Chapter 103: Chapter 103: “Perspective.

Ivan Hudson spoke with an air of nonchalance. After all, in their circle, such matters were hardly a secret.

But while he was nonchalant, the new acquaintances from the website around Jessie Sterling—including Shawn Stuart and the others who had been desperately trying to hit on her earlier—were all struggling to keep their composure.

What?!

What had they just heard?

A shareholder of the Sanctum?

The girl right in front of them, Jessie Sterling, who looked so young—perhaps even younger than they were—was actually a shareholder in this luxury hotel?

However, compared to the shock and indescribable, awkward anxiety of Shawn Stuart and his group, Mochi and Bella felt much more at ease.

At least, as Mochi and Bella recalled their conversations with Jessie Sterling, they were relieved they hadn’t said anything outrageous to grab attention, nor had they puffed themselves up with fraudulent lies.

Jessie Sterling had no time to worry about what the people behind her were thinking. She frowned. “That’s really not necessary. Besides, this is the company’s annual party. It makes no sense to put it on your tab. And if you’re trying to celebrate, wouldn’t that be stealing our host’s thunder?”

’He’s just trying to make things difficult for me,’ she thought.

Seeing her insistence and her little face all scrunched up, Ivan Hudson relented. “Alright then. I won’t disturb your dinner. We’ll catch up later.”

Jessie Sterling was dying for him to leave, so naturally, she didn’t try to make him stay.

As for Ivan Hudson’s suggestion to catch up later, she didn’t give it a second thought.

After Ivan Hudson left, Jessie Sterling turned around and returned to her seat.

The group at the table exchanged glances, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Thinking back on how casually Jessie Sterling had roasted this high-end hotel—a popular spot for influencers—they had all assumed she was just your average rich girl. But who would have thought she was basically complaining about “her own establishment”?

A customer complaining is one thing, but the owner complaining about her own place? That was something else entirely.

“So you’re a shareholder in the Sanctum, Little Squid!” Mochi shrieked from the side. “That’s amazing!”

Bella nodded along, giving Jessie Sterling a thumbs-up.

After they spoke, they both shot a beaming glance toward Shawn Stuart on the other side of the table.

Jessie Sterling noticed their looks and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Of course, she understood why Mochi had suddenly used her pen name.

If an ordinary girl were targeted by such rumors, it would be difficult to gather evidence, and the effort would be completely disproportionate to the outcome. When a police report doesn’t lead to a public prosecution and a private lawsuit becomes necessary, how much power does an average person really have?

That was why neither Mochi nor Bella had wanted her to confront Shawn Stuart directly.

But now, things were different.

A young woman who held shares in the Sanctum at her age—could she possibly be just another rich heiress?

Mochi was doing it on purpose.

Jessie Sterling felt a little embarrassed. “Actually, it was a coincidence.”

“What kind of coincidence?” Mochi asked curiously.

Jessie Sterling pursed her lips and coughed softly. “Um, they were the winnings from a bet I made with someone.”

“Whoa!”

If Ivan Hudson’s appearance had stunned the table, then Jessie Sterling’s words gave everyone a glimpse into a world they had never even been exposed to.

Jessie Sterling briefly recounted the story of her horse race against Brianna Hudson, then turned to meet Mochi’s sparkling eyes.

“So, Little Squid, is your series on the website, New Marriage Diary, just the daily life of your circle?” Mochi was practically weeping on the inside. It wasn’t like she hadn’t read Jessie’s series. At the time, she had even complained to her best friend, blaming her own lack of imagination. But now she saw the truth. ’This has nothing to do with a poor imagination! It’s because I’m broke!’

’You really can’t blame me for not being able to draw stuff like that!’

As Mochi said this, many people at the table turned their gazes toward Shawn Stuart.

After all, everyone knew about the scene Shawn Stuart had caused on Weibo.

Previously, no one had known Jessie Sterling’s pen name on the website, but now that they did, they couldn’t help but connect her to the online feud with Shawn Stuart.

Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Shawn Stuart couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

’What are they all looking at me for?’

But when he met Jessie Sterling’s unsmiling eyes, his internal cursing stuttered to a halt, and his heart lurched.

He had a bad feeling about this.

And sure enough, the next moment, Jessie Sterling spoke to him.

“Shouldn’t you be well aware of it, Mr. Stuart?” Jessie Sterling said, looking at him. “Why don’t you tell us all the details right now?”

Her tone was mild, but her words ripped away the mask he wore in polite society.

She showed no mercy; it was swift and decisive.

“I saw your Weibo post, Mr. Stuart. You saw the fireworks show in Southaven? And you know the person who set them off?” Jessie Sterling didn’t give him a chance to refuse, practically interrogating him.

For some reason, a chill ran down Shawn Stuart’s back.

He gave a dry laugh. ’There’s no way things could be this coincidental,’ he thought.

“I’m not what you’d call close with them, but you know my sister, Cheryl Stuart, she knows a lot of people in that circle. So, we have some connections with the socialites and heiresses in Southaven,” Shawn said.

Jessie Sterling: “So you were lying? You don’t actually know the person who set off the fireworks at all?”

Cold sweat beaded on Shawn Stuart’s forehead. He gave a sheepish laugh. “Well, uh, it’s not like I don’t know them, right? A friend of a friend is still a friend…”

’So why shouldn’t a friend of a friend count as someone I know, too?’

“Holy crap, you’re shameless,” Mochi blurted out in shock before Jessie Sterling could even say anything.

Mochi’s outburst cut off what Jessie Sterling had been about to say, making her laugh instead.

Shawn Stuart: “…!”

“So you don’t know the person who set off the fireworks at all,” Yvonne Rhodes chimed in, stating it as a fact.

Shawn Stuart’s expression turned ugly, but how could he possibly admit to lying in public?

“How is that possible? My sister is very familiar with that crowd. Haven’t you seen her old Weibo posts? She gets invited to the wedding banquets of rich people, where the gift boxes for guests are worth a hundred thousand yuan. She has a great relationship with them, and our family often attends these galas. Over time, you’re bound to recognize some faces. We’re just not close friends, but doesn’t that still count as knowing them?” Shawn Stuart said, disgruntled. “Business receptions are always packed with people, both acquaintances and strangers. Just because you’ve never seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

As Shawn Stuart spoke, his little entourage seemed convinced and chimed in to support him—

“Exactly! Shawn is a man of status. He could have just relied on his family, but he insisted on making a name for himself.”

“A nodding acquaintance is still an acquaintance, right?”

“You women shouldn’t get so hung up on the details. Some things are better left alone. You need to broaden your horizons. Clinging to such a trivial matter just shows you’re not very magnanimous, you know?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep