Luke Gardiner hadn't had time to think it through when Edward Johnson came over to remind him: "President Gardiner, Boss Dawson has arrived and is waiting for you in the meeting room downstairs."
"I'll head down now."
After finishing this meeting, the words Florence Fuller had spoken to him were completely thrown to the back of his mind. When he remembered to call her in the evening, all he heard was the cold tone of the automated message.
Luke Gardiner chuckled coldly.
What is this woman plotting?
Thinking about what she said in the study?
Luke Gardiner intended to head back to TJ Bay again. But halfway there, his phone rang—it was his mother calling.
Grace Linney's voice was full of worry: "Luke, Eleanor fell at home today and can't stop crying. Can you come home and check on her?"
He could faintly hear a woman sobbing on the other end of the line.
Luke Gardiner turned the steering wheel, "Wait for me."
——
Florence Fuller had stayed in Ireland for a full week and returned to SJ City right on the dot.
Lily Lancaster was in a bit of a rush when she picked her up; there were less than two hours left before Old Mr. Gardiner's birthday banquet started.
"Mr. Gardiner contacted me asking where you were."
Old Mr. Gardiner's birthday banquet, they had to make a proper appearance for sure.
"It's fine." Florence Fuller was quite calm: "I already told the old man when I was in Ireland that I'd be late due to a business trip. Call Luke Gardiner and tell him to go ahead first."
Lily Lancaster breathed a sigh of relief, got off the car, and called Luke Gardiner.
The birthday banquet for Old Mr. Gardiner was organized by Grace Linney and held at the Belier Hotel in the city center, booking an entire floor of the banquet hall.
The Gardiner Family is a prestigious family of wealth and power. Although this birthday banquet wasn't grand in scale, guests arrived in a steady stream.
Especially since it's to celebrate Old Mr. Gardiner's birthday; anyone in SJ City, whether seeking favorable connections or other motives, wanted to make an appearance.
Florence Fuller's gown had already been prepared in a suite at the hotel.
The stylist was adjusting her dress. Everything was perfect; the person in the mirror looked radiant and charming, and she opened her mouth with satisfaction: "Mrs. Gardiner, you're all set."
"Thank you."
As she lifted the hem of her dress to leave, she unintentionally bumped into someone, her vivid red lipstick smearing onto the other's light brown blazer, and her high heels accidentally stepped on his shoe.
"Ouch—" Luke Gardiner steadied the person in front of him, his hand gripping her slender arm, smooth and delicate to the touch. He couldn't help running his fingers over it and looked at the person before him, "That was on purpose."
Florence Fuller stepped back, withdrawing her arm, "Watch where you're going when you open the door!"
Blame him!
Luke Gardiner looked at her delicate and charming face, "Once the door opens, you're eager to rush out and then blame me first."
Florence Fuller couldn't be bothered to argue with him and planned to walk past him directly.
But Luke Gardiner caught her hand: "The old man asked me to come up and go down with you, what do you mean by leaving alone now?"
"Can't you follow behind?" Florence Fuller tried to pull her hand away, but he tightened his grip, glancing down at his blazer, "What about the lipstick?"
Florence Fuller looked at the stylist in the room, "Is there a spare suit for him?"
The stylist nodded, "There is."
"Go change," Florence Fuller said, looking at him.
This woman... Luke Gardiner didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.
He recalled that it seemed he and this woman never had a proper conversation, his impatience only matched by hers.
"I won't change." He suddenly yanked Florence Fuller, causing her to lose her balance and fall forward. Luke Gardiner hooked her waist with his hand, an amused smile on his handsome face, "You seem to dislike how I handle you."
He noticed the irritation in Florence Fuller's eyes.
"Of course!" As soon as Florence Fuller finished speaking, a sharp pain shot up from Luke Gardiner's foot.
Being released, Florence Fuller looked at the man opposite, whose face was twisted in pain, and cheerfully turned to the stylist: "My makeup isn't ruined, right?"
The stylist glanced at the pained Luke Gardiner, "No, no."
Florence Fuller patted her dress, noticing Luke Gardiner's livid expression as he stared at her. With a half-smile, she snorted and walked away briskly.
Luke Gardiner found himself in a rare state of good temper, the first time a woman dared to mock and challenge him like this.
—
Champagne, fine wine, delightful melodies. Inside the banquet hall, people were moving about, leaning in to chat quietly, intertwining wealth and power—a setting some people favored most.
When Florence Fuller and Luke Gardiner appeared arm in arm, many people looked over; it was the first time seeing the Gardiner couple at a banquet together.
"So this is the girl who married into the Gardiner family, how gorgeous she is. I haven't seen her in SJ before."
"She's from the Fuller Family in Cloudsea City; she rarely shows her face after marrying over."
"Her husband usually appeared with a different female partner at banquets, and hey, she wasn't even at this kind of event during Old Mr. Gardiner's previous birthday banquet last year."
"Right, she was absent most of last year, but she's here now."
"Look at the lipstick on Young Master Gardiner's suit, tsk tsk... who doesn't even mind the occasion."
"..."
After entering the venue, they went directly to Old Mr. Gardiner. The old man was very pleased to see Florence Fuller, "Florence, it's been a long time, has work been very busy?"
"Not really, Grandpa." Florence Fuller smiled sweetly.
Luke Gardiner let out a quiet snort; with him, she was sharp-tongued, but she had a perfect facade for the old man.
The old man noticed Luke Gardiner's noise, "What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing." Luke Gardiner suddenly wrapped an arm around Florence Fuller's waist, pulling her closer, "Happy Birthday to you."
Considering the situation, Florence Fuller tolerated his action, accompanying it with a mild smile, "Happy birthday, Grandpa."
"I'm just happy having you here, dear." Back then, he was very satisfied with Florence as his granddaughter-in-law; she was gentle, sensible, and understanding. His gaze unintentionally fell on the lipstick stain on Luke Gardiner's suit, his eyes widening with disbelief. Raising his cane, he aimed it at Luke Gardiner, "Can't keep yourself in check, huh..."
Luke Gardiner quickly dodged, causing Florence Fuller to stagger, landing firmly in Luke Gardiner's embrace.
The man held her against his chest, his voice buzzing in her ears, "What are you doing, Grandpa?"
Old Mr. Gardiner glanced at Florence Fuller in his grandson's arms, giving Luke Gardiner a eyes full of reproach, "Go ahead and change that suit of yours, see what's on it."
Luke Gardiner adjusted Florence Fuller, grinning cheekily, "It's lipstick, see, it's hers."
The person in his arms was slender and graceful, with Luke Gardiner's six-foot-two frame enveloping her, shielding her entirely.
He lowered his gaze, tightening his embrace, aligning their proximity, meeting Florence Fuller's eyes, and suddenly experiencing a stab of pain at his waist.
Luke Gardiner furrowed his brow and shuffled slightly.
Her hand had snuck inside his jacket at some point, pinching firmly.