The outfit Luana was wearing had to be worth millions. Even Gehrmann had never spent that much on her.
The thought made her seethe with jealousy. 'Why does she get all the good stuff when we're both in the same line of work?'
Fuming, she grabbed her phone and recorded a short video of Luana, sending it to Gehrmann with a message. "Look, Gehrmann, Luana has landed herself another rich guy. This one's even wealthier—dropped millions just to give her a makeover."
[$]
She had studied all the wealthy men in Los Angeles but hadn't bothered with Washington, so she didn't recognize Calvert.
She assumed he was some newly minted tycoon, given how young he looked.
Gehrmann was in the middle of a golf game when he received the message. By the time he finished and checked his phone, an hour had passed.
The video made his blood boil.
'Luana Hammond, letting Calvert buy her haute couture?'
He threw his golf club aside and immediately forwarded the video to Cline.
"Look at this. Luana is clearly getting too bold for her own good."
Cline was in a meeting when his phone buzzed.
Normally, he would never check his phone during a meeting, but this time, he couldn't resist.
[$]
As he watched the video, his expression turned icy.
'Is she deliberately defying me, or is she so infatuated with him that she's lost all sense?'
'How dare she ignore my warning and still be with Calvert!'
His face was like a frozen storm, terrifyingly cold.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and stood up, leaving the room abruptly.
The people in the meeting room were stunned.
They exchanged uneasy glances, then turned sympathetic eyes toward the vice president, Bert Maxwell, who was in the middle of his presentation.
Everyone assumed Bert must have messed up big time to anger Mr. Moriarty.
Bert, sweating profusely, thought, 'I'm done for. I'm getting fired!'
The Adams family banquet was held at their estate, primarily to celebrate the return of their youngest daughter from her studies abroad.
Normally, someone of Calvert's status wouldn't attend such a minor event, but he was close friends with the Adams family heir, Herbert.
The two often met up in Washington, so Calvert couldn't refuse the invitation.
However, the banquet had an underlying purpose—to find a suitable match for the Adams' youngest daughter.
Calvert, wanting to avoid being chosen, had brought Luana as his date.
Once Luana understood the situation, she relaxed a bit. She followed Calvert's lead, playing her role as his shield.
Calvert had her loop her arm through his as they entered the estate.
Inside, the guests were a mix of wealthy families similar to the Adams.
The older crowd was in the banquet hall, discussing business over drinks, while the younger generation gathered outside, holding glasses of wine and chatting in small groups.
[$]
The estate wasn't overly large, but it was packed with young heirs and heiresses.
As Calvert and Luana walked in, all eyes turned toward them.
Whether they recognized the pair or not, everyone was struck by their presence.
Herbert Adams, the family heir, was chatting with a few socialites when he noticed the commotion outside. Seeing Calvert, he quickly excused himself and went to greet him.
"Calvert, you made it."
Herbert said with a smile, though his eyes lingered on Luana for a moment. "And who is this?"
"This is my date for the evening, Miss Luana Hammond," Calvert introduced her.
Herbert gave Luana a thoughtful look before extending his hand politely. "Miss Hammond, nice to meet you. I'm Herbert."
Luana immediately understood Herbert's intentions.
The banquet was clearly set up to introduce Calvert to Herbert's sister.
Bringing a date had thrown a wrench in those plans, and Herbert wasn't thrilled.
Still, his manners were impeccable, so Luana played along.
She shook his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you too."
Herbert released her hand and turned back to Calvert. "It's been a while. Let's grab a drink and catch up."
Calvert hesitated, glancing at Luana. "Come with us."
Luana, noticing Herbert's barely concealed displeasure, politely declined. "I'm actually a bit hungry. I'll grab something to eat first."
Before Calvert could respond, Herbert flagged down a servant. "Take Miss Hammond to the dining area. Make sure she's well taken care of."
The servant nodded and gestured for Luana to follow. "This way, Miss Hammond."
With that settled, Calvert couldn't refuse his friend any longer. He gave Luana a quick warning. "Don't wander off. Wait for me."
Luana nodded expressionlessly and followed the servant to the dining area.
The long tables were laden with an array of dishes—Western, Eastern, everything you could imagine.
Luana, who had a sensitive stomach, couldn't eat much, but under the servant's watchful eye, she forced herself to sip some mushroom soup.
As she stood quietly in the dining area, she suddenly noticed several luxury cars pulling into the estate.