The man who posed the question stood five feet away from Rose Ferguson, observing the scene before approaching her.
"I'll meet you in the hall," Rose Ferguson interjected abruptly, cutting him off before swiftly making her way toward the banquet.
Meanwhile, Andrea Singers had taken the podium and was nearing the end of her speech as Rose entered the room. "The Singers Group has decided to forge new partnerships and we are prepared to invest six billion dollars into expanding the Singers Group in Vegas City," she announced.
When Mr. Singers established the Singers Group branch in Vegas, it was merely a facade to clandestinely search for his daughter without alerting his adversaries. Thus, the Singers Group in Vegas was nothing more than an empty shell with an illustrious name.
Rose Ferguson stood amidst the applause at the banquet, feeling a surge of anger as she heard Andrea Singers' speech, seemingly intent on snuffing out the last flicker of hope the Ferguson family held onto.
As her phone rang, displaying her grandfather's name on the screen, Rose's already pale face turned even paler, her nerves on edge. She hurriedly stepped out of the hall to take the call.
Upon answering, she was met with her grandfather's furious voice booming from the phone speaker, reprimanding her, "Rose, how could you jeopardize the Ferguson family like this? I entrusted you with a simple task of negotiating with Andrea Singers, and you've failed us. Why have we not secured a partnership with the Singers after all the effort we put into securing this opportunity?"
Rose bit her lower lip, grappling with the dilemma of whether to reveal her complicated history with Andrea Singers to her grandfather. She knew that divulging such information would only invite more scolding and disappointment.
The voice on the other end showed no concern for Rose's silence as it continued, "If you don't retrieve that contract, you can forget about any support from the Fergusons. You'll be cut off from the family." Rose was jolted out of her shock, but before she could utter a word, the call abruptly ended. Her attempts to call back were futile, and tears streamed down her face as she whispered, "Grandpa, you can't do this."
Without the backing of the Ferguson family, Rose dreaded the thought of what her husband, Jack, might do to her.
As she wiped away her tears and looked up, she found Jack standing at the bathroom door, his gaze icy. "Who were you speaking to on the phone?" he demanded, his voice laced with anger.
"It was Grandpa," Rose replied nervously, inching back in fear.
Jack advanced towards her, his strides swift, until he cornered her, gripping her neck and pinning her against the wall. "Bitch! Don't even think of cheating on me with anyone," he snarled, his threat hanging in the air menacingly.
Rose Ferguson's arms flailed as she gasped, "Please, Jack... you're hurting me."
Ignoring her plea, Jack tightened his grasp before finally releasing her. Rose coughed violently, struggling to catch her breath.
With a look of disdain, Jack turned and strode out of the restroom, back into the bustling banquet hall where soft music filled the air and guests twirled in pairs on the dance floor.
His eyes scanned the room until they settled on Andrea Singers, who was dancing with Valentine Anderson. Jack's expression darkened with jealousy, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
Unaware of being watched, Valentine and Andrea swayed together, locked in a slow dance, their eyes fixed on each other.
"Valentine Anderson, how would you feel if I changed you as my partner?" Andrea teased mischievously.
"No, you can't," Valentine replied urgently, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Andrea Singers couldn't help but smile when she noticed Valentine Anderson's typical possessiveness and jealousy on display once again.
"Why not?" Andrea asked softly, her expression calm and composed.
Valentine Anderson hesitated, realizing that his earlier reaction had been too impulsive.
"Miss Andrea Singers, may I have this dance?" a deep voice asked gently.
Turning her head, Andrea saw that it was Jack, Rose Ferguson's husband. Without hesitation, she replied, "Of course. I'd rather not dance with my employee."
With that, Andrea smoothly moved away from Valentine Anderson, who stood frozen, his arms hanging in the air. He watched with a mix of anger and jealousy as Jack took his place. A painful twinge in his heart made him clench his fists tightly, fighting the urge to push Jack away. Finally, he turned on his heel and walked off.
Leaning against the wall, Valentine watched Andrea dancing with another man, a pained expression etched on his face.
A waiter passed by carrying a bottle of wine, and Valentine Anderson seized it, opening it and taking swigs one after another, disregarding his appearance.
As he observed Andrea chatting and smiling with Jack, he took three steps toward them, only to retreat in frustration. Downing another large gulp, he noticed Rose Ferguson reentering the banquet hall, having concealed the marks around her neck with makeup.
Startled to see Andrea dancing with her husband, Rose scanned the hall and spotted Valentine in a sorry state. Approaching him anxiously, she urged, "Val, what are you doing? Hurry, go and intervene to stop them from dancing together."
Valentine glowered at her in fury, taking another hefty swig. His eyes grew more bloodshot, his eyelids heavy, and the effects of the alcohol were beginning to take hold, making him slightly tipsy.
"Do you think she will even listen to me? Rose, because of you, I lost my wife. How does it feel to see the man you married in another woman's arms? That's how Andrea felt when I was with you. Do you take pleasure in it?" Valentine Anderson's voice had a sharp edge to it.
Rose Ferguson's expression soured as she retorted, "You're drunk, Valentine Anderson."
With that, she spun on her heels and walked away. Andrea Singers noticed Rose's gaze and leaned in to whisper something to her husband, Jack, who responded with a smile and a nod.