Chapter 228 - 226: Why Don’t You Close the Door When You’re Bad-Mouthing People?

The Crimson Candle Inn, a high-end private Cantonese restaurant in Veridia City, cost nearly two thousand dollars per person!

Judging by the messages in the group chat, the restaurant for the gathering had been changed to this place at the last minute.

Cecilia didn’t have to guess why. She was sure Lisa Upton, the organizer, had switched to this restaurant at the last minute just to keep up appearances—all because Cecilia had agreed to come. After all, Lisa had hosted and organized last year’s reunion as well.

She hadn’t deliberately dressed up, but everything she wore was a low-key luxury brand, and not a single piece was cheap. She had no intention of hiding her status from her old classmates. As Ethan had put it, showing up on her own might smack of showing off, but being "cordially invited" was another matter entirely.

They were the ones who had insisted she come, after all.

And so, while Cecilia Sterling appeared to be dressed quite plainly, she was in fact wearing a nearly one-million-dollar Cartier Limited Edition Bracelet, a necklace from the Van Cleef & Arpels Ultimate Series, and Graff Yellow Diamond Earrings.

She wore Christian Louboutin red-soled heels, carried a Hermes Birkin bag made of rare crocodile leather with a diamond buckle, and was even spritzed with Extrait de parfum, one of the world’s most exclusive fragrances. A single bottle cost nearly 300,000 dollars.

All told, her entire ensemble was worth at least eight million dollars, if not ten.

And yet, even with all these luxurious accessories, Cecilia’s radiant and gorgeous face remained the undeniable star of the show.

"Welcome to The Crimson Candle. Miss, do you have a reservation?"

A hostess in a velvet cheongsam greeted her warmly. Cecilia offered a small smile and said softly, "The Elegant Garden Room."

"Certainly. Please follow me."

Cecilia had followed the hostess for less than ten meters when a surprised voice called out from behind her, "Miss Sterling?"

Cecilia instinctively paused. Turning her head, she saw a face that was at once familiar and strange.

She paused for a moment before it dawned on her, and she quickly responded with a smile, "Mr. Warner?"

This Mr. Warner was someone Cecilia had met at an investor gathering in Lorcain, the one arranged by James Lockwood. She had met Jeb and Mr. Young there, and Mr. Warner was among them.

They had even added each other on WhatsApp.

In that moment, a few more trivial details came back to her. Mr. Warner had mentioned back then that he was from her hometown—that they were both Veridians.

"You see, when I saw you from a distance just now, I thought I was mistaken. But then I thought, how many people in this world are as beautiful and elegant as Miss Sterling? I knew I couldn’t be wrong!"

Knowing that Miss Sterling was now close with Jeb in Lorcain and was also viewed favorably by Mr. Young, Mr. Warner didn’t dare to slight her, so he laid on the compliments.

Cecilia knew it, of course. The words might be insincere, but they were still pleasant to hear.

"Mr. Warner, you’re as humorous as ever. Are you also here for dinner?"

"Dinner? What dinner? This restaurant is mine!" Mr. Warner declared with a cheerful expression. "Which private room are you in today, Miss Sterling? It’s on the house!"

"That won’t be necessary. It’s a class reunion. There are over twenty of us."

"Over twenty people? So what? You think I can’t afford it?" Mr. Warner started to call for the manager, but Cecilia stopped him.

"Really, there’s no need. Thank you. Someone else organized the reunion today, and the organizer is paying. It has nothing to do with me."

Mr. Warner had been in business for years; he was a shrewd man. Cecilia’s words seemed innocent enough, but he understood the subtext immediately.

’If she were on good terms with the host, even if she didn’t ask for the whole meal to be comped, wouldn’t she at least ask for a discount?’

But Miss Sterling hadn’t said a word.

Mr. Warner’s expression showed he understood. He nodded. "Alright, since you put it that way, Miss Sterling, we’ll do it next time. When you bring your family, just give me a heads-up on WhatsApp. If you’d be too embarrassed to let me comp it, I can at least give you a fifty-percent discount, right?"

"I’ll definitely take you up on that. A fifty-percent discount is great. If it were free, I’d be too embarrassed to even show up," Cecilia laughed.

They chatted as they went upstairs, and Mr. Warner personally escorted Cecilia to the door of her private room. It seemed dishes were being served, as the door hadn’t been closed completely, but was left ajar.

It was very lively inside. Over twenty people were packed around a huge round table, and the sound of their conversation drifted clearly through the opening.

"What time is it already? Why isn’t Cecilia here yet?"

"I bet she’s not coming. She was so hesitant about it from the start. I think she’s just scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of Lisa, obviously. What else? Lisa and Hector are together now. Don’t you think it’d be awkward for her?"

"Hey, do you think she managed to snag a rich kid in Lorcain? I hear Lorcain Tech is full of them."

"I don’t know if she’s dating anyone, but there are definitely a lot of guys chasing her. Did you see her WhatsApp profile picture? She’s even prettier than she was in high school!"

"It’s definitely Photoshopped. And speaking of pretty, Lisa is gorgeous, too!"

"You guys can stop guessing. Cecilia’s boyfriend is a cop. He’s six-foot-one, a Lorcain local, and drop-dead gorgeous."

"Whoa, Vivian, you even know all that? Then again, you two are the closest. Quick, tell us what else you know!"

"What could I possibly know, studying all the way in Linsea? But I did see her wearing a Cartier bracelet yesterday. Limited edition. Super expensive."

"Someone must have given it to her, right?"

"I don’t know about that. Don’t just make wild guesses, you guys. Cecilia isn’t that kind of person."

"What are we guessing? What ’kind of person’ are you talking about..."

Cecilia stood at the door listening for a good while, but her expression remained perfectly calm and composed.

’Just as Ethan said,’ she sneered inwardly. ’If you don’t show up, you become their gossip fodder. All sorts of absurd rumors start spreading on their own.’

’How disgusting.’

Mr. Warner had heard it too. An awkward look on his face, he sighed. "Miss Sterling, are you still..."

Cecilia looked at him and smiled slightly. "You should get back to your work, Mr. Warner."

With that, Cecilia raised a hand and pushed the door wide open. The boisterous atmosphere inside came to a screeching halt as every head turned toward the doorway in astonishment.

When they saw it was Cecilia, a mix of expressions appeared on their faces: shock, surprise, awe, and even a hint of smugness...

More than twenty faces of her old high school classmates flooded her vision, and it was impossible to recognize them all at once. Clutching her Hermes bag, she let her indifferent gaze sweep across the room before speaking, her tone laced with mockery. "If you’re going to talk behind someone’s back, shouldn’t you at least close the door?"

Her tone was light, but the words were utterly dominant.

Anyone else would have pretended they hadn’t heard. But she couldn’t be bothered to put on an act, let alone spare these people their dignity.

Caught red-handed gossiping, several of the participants lowered their heads in shame. It was Vivian Sheridan who recovered first, rising to greet her warmly. "Cecilia, you’re here! I told them you’d definitely come, but they didn’t believe me!"