Running into someone connected to the Lynch Family was a pleasant surprise. Although Arabella Donovan found it quite a coincidence, she'd had more than her fair share of them recently, so this one didn't seem out of place.
With that realization, Arabella Donovan began scheming. She had to figure out how to use Caspian Rhodes as a bridge to connect with the Lynch Family and help her fourth sister reunite with her biological family.
Unlike the quick-witted but inexperienced Arabella Donovan, Hector Donovan immediately sensed something was off. The wariness he had just managed to set aside came rushing back.
His gaze toward Caspian Rhodes was instantly filled with scrutiny and suspicion. He had a strong feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed!
But, it had to be said, some people are just born lucky.
Just as Hector Donovan was trying to figure out how to end the dinner early and get his sister away from here to prevent any unnecessary connection from forming...
...an abrupt voice shattered the strangely lively atmosphere in the private dining room.
"Mr. Rhodes, it really is you."
Arabella Donovan looked up to see a woman with elaborate, heavy makeup following a server into the room. She was glamorous yet exuded an air of sharp competence.
Caspian Rhodes raised an eyebrow at the newcomer but stood to shake her hand. "Mr. Jennings, long time no see."
"It has been a while. I was just downstairs asking the manager for a private room when I learned that the very last one had been booked by you, Mr. Rhodes. I imagine you must be hosting important guests today. I hope my popping in like this isn't an intrusion?"
Although Mr. Jennings directed her words to Caspian Rhodes, her gaze swept over everyone else in the room.
Grant and Sheldon Webb, recognizing who she was, both froze. They managed to squeeze out strained smiles. "No intrusion at all, not at all."
Arabella Donovan wondered if it was her imagination, but she felt that the moment this woman appeared, her older brother had a visceral, stressed-out reaction. He looked even more hostile than he had when he first saw Caspian Rhodes.
Hearing their words, Mr. Jennings immediately seized the opportunity. "In that case, would you mind if I joined your table? The manager said all the private rooms are booked tonight, and I really don't want to eat out in the main hall by myself. Would you all be so kind as to let me share?"
At her words, the private room fell deathly silent.
Mr. Jennings arched an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over Grant and the others in feigned confusion. "Hm?"
Sheldon Webb and Grant jolted as if they'd been pricked by a needle, shaking as they waved their hands. "We don't mind, not at all!"
Only then did Mr. Jennings smile, satisfied. "And your thoughts, Mr. Rhodes?"
Caspian Rhodes's eyes sharpened, but with Arabella Donovan and the others present, he simply said in a neutral tone, "If my guests don't mind, then it's certainly not my place to object."
That was exactly the answer Mr. Jennings was waiting for. She gracefully navigated the room in her high heels and, in the end, sat down right next to... Hector Donovan.
Arabella Donovan was just wondering who on earth this woman was—the director and Sheldon Webb both seemed terrified of her—when, of all things, the woman came and sat right next to her brother.
Arabella Donovan's eyes widened in shock, the realization dawning on her a second too late.
'Oh, crap. Don't tell me this woman is here for my brother? Is he some kind of catnip? Why is everyone sniffing him out and chasing after him like a pack of hounds?'
The hot commodity, Hector Donovan: ...
Scent? What scent? What kind of scent did dogs like? Stop, stop! He couldn't think about it any further.
The previously uncomfortable Best Actor Donovan was successfully sidetracked by his sister's train of thought, and he wasn't the only one—so was Caspian Rhodes.
He glanced at the stunned expression on Hector Donovan's face, the corner of his mouth twitching upward before he suppressed the smile.
The already awkward dinner became even more peculiar with Mr. Jennings's arrival. At first, Grant and Sheldon Webb tried to force some conversation to ease the tension, but eventually, they gave up, resigned themselves to their fate, and focused on eating.
The turning point came in the form of a sudden phone call for Caspian Rhodes.
The call was clearly important. Caspian Rhodes merely glanced at the caller ID before standing up and saying to the others, "I'm sorry, please excuse me for a moment."
He then quickly left the table and disappeared out the door of the private room.
The moment he was gone, a certain someone became eager to make her move.
"Mr. Donovan, we meet again. Our brief encounter at the Xylos City Film Festival two months ago... well, I've been thinking about you ever since. What about you, Mr. Donovan? Have you thought of me at all these past two months?"
The words were so suggestive that Arabella Donovan was floored. 'No way, is this woman really... involved with my brother?'
Just as she was about to ask something, Arabella Donovan felt something bump against her left leg.
She instinctively glanced down, only to see a brightly colored stiletto sliding lazily up and down the leg of her brother's suit pants in a blatantly provocative gesture.
CLATTER—
The chopsticks in Arabella Donovan's hand trembled, dropping onto the table.
'Whoa, I must be seeing things. I just saw my brother getting harassed by a predatory boss lady! Ah, wait, this is sexual harassment, isn't it? My brother is so scared he's practically climbing on top of me!'
Hector Donovan, who had anticipated something like this the moment Mr. Jennings sat down, felt his eyelid twitch. He subtly shuffled closer to his sister and said in a cold voice, "Mr. Jennings, please conduct yourself with some decency."
"Decency?" Mr. Jennings seemed amused by Hector Donovan's flustered attempt to dodge her, her laughter making her shake. "Appetite and lust are only human nature. Besides, everyone appreciates beauty. We can't resist being drawn to beautiful things, and I am no exception."
As Mr. Jennings spoke, she lightly tapped the back of Hector Donovan's hand with a bright red fingernail, the gesture rife with implication.
"You can't really blame me. When something is so dazzling, it makes one want to pluck it and hold it close, to admire and play with. If you are willing, I will do everything in my power to make you the brightest light I hold in the palm of my hand."
Arabella Donovan broke out in goosebumps, repulsed by Mr. Jennings's sickeningly sweet and corny tone.
'What is this classic Playboy line? The whole "I'm just making a mistake that every man—or woman—in the world makes" speech? Mr. Rhodes, I am so sorry, I completely misjudged you! Compared to this woman, you're a perfect gentleman. The way she's looking at my brother... it's like she wants to devour him whole. It's terrifying! *Sobs*'
Caspian Rhodes, hurrying back after his call, froze mid-stride. He suddenly felt he could afford to take his time returning to the private room.
Hector Donovan was equally disgusted. The thought of her... "illustrious" track record within the industry made him recoil, leaning back sharply to avoid her touch.
He then took out a tissue and wiped the back of his hand, putting his revulsion and disdain for her on full display.
"Not everything is meant to be held in the palm of one's hand. At night, fire glows just as brightly as a lamp. Mr. Jennings, don't be so dazzled that you mistake one for the other. It's one thing to get your hand burned, but if you end up setting yourself on fire, that's a much messier situation to deal with."
Mr. Jennings's expression had already soured when she saw Hector Donovan wipe his hand. After his speech, her face grew dark, a hint of viciousness showing through.
"It's good for a young man to have spirit, but it's a pity that being too young and arrogant means you're bound to suffer for it. Once you've hit the wall enough times to feel the pain, you'll naturally learn how to yield."
The words had barely left her mouth when suddenly, six or seven tall, imposing bodyguards in black suits swarmed into the private room, packing it so tightly there was barely room to breathe.