Chapter 235

Silverwood University's hundred-year festivity unfolded without a hitch, culminating in the night's lavish feast and formal ball.

The gathering occurred within the freshly unveiled Diamond Dome Hall.

Hannah, Miles, and Felix found themselves surrounded by prominent industry magnates,drawing attention effortlessly.

At the edge of the dance floor, Erica mingled smoothly, offering dazzling grins to a cluster of elite women. However, her gaze continually shifted to Hannah, whose presence seemed to captivate everyone.

A frosty grin tugged at Erica's mouth as she glanced slyly at a nearby young waiter. He was carrying a platter of red wine, poised to navigate through the partygoers.Feigning an outfit adjustment, Erica subtly slid out her left leg, tripping the waiter with a calculated nudge.

The waiter gave a startled cry, flailing as he collided into Hannah,who had been deep in a discussion.

The tray flew from,his hands, launching about seven glasses in midair, their red contents flinging toward Hannah like a crashing wave.

With a split-second reaction, Miles's pupils widened,and he sprang into action, throwing himself in front of Hannah.

The sticky wine splashed across Miles's back.

The waiter, ghostly pale, mumbled frantic apologies,completely paralyzed with alarm.

Miles's dark blue designer attire was completely saturated, with the scent of alcohol spreading rapidly.

Observing nearby, Erica noted her ploy hadn't gone as intended, though another opportunity bloomed in her thoughts.Drawing a few socialites into her circle,her expression brightened with mischievous delight."Did you catch that? Looks like Mr. Whitaker and Ms.Scott are totally an item."

A woman clad in a violet gown beamed. "For sure-he totally shielded her!"

Someone in a lemon-colored gown released a dreamy sigh. "I've caught Mr. Whitaker watching MMs.Scott all night. Those online whispers might be true."

Erica grinned softly while swirling her wine glass.Since her stunt didn't go as she expected, she just made sure to twist it into playing right into the rumor mill. These high-society ladies craved drama, and before the night ended, chatter about Hannah and Miles would dominate every conversation.

Felix, still locked in a conversation with a professor regarding a drone prototype, missed the entire incident. Alarmed by the ruckus, he hurried to Hannah."Hannah, are you hurt?"

Hannah gave a slight shake of her head."Nothing happened." Her gaze shifted to Miles, anxiety coloring her voice. "Mr. Whitaker!"

Miles straightened slowly, wine soaking through his shirt, and answered in a steady tone, "I'm alright."

"You should go change," Hannah said, her voice tinged with concern.

With a nod, Miles walked briskly toward the staircase leading up to the VIP dressing rooms.

Upon reaching there, Miles stared at the ruined outfit and dialed his assistant, Kenneth. "I'm in the furthest dressing area upstairs. My suit's ruined. Bring my default dark gray suit here within fifteen. Same brand."

"Understood, Mr. Whitaker!" Kenneth repolied,urgency clear in his voice.

However, after fifteen long minutes, Kenneth was still nowhere in sight. Miles had only managed to pat down the stains with a small towel.

Miles' phone buzzed with an incoming call from Kenneth. "Mr. Whitaker, I'm afraid I can't show up anytime soon. I'm trapped in traffic on the way over.It'll take at least another hour."

Miles inhaled slowly, forcing calm into his tone."Fine."

Right before the call ended, Kenneth hesitantly added, "Um, there's a suit in the trunk of the car you drove today. It's the one Ms. Scott gifted you. You asked me to discard it, but I forgot..." His.voice trailed off.

"Alright." Miles ended the call. After standing still a moment, he rang up his chauffeur and requested that the shopping bag be delivered immediately.

The driver arrived promptly, and Miles lifted the dust cover to find a flawless indigo outfit. It included a crisp white dress shirt and a silver-gray tie, still wrapped in bits of packaging film.

When Miles received the outfit months ago, he had dismissed the gesture, his prejudice against Hannah making him cast off anything coming from her. At that time, he had doubted her motives and instructed Kenneth to get rid of it. He never imagined it'd save the day now.

With no alternative, Miles slipped it on. He braced for it to hang awkwardly, but it molded to his frame flawlessly, as if custom-made.

Soon after,Miles walked into the grand hall, exuding poise. He made his way straight to Hannah.

When Hannah spotted him, she exhaled in relief though a flash of recognition flickered in her expression. That outfit looked familiar-something about it stirred her memory.

Felix caught sight of the ensemble and his jaw dropped. He immediately recalled that Hannah had purchased that exact suit.

Right at that moment, Vincent stepped through the entrance beside Connor. They'd previously been in a lengthy discussion about funding contributions.

The moment Vincent stepped in, his attention snapped to the indigo fabric Miles was wearing.The sight stirred something deep and personal in his recollection.