Even at separate tables, if one listened closely, one could catch snippets of conversations from the next. Emilia held her breath, trying to hear more after spotting Olivia. She caught Jamie mentioning an old classmate. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Autumn and Olivia hadn’t interacted; Autumn was sitting quietly beside Dawson. Emilia figured she must be overthinking things. If Olivia really knew Autumn and had provoked her, then Autumn would have been involved.
Meanwhile, Jayden suddenly received a WhatsApp message from Howard. Damien wouldn’t have let MegaTech get away with just losing a few partnerships.
“I want to introduce you to someone.”
“Come find me later.”
Jayden remembered meeting Olida at a racing event but hadn’t realized how closely connected she was to Dawson. He vaguely recalled she worked at a tech company, so introducing them made sense. Even if they didn’t end up collaborating, they could share industry news and build a useful connection.
After Joanne finished presenting the girls’ high school project, the attending companies and individuals were invited to make donations. While not mandatory, any individual or corporate contributions were expected to be over a million. The donation list was quickly published. Joanne, Dawson, and Damien topped the list. Each, representing their families and businesses, had donated one hundred million dollars.
Finally, it was time for group photos, and those who didn’t want to join could leave early. Duncan wasn’t interested and slipped out beforehand, but paused to extend his hand to him. Surprisingly, Dawn approached Olivia, so she was momentarily stunned before quietly saying, “Mr. Baler, you arranged for me to sit at your table, and I could benefit from your…”
Olivia had expected Dawson to dismiss her, so she continued, “…experience. It’s all for my sake.”
“I’m the one who took advantage, so any punishment should be directed at me. Jamie and I have known each other for years, and he understands my character. I can assure you that Autumn is kind-hearted and means no harm. As the bigger person, I hope you can overlook this minor transgression.” Dawson quietly studied Olivia. She was cleverly subtle, only speaking up for Autumn once the event had ended, fully confident he would extend Jamie and her that courtesy. Without a word, Dawson withdrew his hand and remained silent.
Not wanting to press him further, Olivia quietly let it go. Dawson’s willingness to shake hands was already a major show of respect, and tonight’s performance had been flawless. Turning abruptly, she met Emilia’s cold stare.
With a smug curl of her lips, Olivia gave Emilia a provocative look, then dismissed her with a contemptuous turn and departed. She hadn’t gone far when she suddenly found herself surrounded by representatives from major companies that had once barely spared her a glance. She couldn’t help but smile. The power of the Westgate Group and the Cleria aliter was not to be underestimated. Olivia accepted the elite’s attention without hesitation. And after that, she saw Autumn twice as well.
Olina moved through the quad, radiating confidence, and Emilia, watching her, found her footsteps tightening without her conscious will. A tremor ran through her as she understood that Olivia would wield considerable power after tonight.