Chapter 181

All eyes turned toward the door. His tall frame, clad in a tailored charcoal suit, exuded effortless elegance and power. Beside him, Suzanne stood in a white dress. The room buzzed with understanding. So, this was why Austin had invited them tonight.

One by one, his friends stood and greeted Suzanne with easy smiles.

“Good to see you, Suzanne.”

“Good evening, Suzanne.”

Scanning the room, she recognized the familiar faces from the harbor. It was clear these were Austin’s close friends. Returning their greetings with a warm smile, she said, “Nice to see you all.”

Dale and the others were a little surprised. This was the first time Austin had officially introduced Suzanne to them. They had assumed his marriage was nothing more than a fleeting arrangement—an impromptu decision without any real attachment. But now, Austin wasn’t just acknowledging Suzanne as his wife; he was bringing her into his world, making her part of his life. The way they looked at her softened, their attitudes shifting.

Austin led Suzanne to a seat. Charles, ever the instigator, waggled his brows with a teasing grin. “So, Austin, when’s the wedding? My gift money is practically jumping out of my pocket!”

Austin had been a lifelong bachelor, always keeping people at arm’s length. Seeing him with someone now made Charles genuinely happy for him. Austin’s expression remained unreadable, and his response was calm. “Soon.”

The group erupted in laughter, egging him on. Amidst the playful banter, the food arrived. Conversation flowed effortlessly as everyone caught up, their voices filling the room.

Only Herman remained silent, sipping his drink without a word. Noticing his rare quietness, Charles nudged him with an elbow. “What’s with the long face? Some girl dump you?” he inquired. At that, the rest of the group turned to Herman.

Gone was his usual smirk, replaced by a trace of frustration. With a sigh, he muttered, “It’s work. We need to finalize a script for one of our top actresses, and I can’t decide which one.”

Zoey Wallace was the company’s biggest star, and the choice of script wasn’t just about her career; it would directly impact next year’s revenue. Charles slumped back in his chair, unimpressed. “Keep that problem to yourself. But if you need someone to rank the most beautiful women in your company, I can help with that.”

Herman let out a short laugh. He hadn’t expected any real help from them anyway. But then Suzanne spoke up. “Which actress is it for?”

Herman, assuming she was just making conversation, answered casually, “Zoey.”

“I might be able to help with that,” Suzanne replied. Silence fell over the table. Even Austin raised a brow, intrigued.

“You know how to pick scripts?” Charles asked, genuinely surprised.

Suzanne simply smiled. “We can talk about it if you’d like.”

Herman had been agonizing over this decision for weeks, and so far, nothing had felt right. Letting Suzanne take a look couldn’t hurt.

“I actually have a few scripts with me,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Would you mind?”

Still, he wasn’t expecting much. Choosing the right script required more than just intelligence—it took experience, a sharp eye, and instinct for what would resonate with an audience. Suzanne, an outsider to the industry, couldn’t possibly have that. But there was no harm in humoring her.

“Sure,” she said.

Herman pulled a few scripts from his bag and handed them over.

“Appreciate it, Suzanne.”

Without another word, she set down her glass and began flipping through the pages, her eyes skimming the text swiftly.