Chapter 14

The jewelery exhibition was organized in a luxurious villa built on the lakeside. There was tight security at the door, and security guards were constantly patrolling all around. It was mandatory to confirm the identity of each guest before allowing them inside. Ruby heaved a sigh of relief when she successfully passed through the security check with the bag full of diamonds. A lady with special etiquette took her to the study room, which was beautifully decorated from inside. A musician was playing the violin next to him, which made the atmosphere even more dignified. The hall had many glass cabinets which contained expensive and precious jewels. Since the exhibition had not yet started, the guests who had arrived earlier went to enjoy the food at the buffet. Ruby got a seat in the 10th row, all thanks to Jacob who helped her get there. She managed to sit so close. When most of the guests had sat down, Ruby noticed a man next to her who looked to be in his 30s or 40s. He was a little fat and was wearing a heavy gold chain. It was clear from his clothing that he was using a high-end luxury brand, and he was probably the owner of a big business. He saw Ruby at a glance. Although Ruby did not talk much, her beauty was so alluring that it was hard to ignore her. "Hello, my name is Daniel Clark. This is my visiting card." Saying this he extended his business card towards Ruby. Ruby glanced at the card and saw that the words "President of the Clark Group" were written below Daniel Clark's name. "Hi, my name is Ruby," she replied politely. As they were greeting each other, suddenly a man and a woman entered through the hall door, causing a commotion. Ruby looked back curiously and was shocked to find that the person who was late was none other than Michael. Nora stood next to Michael Carter, ready to go. The two of them were snuggled up against each other like they were the perfect couple. Ruby found their presence extremely unsettling. Suddenly, the steak in her hand no longer tasted fragrant. She lowered her head and did not want to look at the two of them. Not only she, but the other young women present also saw Michael's face. The crown prince of the Carter Group, a handsome and rich bachelor, was the dream boyfriend of many women. But who was the woman standing next to him? She looked too ordinary to be considered worthy of being Prince Charming. "Could it be that she is Prince Charming's girlfriend?" The socialites looked enviously at Nora, who thoroughly enjoyed the situation and satisfied her ego. Ruby did not even think it appropriate to look at him and picked up a glass of red wine for herself and drank it. Nora was not satisfied, but she saw Ruby's face in the crowd. She was stunned for three seconds and complained dissatisfied, "What qualifications does this little bitch have to participate in a jewelry exhibition? Just based on that face?” Michael Carter naturally looked at Ruby, who was sitting right behind him. When the exhibition began, he heard every word Ruby said clearly. They were so close that no matter how much Ruby tried to ignore the pair, it was impossible. "Oh my god, what evil thing have you done?" Ruby felt the distance between them. She was a little irritated and looked at Michael Carter again. It happened that he was also looking at her, and the two looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Nora glared at Ruby angrily, afraid she might seduce Michael. "Miss Smith, I'd like to propose a toast to you," Daniel Clarke said, sensing the situation, still chatting eagerly with Ruby. Ruby politely picked up her glass and toasted it back. Compared to Nora, Daniel Clarke was much more attractive. Everyone who was on good terms with Nora had become her enemies. "Miss Smith, why don't you taste this goose liver? It tastes so good," Daniel Clark urged, seeing that she didn't refuse. He thought maybe he had a chance. "Thank you," Ruby replied graciously and took a small bite of the goose liver. Even though she didn't like the taste, she still politely thanked him. Meanwhile, Nora held Michael Carter's hand and said sweetly, "Michael, let's have some dessert.” The dessert counter was in the corner of the hall, far away from Ruby. Nora wished she could stay away from Ruby. Michael nodded in agreement and walked over. He picked up a piece of delicate pig cake and gave it to Nora. Nora ate a piece of cake with a sweet smile on her face and then deliberately stared provocatively at Ruby. But Ruby paid no attention to their antics. She simply bowed her head and enjoyed her steak. She had got the opportunity to come here after so much difficulty, she did not want to let it go to waste. When she had almost finished her meal, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and said politely, "I'm going to the bathroom." Saying this she got up and went towards the bathroom. Seeing Ruby's curvy figure, Daniel Clark started having bad thoughts in his mind. Michael Carter looked at her indifferently and was a little surprised. It was indeed strange that she could appear on such an important occasion. Nora saw Ruby's back from a distance and immediately said, "Michael, I need to go to the bathroom too.” Under the warm lights, Ruby fixed her lipstick in the bathroom. Just as she lowered her head to wash her hands, a woman suddenly came in through the door. A closer look revealed that it was her archenemy, Nora. Nora said disdainfully, “Oh, who is this? It turned out to be you! Can a little designer like you come here?” Ruby gave her a cold look and said, "What do you mean?" "Every guest at tonight's jewelry exhibition has undergone strict identity checks. Don't tell me you came here with someone else's help!" Nora sneered. Ruby replied without hesitation, "Did you get in using your own power?" Nora said proudly, "I used my own power to become Michael's girlfriend.” Ruby said in a sarcastic tone, "Whose power are you talking about? Do you want to know the truth? The person whose life my mother saved back then was Michael Carter. So, you better not get in my way.” Nora looked at Ruby in surprise. She had never imagined that such a coincidence of fate could happen. Ruby added, "And if I set my mind to it, I might even marry Michael one day. Then let's see what you do!” Nora was stunned. She clenched her fists and said in panic, "Ruby, I'm sorry. If I did something wrong, I'm sorry.” Ruby looked at her with a faint smile and said, "You're smart." Then she dipped her hand into the sink and splashed water onto Nora's face. "But I'm sorry, your dreams will never come true!" Nora tried to dodge, but a few drops of water fell on her. Nora looked at Ruby in anger, but couldn't bring herself to say anything. Ruby looked like a fairy tale princess tonight. No matter how anyone looked at her, Nora was determined to never let her become the daughter-in-law of the Carter family. When Ruby returned to the dining table, she took a sip of red wine. There was a slight pink blush on her delicate face. Suddenly her eyes met Michael Carter's deep eyes again. Michael was watching her, and every small and big move of hers was having a deep impact on him. Ruby felt like she was hallucinating, and her thoughts kept wandering to Michael. What was happening to him?