Chapter 234

Cassius was leaning against a pillar, his eyes locked on someone across the room, curiosity written all over his face.

Out of nowhere, someone smacked him on the head.

He spun around, startled, and grumbled, "William! You almost knocked me out!"

"What are you staring at?" William asked, glancing at him with a hint of indifference.

"Nothing," Cassius replied, still peering across the room with a sly grin. "By the way, you really don't know that lady?"

William finally lifted his gaze, his deep eyes reflecting a figure he knew all too well.

"Looks like she's in a bit of trouble," Cassius said, clearly enjoying the drama, while watching William's reaction.

William's face remained as cold as ice, showing no emotion.

Across the room, someone had stopped Victoria. "Miss, haven't we met somewhere before?"

The man, in his forties, was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair meticulously styled.

Victoria, trying to be patient, replied, "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken."

"No, no, I'm sure we've met!"

The man brazenly looked her up and down, even circling around her exaggeratedly. "Let me think, where could it have been?"

Victoria's face darkened, her eyes avoiding his. "You have the wrong person."

She was deliberately avoiding attention. Despite her efforts to keep a low profile, her work had garnered significant attention in the industry, and Dreamscape Construction's recent news had been widely covered. Given the company's reputation, it wasn't impossible for someone to recognize her.

As she tried to walk away, the man suddenly grabbed her arm. "Wait, I remember now!"

Victoria took a deep breath, turned around, and tried to remove his hand. "Sir, whether you remember or not is none of my concern. I'm not interested. Now, let go."

The man ignored her displeasure, still acting smug. "I know who you are. You're..."

Just as Victoria was about to forcefully shake him off, someone suddenly grabbed the man's hand tightly.

"Ow!" The man winced in pain, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Victoria stared in shock at the person who had appeared.

William, his face expressionless, didn't even glance at her. He just stared coldly at the man. "Which company are you from? Do all your employees behave so rudely?"

His tone was severe. The man, unsure of William's identity but noticing the growing attention from onlookers, couldn't afford to lose face and refused to back down easily.

"We're in the same industry, just having a normal conversation," the man argued.

William had no patience for his nonsense. Without another word, he flung the man aside.

The man stumbled, his face flushing with anger. He rolled up his sleeves and charged forward. "What the hell..."

"What's going on here?" Delmar, noticing the commotion, hurried over to inquire.

Seeing his boss personally involved, the man's arrogance vanished, and he stood obediently in front of Delmar.

Before he could explain, William impatiently said, "If this is the quality of your company's designers, then consider our collaboration canceled."

Delmar's eyes widened. He turned and scolded the man, "Look at the mess you've made! Apologize to Mr. Scott immediately!"

The man, realizing he couldn't afford to offend anyone, was about to say "I'm sorry" when William interjected, "You should apologize to her, not me."

Delmar reacted quickly, glaring at the man, "Yeah, go apologize to the lady right away!"

"Okay, okay." The man quickly turned to Victoria. "Miss, I'm really sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

Despite his words, his eyes still held a hint of resentment.

Victoria's thoughts were entirely on William, her heart pounding. She couldn't tell if she was more shocked or delighted.

Marcella, who had been observing, found the situation increasingly puzzling.

Her gaze shifted between Victoria and William. What was going on? How could someone like William, the head of Harborview City's leading enterprise, be involved in such a trivial matter?

And the way he looked at Victoria was unusual.

Could they know each other?

But how was that possible?

Victoria was just a small-time gallery employee. How could she know someone like William?

Marcella scrutinized Victoria again, finding the idea absurd. William was surrounded by women, and even if he were to choose, it wouldn't be someone like Victoria-plainly dressed and always buried in work.

Feeling reassured, Marcella's lips curled into a smile, like a spectator enjoying the show.

Victoria didn't want to escalate the situation. After all, she represented Starry Studio Gallery.

So, she accepted the man's apology and explained, "It's okay;, it's easy to mistake someone in a crowd."

She wanted to resolve the matter quickly, but William, seeing her so accommodating, felt a twinge of displeasure.

As the man slunk away, William turned to Delmar, his expression stern. "People like that will ruin your company's reputation."

Delmar, ever the diplomat, quickly understood. "Don't worry, Mr. Scott. He won't be working for us anymore."

Victoria frowned slightly. The man's behavior was inappropriate, but it didn't warrant losing his job.

She was about to speak up when William said to Delmar, "By the way, about the project plans for the second half of the year, could you elaborate?"

Delmar, all smiles, nodded eagerly. "Of course, Mr. Scott. Let's find a place to discuss."

"Sure." William followed Delmar, not sparing Victoria another glance.

Victoria watched his retreating figure, her emotions in turmoil.

She knew he was doing it on purpose.

But she couldn't blame him. William was always proud, and she had deeply hurt that pride.

"Do you know him?" Marcella approached.

Victoria shook her head lightly. "He's the CEO of the Scott Group. How could I know him?"

"Before this, he was quite the figure in Silvermist City."

Marcella looked her over. "You must have heard of him."

"Marcella, you know, just hearing about someone doesn't mean you know them."

Victoria clearly didn't want to continue the conversation. She turned to leave, but Marcella chuckled softly. "I'm curious what that unlucky guy did to provoke Mr. Scott."

Victoria lowered her eyes and walked to the nearby lounge area.

She never liked these social events, always feeling out of place. She had never even attended Dreamscape Construction's annual parties.

As soon as she sat down, someone joined her.

Victoria turned, puzzled, to see a young man beside her.

With so many empty seats around, it was hard to believe he sat next to her by coincidence. But she said nothing, turning her gaze away.

After all, it was his choice. She had no reason to overthink it.

"I'm Cassius Scott. What's your name?" Cassius broke the silence.

Scott?

Victoria looked at him more closely, noticing the resemblance to William, especially around the eyes.

She had a guess. "I'm Victoria Carter. Are you Mr. Scott's cousin?"

"That's right. And you, Ms. Carter? Are you William's ex-girlfriend?"