William and Kevin, having presented their invitations, were naturally welcomed inside. Hank Miller, however, was left standing at the entrance. For a moment, he didn't know whether he should stay or leave.
At this point, he no longer dared to put on airs. Everyone inside outranked him. Even William and Kevin—both heirs from prominent families—had entered with respectful attitudes. Compared to them, who did he think he was? Either of those two could crush him without lifting a finger.
The young men who had followed him earlier were equally stunned. Their previous arrogance had vanished completely, shrinking into silence like frightened birds.
Seeing this, Evan felt quite satisfied. He smiled faintly and asked, "Mr. Miller, you still haven't answered—do you know anyone inside?"
Hank's expression stiffened. After a brief pause, he replied awkwardly, "I… don't recognize anyone. I won't be going in."
At this moment, he truly lacked the courage. Although it was regretful to give up on Charlotte, staying alive—and intact—mattered far more.
As for Jason's ranking on Charlotte's livestream? That was no longer relevant. Even if Jason had never tipped her a single dollar, it was still beyond Hank's reach. At that level, someone like Jason probably wouldn't even bother tipping in livestreams at all.
There were, in fact, two kinds of "big spenders." One type expected a woman in return for their money. That was Hank. The other type either tipped casually for amusement, didn't bother tipping at all, or had capital backing them so thoroughly that small amounts were meaningless. Jason clearly belonged to the latter category—if not an even higher one.
Evan smiled politely. "Please wait here for a moment. I'll inform the boss's secretary."
By now, it was obvious that Hank had initially come for Charlotte. And Charlotte was currently staying close to Jason. There was reason to suspect Hank might cause trouble. Letting him in directly was out of the question. But simply kicking him out also wasn't appropriate. This situation needed to be reported first.
Evan turned and walked into the banquet hall. Hank almost called out to stop him—he wanted to say he wasn't going in—but fear held his tongue. And deep down, there was still a sliver of curiosity. He wanted to know exactly what kind of relationship Charlotte had with Jason. Of course, only if it didn't lead to any conflict.
Inside the hall, Evan found Olivia and explained the situation in detail. He hadn't gone directly to Jason because, strictly speaking, he was Olivia's assistant—not Jason's.
Olivia listened, thought for a moment, and didn't make an immediate decision. Instead, she walked over to Jason and quietly explained everything.
Standing right beside Jason, Charlotte overheard the conversation. Her heart tightened instantly. She quickly spoke up, her voice slightly hurried. "Jason… Mr. Miller is indeed the top contributor in my livestream. But I've never met him in person. We've only interacted online, during streams."
Charlotte was naturally alluring, with eyes that easily captivated people. Because of that, many assumed she was promiscuous. In the past, she never bothered to explain. She simply continued to charm her audience and maintain that ambiguous allure. For her, explanation had never been necessary.
But now, she couldn't help herself. She didn't want Jason to misunderstand her.
Unlike Megan, whose charm had been consciously cultivated, Charlotte's allure was more innate. However, when it came to dealing with men, she knew she was far less experienced than Megan. Still, she understood one fundamental truth—men didn't like women with messy relationships. And she didn't want to be seen as one.
Men might enjoy flirtatious women, but that enjoyment was always superficial. They played around, but they were never serious. Men liked women who carried charm—but deep down, they also hoped that when it came to them, that woman would be restrained, self-respecting, and exclusive.
Jason smiled gently at Charlotte and said in a calm, reassuring voice, "Yes. I believe you."
Charlotte froze for a split second. That smile was warm—pure, without calculation. He truly believed her.
Until now, Charlotte's goodwill toward Jason had come from his looks, wealth, temperament, and aura. She had never imagined that he also possessed something so rare—trust without suspicion. Most men admired her natural allure while secretly labeling her as someone "not serious."
Jason had only met her twice. So how could he understand her so easily?
What she didn't know was that Jason could clearly see—through the system—that she had zero ex-boyfriends. For someone as beautiful as Charlotte, that alone spoke volumes. Naturally, he believed her.
Jason continued calmly, "Since Mr. Miller is the top supporter in Charlotte's livestream, he is a VIP of Infinity Media. Of course, he's welcome at our annual meeting. Please invite him in."
Evan immediately understood and nodded. Did Jason really not realize that Hank Miller had come for Charlotte? Of course he did. Jason always had his reasons. Evan didn't question it—his job was simply to execute.
Soon, Hank Miller and the young men behind him were invited inside. The moment they entered and saw the four women beside Jason, Hank and the others couldn't help but widen their eyes. What kind of luck was this? Hank had been with many women, but none of them were anywhere near this level. Jason, on the other hand, had four—each one exceptional. And Charlotte—whom Hank had coveted for so long—wasn't even sitting closest to Jason. Another woman sat between them.
Jason smiled politely. "Mr. Miller, please have a seat."
Hank, who usually carried himself with authority, felt uncharacteristically tense. "Th… thank you," he muttered, sitting stiffly on the sofa opposite Jason. He couldn't help it. Almost everyone around him outranked him—some by an absurd margin. These were people who followed Jason's lead. Even William and Kevin, who had just arrived, sat down respectfully nearby.
Jason said casually, "I heard you're Charlotte's top supporter. Thank you for supporting her."
Hank waved his hands hurriedly. "No, no. It's nothing. Charlotte brings great emotional value. After work, watching her streams helps us relax. Supporting her a little is only natural."
Jason nodded. "Regardless, thank you for supporting Infinity Media. Let me toast you."
Hank noticed the gazes from William, Kevin, and the others around him. His heart jumped. "No, no—I should be the one to toast you. I'll drink first. Mr. Carter, please do as you wish."
He stood up quickly, bent forward, and clinked glasses—deliberately lowering his glass so that its rim touched only the middle of Jason's. After that, he downed the drink in one go.
In that brief exchange, Hank understood something clearly. He had lost. Completely. He had been crushed by a man barely in his early twenties. Jason was courteous, refined, and calm—yet the invisible pressure from his presence was overwhelming.
Hank managed a factory with hundreds of employees. The people he dealt with were all wealthy. He had once thought he'd entered the upper class. Only now did he realize he had merely stepped into the circle of new money. The real upper class existed on a level he had never touched. The gap between the wealthy and the truly elite was vast.
harlotte: Favorability +1 (84 → 85)
Charlotte's eyes shone as she watched the scene unfold. Not far away, Wanda observed everything silently. Her admiration deepened even further.
Wanda: Favorability +3 (65 → 68)
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