anthony on the front stage, carrying a beautifully wrapped gift that Lerisa had purchased. After presenting their gifts to Anthony, the rest of the guests departed from the event hall, each receiving a small token of appreciation from Sandra. Martha cautiously approached Anthony, who fixed his gaze on her and promptly inquired, "Where is Lerisa? I haven't seen her since?""Umm, Lerisa has left for home," Martha nervously responded. Anthony's face twisted into a frown as he recalled the image of Lerisa, her joyous dance with Ben on stage, and the moment he and Clara reentered the hall. He pondered whether they had departed the hall in each other's company, as Ben was nowhere to be found either. There was something different about Lerisa's behavior towards him recently, and he couldn't help but wonder why. "I'm unsure if Lerisa has gone home since she's not here at the moment, but I'll give her a call later to check before we leave with our parents. But here's the g
As night falls, Lerisa pulled up to her father's house in her trusty red car. With a sense of anticipation, she made her way inside and headed straight for her bedroom. It was a moment etched in her memory - the sight of Anthony and Clara, hand in hand, making their way to the stage in the event hall. Lerisa brushed away her tears, aware that Anthony's love was forever lost to her. She was taken aback when Ben questioned her about the sudden shift in her expression upon witnessing Clara and Anthony's arrival as a couple for the evening. Lerisa murmured quietly, surprised by how her emotions had betrayed her true feelings. "Imagine if Ben were to go ahead and spill the beans to Anthony about my feelings for him, expressing my envy of seeing Anthony and Clara together."Well, Lerisa let out a deep sigh. She was aware of Ben's inclination to disclose her true feelings to Anthony before she had the chance to. However, she claimed that Anthony would not trust Ben. "I'm not ready to conf