Chapter 429 - 425: Who is Ms. Sterling?

Jasmine Sterling quickly straightened up, but the alcohol had gone to her head, making her unsteady on her feet. Her entire body suddenly lurched to one side.

Randall Jennings reacted in a flash, extending a hand to steady her.

"I’m sorry, I’ve had a little too much to drink." Jasmine Sterling steadied herself, touching her forehead with an apologetic look.

Randall Jennings, however, looked at the woman before him in surprise. In his memory, Ms. Sterling had always been a gentle and simple figure. But the Ms. Sterling standing before him now was dressed in an elegant and stately satin qipao, with jade on her wrist and South Sea pearls around her neck. Her entire aura was a world apart from before, far more graceful and dignified.

Especially now that she had been drinking, the blush on her cheeks lent her a touch of intoxicating beauty.

In both appearance and aura, she was like a completely different person!

"Ms. Sterling, are you in Lorcain to see Cecilia again?" Randall Jennings concealed the look in his eyes and asked softly.

Jasmine Sterling showed a faint smile and shook her head gently. "No, our whole family has moved to Lorcain now."

"I see..."

"Mr. Jennings, are you here for a business dinner? Don’t worry about me, I’m still sober enough. You should get back to it," Jasmine Sterling said.

Randall Jennings nodded, but he was still a little worried. "Are you sure you’re okay? Should I walk you back to your private room?"

"I’m really fine. I’m not drunk, I just drank a bit too quickly and my stomach’s a little upset."

Seeing Jasmine Sterling’s insistence, Randall Jennings didn’t push it. "Alright then. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime."

Jasmine Sterling was about to offer a polite refusal, but her daughter’s words flashed through her mind: ’No matter what you do in Lorcain, connections are the most important thing.’

So she went along with it, smiled, and agreed, "Okay."

Randall Jennings did indeed have business to discuss, so he didn’t delay any longer. After confirming that Jasmine Sterling wasn’t drunk, he quickly walked back to his private room.

Jasmine Sterling watched from a distance. Seeing Randall Jennings enter The Snow Bamboo Room, she immediately waved the manager over.

"Ms. Sterling, do you need any help?"

Jasmine Sterling was a frequent customer, so the staff, especially the department managers, all recognized her and treated her with great respect.

Jasmine Sterling pointed to Randall Jennings’s private room and instructed, "If the guests in this room haven’t paid their bill, just charge it to my card. Put it on my tab."

Mr. Jennings had helped her daughter out in a big way before, and back then, she had only made a God Jumps Over the Wall and sent it over to express her gratitude. Jasmine Sterling always felt that it wasn’t enough.

Running into him here today was an opportunity; she wanted to express her gratitude to Mr. Jennings once again.

The manager heard this and immediately nodded. "No problem. I’ll go check if they’ve paid."

Jasmine Sterling returned to her own private room. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by a burst of laughter. Wendy Duncan saw Jasmine return and quickly stood up. "Jasmine, hurry! Sissy said she used to study jazz dance, but she’s too shy to dance for us. Didn’t you study it too? You two should dance a number together!"

"Oh, that was so many years ago. I’m definitely rusty now," the wealthy socialite named Sissy shyly refused.

But Jasmine Sterling, perhaps because she had been drinking and was in a good mood, showed no hesitation. She went forward and pulled Sissy by the hand. "What’s there to be afraid of? If you have the fundamentals, you’ll get the feeling back after a few moves. I’ll join you!"

"Come on, come on, someone put on some music!"

"Dim a couple of lights!"

"I’ll record a video!"

With everyone egging them on, the private room instantly became lively. This group of wealthy socialites, who were usually so particular about their speech and behavior, revealed such a vibrant and carefree side after a few drinks.

Jasmine Sterling, dressed in her qipao, began to dance to the music. Sissy, swept up by the mood, started to sway along beside her.

Cheers, applause, and screams echoed throughout the private room.

Around midnight, the dinner in Randall Jennings’s private room finally came to an end. The door opened and a crowd of people emerged, surrounding Randall Jennings. The group of successful, middle-aged bosses were all flushed and dizzy from the drinks.

"Director Jennings, I’m so happy we could finalize this partnership today. Thank you! I’ll host next time, you absolutely have to come."

"I also have to thank Director Jennings for bringing me in on such a great project."

They had clearly sealed another major deal at the dinner table tonight. Randall Jennings responded to each of them in turn. Shortly after, his assistant, who had gone to pay the bill, returned and said in a low voice, "Chairman, the restaurant said the bill has already been paid."

"Hmm?"

Randall Jennings froze for a moment, then quickly asked while everyone was still there, "Which one of you snuck off and paid the bill behind my back?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in confusion, then shook their heads.

They were all top figures in the business world; they understood the etiquette of these dinners. You don’t snatch the bill from the host, otherwise it would seem like you’re trying to curry favor.

Whoever organizes, pays. That was a recognized and undisputed rule among them.

Randall Jennings also felt it was unlikely anyone would be so disrespectful of the rules, so he looked at his assistant and asked, "Could there be a mistake? Go get the manager."

Shortly after, the manager came over. Before Randall Jennings could even speak, the manager took the initiative and said, "My apologies, Mr. Jennings, I forgot to explain. The bill for your table has already been taken care of."

"Who paid for it?" Randall Jennings asked.

The manager answered truthfully, "It was Ms. Sterling. I assume you know her?"

"Ms. Sterling?"

It dawned on Randall Jennings, and he was quite surprised. ’How did Ms. Sterling manage to pay the bill without anyone noticing?’

"Is she still here?" Randall Jennings asked quickly.

The manager smiled apologetically. "Ms. Sterling finished her meal and left a little after ten o’clock."

Randall Jennings let out a soft sigh, feeling quite embarrassed.

Their table hadn’t been cheap. The few bottles of fine wine alone were astronomically priced. Having Ms. Sterling pay such a large bill made Randall Jennings feel indebted.

"Can you refund the money to Ms. Sterling? I’ll pay for it again," Randall Jennings asked.

The manager shook his head, a troubled look on his face. "I’m sorry, Mr. Jennings, but that’s not possible. It’s already been posted to the account."

The bill had been charged to Ms. Sterling’s Ultimate Black Gold Card. Since it was an account charge rather than a direct payment, there was no way to process a refund.

Just then, a friend who was on good terms with Randall came closer, looked at him, and said in a meaningful tone, "Randall, who is this Ms. Sterling? How come I’ve never heard you mention knowing any woman with that name?"

In Lorcain, they couldn’t immediately recall any prominent families or corporations with the Sterling name.

The moment he spoke, the others couldn’t help but glance over, their ears perked.

Randall Jennings was still unmarried. Old Master Jennings had set him up with several suitable marriage candidates, but it was said that after trying to get to know a few, it all came to nothing.

So who was this Ms. Sterling who had suddenly appeared?

No one had ever heard of this person. Could it be that Chairman Jennings already had a secret love?