Raphael, however, didn't seem offended. Instead, amusement flickered in his eyes as he studied her. "Irene?" His voice was calm, yet there was a note of intrigue. "You may not know me, but I know who you are."
Irene raised an eyebrow, stepping forward. "Really? If you do, then who am I?"
A moment of silence.
Raphael knew he couldn't say the truth. Calling her a Brown—acknowledging her real identity—would stir unnecessary trouble, especially for Roland.
After a beat, he smiled. "You're a friend of my son."
Irene mirrored his smile. "Then I must apologize, sir. I didn't prepare a gift for you." She paused, then added smoothly, "Why? Because you're richer than me. What could I possibly buy for the richest man in Country B that would impress him?"
Raphael threw his head back and laughed, a deep, hearty sound. "I like you."
Irene placed a hand over her heart, feigning innocence. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't go for older men." She glanced at Brian and his brothers, a playful glint in her eyes. "Besides, I have a crush on your sons."
The room burst into laughter, the tension dissolving into amusement.
Jacob leaned toward Roland, his voice laced with admiration. "Your daughter is truly one of a kind."
Roland sighed, his expression one of pure suffering. "Thanks for the compliment."
The three of them?" Raphael asked, raising an eyebrow, his voice laced with curiosity.
Irene laughed softly, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I don't know yet."
Raphael chuckled, the warmth of his laugh reaching his eyes. "Brian, you should learn from her. That's how you make people laugh on their birthday."
Brian's gaze flickered toward Irene, a faint smile tugging at his lips, but he didn't say anything. He was always intrigued by how effortlessly she could steal the spotlight.
Edward's eyes gleamed with a hint of challenge. "This Irene of a girl is beautiful, and dad likes her. Should I go for her?"
Richard looked at him, his expression hardening, the silent threat in his gaze unmistakable. "She is not blind to choose someone like you."
Edward's face flushed with embarrassment, but he quickly masked it with confidence. "We don't know her mind. And more than you two, I'm more suitable for her."
Brian let out a quiet snort, but he stayed silent, not wanting to get drawn into another of Edward's grand declarations.
"We'll see about that," Richard muttered under his breath, his sharp eyes not leaving Edward.
The night drew to a close, the celebration winding down as the Black family gifted people with parcels wrapped in fine paper.
"What do you think about the parcel?" Justin whispered to Esmeralda, his voice laced with subtle concern. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Esmeralda glanced over, her brow furrowed slightly. "Our parcel looks very normal, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it." But her words carried a trace of uncertainty too.
Irene, however, wasn't convinced. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the brown parcel in her hands, a sense of unease creeping up her spine. She could feel it—the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, a gut feeling that something was off.
"Everything is wrong with the parcel," Irene muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "It's probably a disguise. The parcel comes in two colors: white and brown. We got the brown, and there's nothing wrong with it. So something is definitely in the white. I'm going to check it out." Her tone was firm, her intuition screaming that she needed to act.
Without waiting for a response, she slipped out of the hall, her sharp gaze scanning the people around her, searching for anyone holding a white parcel.
Her eyes caught sight of a woman walking briskly among the guests, clutching a white parcel. Irene's heart quickened. Her instincts were never wrong. She moved toward the woman with the grace of someone who had practiced being unnoticed, then deliberately collided with her.
The woman gasped as the contents of her hands fell to the floor. "I'm so sorry!" Irene exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine apology, but her eyes were scanning the fallen items with practiced ease.
"No need, thank you," the woman stammered, clearly panicking now, her voice tight.
Irene bent down, her fingers brushing against the floor, her hand instinctively reaching for a small bottle that had rolled away. It looked like a perfume bottle, but Irene could sense it wasn't. There was a subtle vibration beneath her fingertips, a faint hum that told her it wasn't what it seemed. Her hand closed around it, slipping it into her purse with a fluid motion, the woman completely unaware of the deception.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," Irene said again, her voice sweet and apologetic, but the sharpness in her eyes told another story.
"No problem," the woman replied, her smile forced, but Irene could see the nervous tremor in her hands.
As Irene stood, she gave the woman a small smile, almost like an act of kindness to keep her calm. "Thanks, you look beautiful in blue."
The woman blushed, her anxiety momentarily forgotten as she stammered a soft reply, "Thank you."
Irene watched her for a moment longer, her gaze calculating. As the woman walked away, Irene's mind was already running through the possibilities. There was definitely something wrong with that parcel, and she was going to find out exactly what it was.
Everything Irene did was seen by Richard's squad, aside from what she picked up and each move made the ladies grow more irritable.
"She's not only good at flirting with men, but also with women," Susan muttered, her voice seething with envy. Watching Irene so effortlessly charm everyone around her made Susan's blood boil. She couldn't stand how easily Irene moved between people, leaving an indelible mark on each of them.
"She's nothing but a bitch, who's trying so hard to take my man by all means," Victoria spat, her words dripping with venom. The jealousy inside her churned like a storm. Every time Irene smiled at Brian, it felt like a direct slap to Victoria's face, mocking her every step.
"Point of correction, he's not yours yet," Susan shot back, her tone biting as she narrowed her eyes at Victoria. She didn't care about Victoria's possessiveness over Brian. It was all too much, and in this moment, she felt like it was time to set things straight.
"The problem is not who he is," Mary intervened, her voice cold and calculating. "We have a common enemy here, and that's Irene." There was a sharpness in her tone, as if she could taste the bitterness of the words she was speaking. The frustration of seeing Irene thrive in their midst was eating at her from the inside.
From behind them, Esmeralda's voice rang out, smooth yet loaded with defiance. "I don't think you're worthy of being an enemy to my baby." She was calm, but the air around her crackled with her unwavering loyalty. She had no tolerance for these women and their petty squabbles.
"Here comes the Dog," Mary sneered, the words a direct jab at Esmeralda's unshakeable confidence.
Esmeralda turned to face them, her expression serene, almost taunting. "Ohhh, do you know? Dogs bite whosoever talks bad about their owners." Her tone was playful, yet there was an edge to it, daring them to say more.
"Hey, can you guys stop acting like thugs?" Daniel interjected, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. He was trying to stop the brewing conflict, but it only seemed to escalate things.
"Thugs? That's rich coming from you, Mr." Esmeralda retorted, her eyes narrowing. She wasn't going to let him derail the conversation or take her focus away from the real issue at hand.
"I'm trying to stop you guys from fighting, and you're accusing me?" Daniel defended himself, frustration leaking through his words. He didn't understand why they couldn't just stop with the insults and fighting, especially when it was all about someone like Irene.
"All this problem is caused by Brian. Can't he just put some people in their place, instead of living in their delusional world?" Esmeralda muttered, the bitterness clear in her voice. She was tired of the constant drama, tired of Brian's indecision.
"I don't know about Brian choosing to be with me, but I'm so sure he won't choose a wild dog to be with," Susan said, the disdain dripping from every word. She turned her nose up at Esmeralda's comment, disgusted by her boldness.
"I don't know why you guys can't stop talking about me, but I don't have your time tonight," Irene smiled sweetly, her expression deceptively calm. "Let's go home. Where's Justin?" She asked, her voice almost too nonchalant as she tried to brush off the tension.
"He's probably not going home tonight," Esmeralda responded dryly, her tone heavy with the unsaid implications of Justin's actions.
"Birds of the same feather," Mary muttered, her voice low and dripping with contempt.
Victor's frustration finally boiled over. "I don't really get why you guys are so pained. Brian hasn't even said he wants to be with Irene, and you're already acting this way." His hands were thrown up in exasperation, as if to ask, "What's the point of all this?"
"Who's driving?" Esmeralda asked, her voice a little more serious now.