CHAPTER 394: MR. MULTITASK

MEG Fashion wrapped up successfully, with guests pleased with every piece and eager to have one. Once all the models took the runway, a standing ovation and a round of applause erupted across the venue. Aileen appeared at the end, smiling brightly.

At the afterparty, Aileen trapped Lola from leaving and made sure to introduce her to everyone she liked. She didn’t even need to try, though, because the moment people heard the name Mrs. Bennet, they already knew she was someone they needed in their contacts.

"Oh, well." Celestine watched from the sidelines, her gaze fixed on Lola’s figure as the latter exchanged small talk with the other guests. "Look at her shine."

Not just in Celestine’s eyes, but everyone could see it. Tonight, it was Lola who shone the brightest. And Aileen, who was supposed to be the main event, was more than happy for her friend to take the spotlight. In fact, she was even pushing Lola toward the center of attention.

"Auntie..." Justin leaned closer to Celestine, disbelief etched across his face, his eyes glued to where Lola stood. "Is that... really Lola?"

Celestine arched a brow. "How could you not see?"

"Auntie, what do you mean ’how could I not see’?" he gasped. "Didn’t you see her at the engagement night?"

"I did. And she was glowing... just like tonight."

Horror washed over Justin’s face as he stared at his aunt. Tonight, yes, Lola was glowing—she looked dazzling. If he didn’t know her, he might’ve even tried his luck. But during the engagement party? Lola had been blinding. Literally.

"Justin, you’re smart, but you’re not getting any younger. You should start looking at people beyond the surface," Celestine hummed, then turned aside, only to notice something amiss. "Where’s Derek?"

"Huh?" Justin followed her gaze and blinked when he realized Derek was gone. "I’ll go ahead and check—"

DING!

Just as he was about to move, his phone pinged. He checked instinctively and saw a short message.

[From: Derek

I’ll go home first.]

His lips curved downward as he looked back at Celestine. "No point in looking for him. He left."

"I see." Celestine nodded slowly, turning her eyes back to the group gathered around Lola. "I suppose he couldn’t take seeing what he lost by choosing Melissa."

Justin frowned. "Auntie, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re on his side or not. Don’t you pity him?"

"I do. That’s why I did everything I could to make sure the company kept him. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve this." Celestine smiled faintly. "I wanted Derek to grow—and if this pain will make him grow, then let him feel it. Otherwise, it’s the Lancaster family that’ll end up hurting him."

Justin went quiet. He couldn’t argue with that. Celestine was right. The Lancaster family might be called a family, but it was far from what one should be.

*****

Lola hadn’t planned to stay long after the show. Her plan was simple: support Aileen, go home, rest, and cuddle with the twins—maybe with Atlas, too. But when she tried to bid Aileen farewell, the latter dragged her to the afterparty and introduced her to all kinds of people.

Slater didn’t help either. The man had been tailing her all night, proudly gloating about her every chance he got. Having both Slater and Aileen felt like being stuck in a circus run by two master puppeteers. Even so, it wasn’t all bad. Lola managed to promote her company while she was at it.

"That was fun!" Slater whistled as they headed toward their car. "Sis, do you want to see the photos I took?"

Lola shot him a side-eye. "When did you even have the time?"

"Sis, I’m not like you. I’m known as Mr. Multitask!"

"Okay, Mr. Multitask—good for you."

"Hah! Hey, what’s with that attitude?"

Lola ignored him until they reached the car, where Baby and Izu were waiting. As Izu opened the door, Lola paused, her brows arching slightly. She looked back, scanning the area, only to see the other guests heading to their own cars.

"Sis, are you even listening to me?" Slater frowned, glancing around as well. "What? Are you looking for someone?"

She didn’t answer right away, then smiled faintly. "It’s nothing."

She just had a strange feeling, like someone was watching her. But she brushed it off, assuming it was probably Atlas’s men keeping an eye from the shadows.

"Let’s just go," she said with a light laugh. "Your brother’s waiting for us."

"Why do you even think about him when you don’t want to marry him yet?" Slater grumbled as he climbed into the van. "If you’re that concerned about him, you should just marry him tonight."

Her face twitched, but she chose to ignore him. After all, Lola was already thinking about how to propose to Atlas herself since the man had probably given up by now.

The two got in, and Izu closed the door before hopping into the front passenger seat. As the car drove away, Derek, who had been hiding behind another vehicle, stepped out. Sadness flickered in his eyes as he watched the van disappear into the distance.

But just as he was about to leave, he noticed several men parked nearby also starting their engines and following the same direction.

"Huh?" His brows knitted as he studied them. "Are those her bodyguards too?"

Unlike Lola’s usual security detail, these men didn’t look the part. They weren’t wearing suits or earpieces. They looked rough, out of place. And that was exactly why Derek noticed them.

Unease swirled in his mind, and before he knew it, he was already in his car, ready to follow. But before he could even start the engine, his phone rang.

"Why is Grandpa calling at this hour?" he muttered, answering quickly. "Grandpa, what are you—"

"Young Master Derek," came the butler’s voice from the other end. "The chairman..."

Derek’s eyes widened as he listened to what the head butler had to say.

"... Please come as soon as possible."