Chapter 115

Besty marched into the garage, her frustration plain as day, and found her car sitting on four flat tires.

Shit!

She clenched her jaw, certain it was the same man she had just met. he was going out of his way to impress Lainey.

What a moron.

Someone as conniving as Lainey couldn't possibly be the real daughter of the Benton family.

She would get what she deserved.

Still, Besty couldn't ignore the deep sense of disgust churning in her chest.

Before she could leave the car behind, a flash of headlights cut through the dim garage. A sleek car pulled up. The window slid down,revealing a relatively striking face. It was no doubt Ryland.

"Having car trouble?" Ryland asked, his arm resting casually over the steering wheel as he gave her a knowing look.

He hadn't forgotten Besty, the director at Eleanor's store and a favorite topic in Lillian's stories, always described as lovely, warm-hearted, and capable.

Because of Lillian and out of respect for Nolan,Ryland felt compelled to step in to help.

Relief softened Besty's stiff posture as she recognized him. "Yes. Could you just take me to the store? I'll handle the car situation later."

Ryland kept silent, reaching over to unlock the passenger door without another word.

After offering a quick thanks, Besty slid into the seat beside him.

They made their way to the shop, and as Besty was about to step out, something popped into her mind.She rummaged through her purse, pulled out a fancy invitation stamped with gold, and held it out. "Oh almost forgot, Mr. Brooks. Lainey wanted me to give this to Eleanor. I'm not sure when Eleanor will drop by, so can you pass it along? I appreciate it."

Ryland accepted the invitation.

Running his thumb over the elegant gold details, he let out a low scoff.

He thought to himself that Lainey had some nerve,always trying to agitate Eleanor.

Later on, Nolan ended up handing the invitation to Eleanor.

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop and gave Eleanor a sly grin. "So, are you planning to go?"

Eleanor picked up the envelope, barely glanced at it,and set it back down with little interest.

She answered evenly, "Of course. Why wouldn't I? If Lainey wants to put on a performance for me, I'll play along.Besides, it's a perfect opportunity to connect with people and line up new sponsors for my foundation."

Even though she had a certain reputation as Enigma,there were still plenty of affluent people she hadn't reached.

Fan support could only go so far. In the end,everything hinged in the favor of influential socialites and business leaders.

With that in mind, Eleanor saw no downside to attending the event.

If Lainey wanted to parade around and flaunt her status, Eleanor was happy to let her have the spotlight.

Nolan listened to her calm reasoning, and the chill in his gaze faded, replaced by a warm, affectionate grin. "In that case, let's go pick out some matching clothes. That way, everyone will know we're together." He hated the thought of strangers, unaware of their relationship, setting their sights on her.

With her charm, he felt the urge to make sure everyone knew she was spoken for.

Eleanor blinked in surprise at his suggestion, but realization quickly dawned on her.

Who would have guessed that the mighty CEO of the Stewart Group could have such a heightened sense of crisis?

The whole thing struck her as both funny and a little endearing.

"Sure," she agreed with a smile.

She had actually hoped to make her own dress this time.

However, Lainey's urgent request for a set of mother-daughter outfits had completely filled up her schedule.

That being the case, she figured picking up something from a boutique would be more than enough.

It had been ages since Nolan enjoyed a real date with her.

The moment she gave her consent, he wasted no time dropping his paperwork as he eagerly took her by the hand and led her out the door.

They made quite the impression, drawing glances and whispers from nearly everyone they passed.

After snagging their coordinated outfits, they suddenly found themselves at the center of a fan gathering.

"Is that really Nolan with Enigma? I can't believe it!"

"ls this a date? You two look so cute together!"

"Would you mind if we took a picture with you guys?"

Their supporters were clearly thrilled but made sure to keep a polite distance, content to simply be close.

The cheerful buzz was soon interrupted by someone shouting over the crowd. "Move aside! Mrs. Todd needs to get through!"