That evening, Starlight Fashion Group held a small celebration banquet.
This banquet had two clear purposes.
First, to celebrate the successful deep cooperation with domestic luxury brands and media companies.
Second, to send a clear signal to the outside world:even without foreign luxury brands, Starlight Fashion could still thrive—so existing and future partners could rest assured.
As a result, many business figures showed up in person.
The so-called boycott by foreign luxury brands had almost no impact at all.
After all, everyone present had personally witnessed Jason's financial strength during the short-selling of Cloudstream International, and they had also seen how rapidly he broke into the upper circles.
When the general trend was already clear, who would be foolish enough to stand against it?
Jason was dining with the company's senior executives when he faintly sensed movement to his right.
The expressions of those at the table subtly changed.
Turning his head, he saw Katherine had somehow walked over from another table, holding a glass of wine.
When everyone looked at her, Katherine's cheeks flushed slightly. She maintained her composure and smiled gently, speaking as calmly as she could.
"Mr. Carter… thank you for supporting us."
"Thank you as well for acquiring three luxury brands and giving us better opportunities for growth."
"I'd like to toast you."
On the runway, Katherine was distant and aloof.
But now, with a faint blush and a restrained smile, she carried a different kind of charm—soft, sincere, and unexpectedly endearing.
Jason smiled, lifted his glass, and lightly clinked it against hers.
Noticing her agent watching from a distance, he spoke casually.
"Did your agent ask you to come over?"
"If you don't like drinking, there's no need to force yourself."
Katherine looked at him, her gaze unconsciously softening.
"My agent encouraged me… but this was also my own intention."
"I don't really like alcohol, but this glass—I wanted to toast it to you."
"You can drink slowly. I won't disturb you any longer."
A male executive nearby laughed and teased,"Why don't you sit here next to the boss?"
Jason waved his hand lightly.
"She probably wouldn't feel comfortable here. It's better for her to sit with her friends."
Katherine's eyes brightened even more at his words.
She nodded gently and returned to the table where the other models were seated.
After sitting down, she couldn't help but turn her head again.
Jason had already resumed his discussion with the executives, completely at ease. His profile was sharp, calm, and unhurried—so composed that it was hard to look away.
She thought quietly to herself:
He really is different from ordinary bosses.
No forcing drinks.No disrespect.No hidden pressure.
Every word and action made people feel at ease.
And for her sake, he had chosen to confront Cloudstream International head-on.
Even though he ultimately won—and earned more than seven hundred million dollars—the process itself must have been incredibly risky.
Yet he never demanded anything in return.
He treated it as if it were nothing more than a casual decision.
Katherine: Favorability +2
Just then, her agent approached again.
"Katherine, let's go toast the advertiser."
"She's a woman, and it's just a polite toast—don't overthink it."
It was different from someone like Edward.
But even so, Katherine still felt a faint sense of discomfort.
To outsiders, she appeared aloof.
In reality, she was simply introverted—an "I-type" personality with a naturally reserved expression.
Back in high school, she had specialized in long-distance running.
At first, her height was an advantage.
But as she continued to grow taller, that advantage slowly turned into pressure—one that followed her into every room she entered.
She glanced instinctively toward Jason again.
This time, he didn't look back.
And somehow, that made her feel even safer.
She took a breath, steadied herself, and followed her agent—but the quiet warmth lingering in her chest refused to fade.
Katherine's running performance had declined year after year.
In the end, she barely made it into university through a sports recommendation, but even then, there was no real future in it. Track and field was cruel—once your peak passed, everything ended quickly.
Her academic results were average at best. She wasn't particularly clever, and studying never came easily to her. No matter how hard she tried, she always felt one step slower than others.
Her family background was also very ordinary.
She came from a rural town. Not poor to the point of desperation, but with no safety net either. Every choice she made had to consider one thing: survival.
Not long ago, her roommate had signed up for Starlight Fashion's model selection and encouraged Katherine to try as well. Katherine hesitated, then went along with it.
Unexpectedly, both of them were selected.
And even more unexpectedly, Katherine quickly stood out.
Her height, proportions, and natural presence gave her an edge that training alone couldn't teach.
The income was good.There wasn't much forced socializing.Compared to the brutal discipline of long-distance running, model training felt… manageable.
For the first time, she felt that maybe this industry wasn't so bad.
So she worked hard.
But as her visibility increased, so did the troubles.
She began to attract attention—sometimes the wrong kind.
Social situations became unavoidable.
And when she encountered people like Edward, she didn't know how to deal with them at all.
Now, being asked to toast someone felt unavoidable again.
She truly disliked it.
Female executives were indeed much better than male ones—there was usually no hidden intent—but even then, some female bosses still expected excessive flattery.
Katherine hesitated, not knowing how to refuse politely.
Just then, Claire walked over.
The moment Katherine's agent saw Claire, her expression immediately became respectful.
After all, Claire was now the highest-ranking executive in the company.
Jason Carter wasn't a manager—he was a hands-off owner.
Claire spoke calmly.
"Mr. Carter said that if Katherine doesn't want to toast, she doesn't have to."
"And no one is allowed to force her."
She continued evenly,"You're an extrovert. For you, socializing and small talk might be easy."
"But for introverts, it can be exhausting and uncomfortable."
The agent didn't entirely agree internally.
In her view, whether someone was introverted or extroverted didn't matter—to succeed, everyone had to socialize.
But since Jason had spoken, she didn't dare voice any objection.
She silently assumed that Jason regarded Katherine as his person, and resolved to be more cautious going forward.
Claire then turned to the other agents.
"This applies to everyone."
"Our company doesn't engage in unhealthy practices."
"Of course, if someone enjoys socializing or wants to advance through networking, that's also a valid path."
Listening to Claire's words, Katherine instinctively looked toward Jason again.
Warmth quietly filled her chest.
A feeling she rarely experienced—being understood.
Being accepted.
Being protected without conditions.
To most people, toasting a boss was normal.
Not difficult.
But they didn't understand that for introverts, it drained everything.
She would rather walk another full day of runway shows than raise a single glass.
Katherine: Favorability +2
Her eyes softened unconsciously.
This man… really was different.
The only regret was that he already had Grace and Wendy by his side.
But they seemed to be together at the same time.
Were they girlfriends?Or something else?
"Hey, stop staring, or your soul's going to fly away."
Her roommate leaned over, whispering teasingly into Katherine's ear.
Katherine's face flushed, and she quickly looked away.
She chuckled quietly.
"Honey, if you like him, I support you."
"He already has Grace and Wendy, sure—but with your looks, surpassing them wouldn't be hard."
"If you win him over, you'll be set for life."
She sounded like she was joking.
But Katherine's heart stirred.
She knew beauty was an advantage—and also a danger.
Especially in the modeling industry.
She had been here only a short time, yet she'd already seen too much.
Some women chose powerful men willingly.Others were forced into it.
It wasn't something you could avoid just by wanting to stay clean.
In contrast, Jason was young, capable, and decisive.
He had protected her by directly destroying Cloudstream International—yet never demanded anything in return.
He even noticed, instantly, that she was an introvert who disliked social pressure.
If he protected her, she would feel safe.
Comfortable.
Her life would become simple.
She might lose exclusive love—but every choice had trade-offs.
Still, Katherine had never seriously considered such a path before.
She couldn't decide.
That night, she barely slept.
And the next morning, when she arrived at the company, she heard that Jason Carter had already left.
For a moment, her heart felt inexplicably empty.
As if something important had quietly slipped away—before she had even realized she wanted to hold onto it.
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