59. Crashing Into His Arms

After another brief moment, all the guests had arrived. The scene was a gathering of celebrities and elites from all walks of life—there were prominent businessmen, politicians, renowned artists, and superstars.

Under the hospitality of the servers, the attendees made their way to the second-floor dining hall to take their seats.

Before long, the banquet officially commenced.

The scale of the event was grand, with the spacious dining hall fully showcasing a luxurious and exquisite style. Well-trained servers moved through the crowd, serving meticulously prepared delicacies and fine wines one after another, while elegant background music flowed softly through the air.

As the birthday star of the day, Mancy took the stage to deliver her speech. Her words were perfectly smooth and sophisticated, and every single person present enthusiastically cheered her on.

Yet, all of this splendor was automatically shut out by Tara.

Her gaze was glued without blinking to the prominent, noble silhouette sitting at the principal table.

He looked so cold, aloof, and detached, as if possessing a solitary pride that was distinctly separated from the rest of the world. His powerful aura made it so that no one dared to approach him lightly.

Even though he did nothing, his every move was still being closely monitored by the majority of the people present.

Over the past seven years, he had ultimately become a grand figure resting at the very peak of power.

In the past, Tara might have proudly said that her Killian had made it, that he was so incredibly talented, remarkably handsome, and utterly unique.

But now, she watched as Mancy constantly exchanged glances with him on stage, an undercurrent of a profound relationship swirling between them.

"CEO Qi and Director Man really are a match made in heaven—a talented man and a beautiful woman."

"Yeah, they've worked together for so many years and share boundless chemistry. I'm afraid they've long been mutually attached, and aren't far from an engagement..."

The low murmurs kept drifting past her ears, sounding so incredibly ironic.

She had confidently assumed that because she "died" during the year he loved her the most, his feelings for her would remain etched into his very marrow from then on.

Looking at it now, perhaps she had been far too conceited.

Tears of sorrow fell silently, and she lowered her gaze, no longer looking over.

In truth, she had no right to sit here wallowing in self-pity; she was the one who had left him in such a resolute manner back then.

For him to start a new romance was entirely his freedom to begin with, so what right did she have to feel bitter?

Noticing her distress, Daisy raised her hand and gently wiped away her tears with a soft napkin, silently comforting her with a lowered gaze.

Tara flashed a bitter, faint smile at her. "I'm fine."

But these words were merely a forced attempt to comfort herself.

She saw Mancy hand the very first slice of birthday cake she cut over to him.

This caused her to uncontrollably recall things from their past.

She loved eating sweet cakes, very soft little cream puffs, loved drinking rich and sweet milk, and really enjoyed feeding these things to him.

Even though he didn't like sweets, every time she fed him, he would gladly accept them.

But now, she was no longer the only exception he broke his rules for.

She thought to herself in bitter sorrow, failing to see that after the man took the slice of cake, he simply set it down on the table, never sparing it another glance.

A long time later, the dining segment finally concluded, and the grand ball was about to begin. The guests began relocating to change venues.

Tara didn't wish to remain any longer in this place that made her chest feel suffocated, so she prepared to make an early exit.

However, just a few steps after she turned around, she was pulled back by Daisy once more.

"Ivy, leaving just like this—are you really willing to accept it?"

Daisy’s beautiful blue eyes looked at her like a cerulean lake. "You've loved him for so many years after all. What if he's just like you, and still loves you?"

"With such a great opportunity this time, you should at least ask him yourself, shouldn't you?" Daisy encouraged and consoled her, seeing how heartbroken she looked.

Tara's expression froze for a split second.

She admitted that she was indeed swayed by her words.

That's right, what if she had misunderstood?

Perhaps Killian didn't like Mancy at all?

It was better to ask him himself.

If he really had fallen for someone else, then she would let her heart die completely.

Thus, she reined in her drifting, bitter emotions, nodded her head, and said, "Okay."

A brief moment later, the masquerade ball began.

A portion of the guests present had also changed into formal attire that matched the theme of the ball.

The lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only some neon lights and shadows flickering hazily, rendering a mysterious, quiet, and soothing atmosphere.

Many guests had also donned exquisite themed masks, freely inviting dance partners to dance together in the center of the ballroom floor.

The benefit of wearing a mask was that it could break down the barriers of status, creating more opportunities for communication among those present.

Of course, except for one person.

He didn't wear any mask, his long legs elegantly crossed as he sat in a prestigious VIP seat right at the boundary of light and dark.

His revered and prominent status meant that many people didn't even possess the qualification to approach him, including Tara.

She stood quietly in the corner, watching him.

Thinking about it now, her initial plan of finding an opportunity to approach him at the ball was absolute wishful thinking.

Just as she was feeling disheartened, a woman wearing a gorgeous purple mask actually walked over to him with measured steps at this moment, boldly extending an invitation to dance.

And the personal bodyguard by his side didn't even stop the woman.

Tara quickly recognized that the woman wearing the mask was Mancy.

Faced with her proactive invitation, the aloof man didn't refuse.

He gracefully took her outstretched hand, moving with her into the center of the ballroom.

Even amidst the dark and mysterious interplay of light and shadow, one could still see that the distance between them was so close, and their posture as they danced together was so intimate.

Suddenly, Mancy raised her face, moving a fraction closer to him, appearing as though they were sharing an intimate whisper close to the neck.

Tara’s face turned stark white in an instant. She didn't dare to keep watching, lifting her gown to turn around and leave the venue.

However, because she was trying to escape reality in such a frantic panic, she failed to notice a server bringing wine inside.

Thus, the moment she turned around—

Bang!

A dull collision sound rang out, accompanied by the shattering of wine glasses.

Caught off guard, Tara's body was thrown backward by the momentum, and she ultimately fell to the floor.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Are you alright, miss?"

The server hurriedly apologized, bending down to help her up.

And the commotion here successfully drew the gaze of everyone present.

It felt exactly like being pricked by needles; it was far too embarrassing.

An embarrassed flush surged onto Tara's cheeks, and she avoided the server's assistance. "I... I'm fine."

After replying in a low voice, she scrambled to her feet and prepared to leave.

Yet, just as she took her first step, she heard a familiar, crisp, magnetic voice ring out from behind her: "Miss, please wait."

Hearing this voice, Tara's expression froze instantly, and her body also stiffened in place, completely at a loss for what to do.

The soothing music had stopped at some unknown point, and the venue became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

The gazes of the crowd watched without blinking as that handsome and noble silhouette walked toward the girl step by step.

"This lady..."

Amidst the hazy lighting that had been intentionally dimmed, the crowd couldn't see his expression very clearly. They only heard his magnetic voice sound deep and slightly hoarse:

"Have we... met somewhere before?"

Thump, thump.

Her heart was about to leap out of her chest, and distress almost entirely overwhelmed her.

She truly didn't want to be recognized by him under such a terrible and awkward circumstance.

Therefore, she simply chose the rudest method, taking a step to leave without answering or making a sound.

But right at this moment, a burning hot palm suddenly clamped firmly onto her wrist from behind.

Before she even had time to react, her body was abruptly pulled backward, crashing into a firm, burning chest.