Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 220: Banquet (part 1)

Chapter 220: Banquet (part 1)

It was finally the day of the banquet of the Galverra. A lot of influential families who’d wanted to be apart of the Galverra Enterprise had looked forward to this day, and those who weren’t invited had gone to such great extremes of buying the invitation cards with millions just so they wouldn’t be left behind. Xavier Galverra had been a mystery just like Neil Wayner had been in the past and a lot of people would give anything to see the mysterious man behind the Galverra Enterprise.

Especially now that the company was rising back to the top, many businessmen wanted to collaborate with him and be his partner. Even the media people and paparazzi were invited to attend the banquet of the year. The hall where the banquet was held was the most expensive and homogeneous hall in the country.

A procession of expensive cars were seen arriving at the grand venue, their polished exteriors reflecting the evening lights. Businessmen, accompanied by their elegantly dressed wives, paused on the red carpet, posing for the flashing cameras. Young women, dressed to impress the infamous, mysterious Xavier Galverra exuded confidence as they walked inside the hall, many sent by their ambitious parents in hopes of catching Mr. Galverra’s eye. Age or appearance was secondary to them; his wealth and influence were what mattered most to them.

The banquet hall was a spectacle of elegance. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings casting a warm glow over the marble floors. Richly decorated tables were adorned with arrangements of rare flowers and gold-plated cutleries. Soft classical music played in the background, creating an atmosphere of sophistication and exclusivity.

Among the arriving guests, Elena Fanning moved through the crowd with practiced grace, though her role tonight was far from what she was accustomed to. Following her family’s abrupt bankruptcy a week ago, she was no longer among the elites but served as part of the waitstaff. When she’d heard of the banquet of the year, she had quickly applied to be one of the waitresses so she could have access to enter the hall without an invitation. She’d lost her job and her family were losing everything, she was a nobody now and very soon, she’d be as poor as a homeless beggar.

However, she was determined to maintain the facade of her former status now that she’d changed her clothes in the restroom and did a quick makeup. Who knows, this Mr. Galverra might notice her and fall in love with her at first sight. She might have lost her wealth and influence, but she hadn’t lost her beauty. If luck were to shine on her tonight, she could be another Cinderella who’d found her prince charming at the ball. Cinderella was also a poor maiden, but the prince had still noticed her among all the other women, thus, she still had hopes of not living in poverty!

With all those thoughts, Elena knew she had hope of being the lucky woman tonight. She mingled discreetly in the crowd, greeting a few familiar faces with a confident smile, all the while ensuring she wasn’t caught by her new employer or else her dreams of saving her ass from rotting in poverty would be over before it started.

As Elena disappeared into the mingling guests. Nearby, Owen Sullivan walked into the hall like he was the king of the world. Many women close by gushed at his arrival. Even though his company was no longer the one at the top, he was still among the most wealthy, handsome young men in their country.

Owen, being aware of the attention on him, acted like he didn’t notice. While deep down he liked all the attention on him. He’d purposely dressed to kill so he could outshine whoever this mysterious CEO was. His arm hadn’t yet healed but he’d removed the bandage just so it wouldn’t make him appear less of a man or make him look like a nobody. He liked to show his wealth and superiority wherever he went and he sure as hell wanted to show it in this grand hall tonight.

His blue eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a glimpse of this so called Xavier Galverra. Even though he didn’t like that the man was taking all the attention meant for him in the business world, he knew that befriending him would be the key to reviving his own falling business and challenging Neil Wayner, whose fame still rankled him deeply.

Even though he didn’t know what that Neil Wayner was up to, one thing was for sure; his release had given him fame beyond imagining.

Speaking of the bastard, Owen realized with a mocking small smile, he wasn’t invited to the banquet. Which means he wasn’t wealthy enough to be one of the guests. The little pigshit wouldn’t dare show his face here. He wasn’t a businessman but some ex-soldier who’d been cast out of the military. This event was meant for men like him; wealthy and powerful. Neil Wayner doesn’t belong in such circle. Tsk, how he wished the pigshit had been invited, if he’d been invited Owen would have placed him right where he belonged; under his shoes!

Owen smirked at the thought of Neil Wayner being an outcast among the businessmen. When Owen would befriend this new bastard, Xavier, Neil would die of jealousy when he’d see it in the magazine tomorrow. He’d make sure he took several photos with Xavier just so Neil would know he couldn’t stand a chance against him. And that Mia... she’d regret choosing a loser over a man like him!

Owen adjusted his cufflinks, confident in his mission to befriend Xavier before anyone did in the hall. He grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter and walked in to mingle with some few other familar faces he knew in the crowd to pass time before Xavier Galverra arrived to the hall. Why was he even taking long to show his face? Perhaps he was some ugly old man with bald head and a rounded belly? Eww, befriending a pig like that would be as hard as being in the presence of someone who chewed with their mouth opened!

"Good evening, Mr. Sullivan," greeted some men as they approached Owen, distracting him from his thoughts. He put on his usual friendly facade and greeted them back, and so he decided to mingle with them to pass time. But deep down he couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at the thought of surpassing Neil Wayner yet again. Little did he know that this night would hold surprises beyond his expectations, reshaping the landscape of their rivalry forever.

****

Far behind the banquet hall, a woman dressed in black, her face partially covered by a mask, stood in the corner of the hall. She held a glass of wine in hand and craned her neck, searching for someone among the guests. Her mask made her stand out, but she seemed not to care, her eyes scanning the room intently.

She watched the elegantly dressed people move and mingle, but her attention was focused elsewhere. Occasionally, she looked down at her wrist watch, her gaze never lingering in one place for too long. She remained in her corner, a silent figure amidst the bustling crowd.

What was taking Xavier Galverra this long to show up? All the guests had arrived and were waiting for his arrival. She’d risked everything to be here today, and she wouldn’t leave without catching a glimpse of him. It been twenty years since she’d last seen him in person, even though she couldn’t touch him, she wanted to see him in his full glory in person, to see those bewitching eyes of his and that loving warm smile that had haunted her through her entire years in the states.

If only she had no sister, if only she could show her face to him without him mistaking her for her backstabbing sister, she’d have been the happiest person in the world. For twenty years, she’d had to live in the shadows because of her sister, when in truth she was the real owner of the identity, she’d not done anything about it for the past years, but today, if she could get Xavier alone in some place, she intended to explain everything to him so he’d understand and know who the real Mimi was. That was her main purpose tonight, to get to talk to him and nothing would stop her from doing that.

She knew her father would be puking fire if he knew she’d disobeyed him and came here tonight, but she was tired of listening to him as well. If she continued to follow his words, she’d forever be the shadow girl while her sister would take everything for herself, including her Xavier. That she’d not let happen. Mia could have everything, their mother’s love, their father’s hatred and the world’s attention, but not Xavier, not the boy she’d loved from childhood and swore to wait for. Not him. Never.