When I woke up again, the sun was already shining brightly outside. The sound of bustling activity reached my ears as servants carried long tables into the garden.I realized that today was Saturday. The banquet was just a day away. Although my family had hosted many parties before, I was feeling oddly nervous this time. After all, Antoninus' father might also attend. Would he like me...It's probably unlikely.I stood by the window, sighing softly. At some point, Antoninus had appeared behind me."What are you thinking?" he asked."Nothing much."Antoninus gave me a knowing look, but he didn't press further. He simply handed me a stack of papers and said indifferently, "I had Eric print out the information on that person and your interview draft. You can go through it when you have time.""Thank you."I hurriedly took the papers, thick with the scent of fresh ink."Antoninus!" I quickly corrected myself, "I mean, Mr. Pr

I ran into the garden before finally stopping, placing my hand on my chest as my heart raced with shyness and nervousness. As I tried to calm myself down from Antoninus's words that had accelerated my heartbeat, a familiar voice sounded from behind."Lily!"Surprised, I turned around to see Ben. He looked visibly more exhausted compared to the last time we met. His cheeks were gaunt, and his eyes had a faint shade of bruised circles. Even his eye bags appeared swollen. Despite his weariness, a smile appeared on his face when he saw me, slightly rejuvenating his appearance.I smiled back at him, curious as I asked, "You're here for the banquet too?"Ben let out a wry smile, replying, "Of course, I had to buy a ticket to get in.""Buy a ticket?"There were tickets for this banquet?How did I not know about this?Seeing my confusion, Ben explained, "Since I didn't receive an invitation, I had to find another way to get in."

The banquet was even later than we had imagined. Marcus actually waited until after 6 pm to make his entrance. He had Antoninus waiting for him for over two hours!I didn't understand the details of their power play, but I was genuinely happy. There were appetizers before dinner if we got hungry, wine and drinks for thirst, soothing music in the background, and the witty and handsome Roman by my side to keep me company. The atmosphere at the banquet was truly enjoyable.However, as I chatted with Roman, something unexpected happened. Lucius also made his grand entrance, dressed to the nines, to join the festivities. He stood with Antoninus and other highly respected individuals, yet his gaze crossed the crowd and landed on me.He grinned at me, a smile laced with malicious provocation.I found his stare irritating and looked away, not wanting to engage.But my gaze unexpectedly shifted to the person standing between Lucius and Antoninus.I'd

Was he jealous? I had no clue how to react, so I turned to Antoninus for assistance. Antoninus seemed taken aback by his father's actions too and quickly interjected, "Father!" Tiberius snapped back to reality. He immediately stepped back, and the affection in his gaze vanished, replaced by caution and hostility. "Who are you?" "Lily, Lily Miller." "Lily." Tiberius's emotions shifted once again, but this time, I couldn't decipher what he was thinking. He nodded politely and coldly gestured for me to step aside. "Excuse me, please move." "Oh." I quickly backed away. Tiberius glanced at Antoninus, then briskly walked away, clearly agitated. I was left utterly perplexed, not sure what had just transpired. Antoninus walked over to me, explaining, "Don't be too surprised. The outfit you're wearing today was my mother's favorite." "You mean this pirate costume I'm wearing is something your mother liked?" I asked, eyebrows raised. Antoninus nodded. Having received an explanation fo

"I'm sorry..."I didn't understand why Antoninus was in my room. But I was caught off guard and hastily pulled my leg back, choking on my words."It's fine," Antoninus said calmly.His alcohol haze seemed to have cleared, and he reverted to that indifferent expression he always wore, seemingly unaffected by everything.As my senses returned, a hint of irritation grew within me. Why was it fine? Who gave him the right to sneak into my room while I was taking a shower?Under the cover of darkness, I shot him a fierce glare. He, however, nonchalantly rolled over and lay next to me again.I was frustrated. I shook him awake with force, unable to stop myself from reminding him, "Antoninus, Mirabelle has already gone home...""So?" he replied."So, there's no need for you to sleep in the same room as me."Furthermore, his father, Tiberius, had made it clear that he was not allowed to sleep with me anymore.I wasn't too