Chapter 98

I glanced at Savannah's outfit and chuckled, "You really don't sweat the small stuff, huh?"

Savannah was in the middle of stuffing a piece of caviar baguette into her mouth. She seemed to find it unappetizing and frowned. Hearing me speak, she looked at me, puzzled.

"I thought the stylist prepared some clothes for you? If you don't like dresses, there are pantsuits too. Why didn't you change?"

She gave a goofy smile, "I know my role. I'm here to protect you today. Why bother with all that?"

I nodded, "If she doesn't want to change, I won't force her."

I led Savannah to a quiet corner. From a distance, no one would guess I was the hostess of this celebration party.

A few guests were scattered around the banquet hall, all early arrivals hoping to curry favor with Brandon.

Within minutes, Brandon strode in from outside, arms wide open, greeting the guests in the hall.

"Welcome, everyone, to our celebration party. Enjoy the food and drinks."

I couldn't help but smirk. Brandon had never been to any grand events before, and all he could manage was a simple "enjoy the food and drinks."

Brandon scanned the room and spotted me. He quickly walked over, "Hey, babe, how are you feeling?"

I smiled at him, "I'm good. You've really gone all out with the decorations today!"

Brandon looked quite pleased with himself, his confidence clearly boosted by the success of the overseas project.

"Of course! The assistants told me that a few city officials heard about this and decided to join the fun."

"Well, this project is pretty significant, so it's no surprise it caught their attention."

I smiled slightly at Brandon, "Then you better do a good job, babe. Don't let these officials down."

Brandon nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, babe. I won't let this opportunity slip through our fingers."

He then noticed Savannah behind me and was momentarily taken aback. Pointing at her, he asked, "Who's she?"

Savannah glanced at me, and I explained, "This is the bodyguard Kathy arranged for me. Remember I was attacked at home recently? I got a bit scared, so I asked her to come."

Brandon didn't seem surprised. He nodded at Savannah, "Alright."

"I haven't asked you yet, how are you feeling after the scare at home? Are you better now?"

Just a moment ago, he was acting all concerned, but he had forgotten about the incident at home. He really didn't even want to pretend anymore.

I nodded, "I'm fine now. The property management has already apologized."

"I've replaced all the staff there. The new ones won't let anyone in again."

Brandon's face remained expressionless when I mentioned the property management. I was certain he had nothing to do with it.

He stepped forward, patted my shoulder, and kissed my forehead, "Alright, babe, make yourself comfortable. I need to greet the guests."

I nodded and watched Brandon, dressed in a tailored suit, stride away.

His suit was from a high-end custom brand overseas.

I remembered when I first brought Brandon into the company, he didn't know the difference between custom suits and off-the-rack ones. He showed up in a baggy suit and got laughed at.

Brandon was furious with me back then, saying I didn't give him a heads-up about the dress code.

Since then, his wardrobe was filled with custom suits worth thousands of dollars, as if he never wanted to be laughed at again.

But no matter how well he dressed, he couldn't hide his small-town mentality.

I turned and suddenly saw Kathy walking in. She spotted me and walked over briskly, "Caroline."

I was surprised, "Brandon invited you too? I thought he didn't have a good impression of you."

Kathy shrugged, "Who knows."

"He told me he was worried you'd be bored alone, so he asked me to keep you company. I thought, for once, Brandon did something decent."

I shook my head, doubting his intentions. I couldn't believe Brandon would do something decent.

Soon, more guests started arriving. Brandon stood outside, greeting them. The constant congratulations and flattery were getting on my nerves.

Just then, a sharp female voice rang out, "Thank you all for coming to support my son."

Kathy and I looked over. Sure enough, it was Karen, dressed in a gown and draped in an expensive shawl.

Karen was determined to present herself as a lady of high society, but she forgot she had the hands of a laborer.

She moved around the hall, greeting everyone, eager to make sure everyone knew of Brandon's achievements.

Karen made her way to me, looked me up and down, and rolled her eyes, "Isn't today a happy occasion for Brandon? Why are you dressed so plainly? People might think the Jordan family can't afford new clothes."

I smiled but said nothing.

Kathy, standing beside me, retorted, "Why dress so flashy for a celebration? Are you looking for a new husband? Or a stepfather for Brandon?"

"You!" Karen glared at Kathy.

"Today is a good day. I won't argue with an ill-mannered girl like you."

"You're lucky Brandon invited you to this celebration. You should be grateful!"

Kathy rolled her eyes, "You think I wanted to come? I'm only here for Caroline."

Karen turned her gaze to me, muttering, "Always looking sickly, such a downer."

With that, she turned and walked away, not wanting to look at us any longer.

Kathy was about to say something, but I pulled her back, "Let it go. There's more drama to come today."

Kathy's interest was piqued, and she looked at me excitedly, "What drama?"

I said, "Just wait and see. Brandon's gone all out today. Knowing him, he's bound to do something over the top."

"But today's guests aren't the usual sycophants. Someone will definitely call him out."

Kathy nodded, half-understanding, her eyes full of curiosity.

Karen was still mingling, and Kathy's gaze followed her. Suddenly, she said, "Anyone who didn't know better would think Karen was some hostess trying to attract customers. Look at her, smiling like a blooming flower."

I looked over and chuckled, "You have to understand, people like her, who can't truly fit in, rely on these external things to make themselves look knowledgeable and sophisticated. But deep down, they're still a mess."