"No, I was just messing with a couple of flowerpots, trying to plant something. But I guess I have a black thumb, because I didn't manage to plant the flowers properly and just got dirt all over myself," Olivia Wynne said, silently sighing in relief.
'Thank goodness there are two empty flowerpots on the windowsill. I just got some soil from my space.'
A flicker of deep thought, nearly imperceptible, crossed William Wynne's eyes. He started walking forward on his long legs.
"Let's go."
At the entrance of The Gilded Lotus, Olivia got out of the car and quietly followed beside William Wynne as he led the way to their private room.
Inside a VIP room at The Gilded Lotus, Shawn Warren was sitting with his legs crossed in a showy pose. Hearing the door open, he arched a brow. His charming, almond-shaped eyes crinkled as a smirk played on his lips. "They're here," he murmured.
The group of men and women in the room fell silent, most of them looking toward the door, curious to see who Mr. Warren had been waiting for.
Leo Reid's jet-black eyes darkened slightly. A faint, mischievous smile touched his eyes as he glanced from Shawn Warren to the four or five provocatively dressed women in the room, and then to the men whose hands were roaming freely on their thighs.
'That guy William always did protect his family's little princess so well.'
As this thought crossed Leo Reid's mind, he heard Shawn Warren's delighted voice and turned to look at the doorway.
The moment the door opened, Shawn Warren shot to his feet and went to greet them.
"William! You made it! Is Olivia with you?"
When he saw Shawn Warren, William Wynne's dark eyes were calm and unreadable. But when his gaze swept over the people inside the room, his eyes instantly darkened.
But who was Shawn Warren? He and William had been thick as thieves since they were kids. The moment he saw the shift in William's eyes, he knew the man was unhappy. He immediately slung a casual arm around his friend's shoulders and called out to Olivia, who was standing behind him, "Our little cutie Olivia is here! Come on in."
A flicker of interest appeared in Olivia's eyes. She nodded at Shawn Warren and said sweetly, "Okay."
Her eyes twinkling, Olivia peeked out from behind William. Her gaze landed on the fruit platter on the table, and her eyes lit up.
'I want some.'
Hearing Olivia's response, the smile in Shawn Warren's eyes deepened. "Such a good girl, Olivia."
After praising Olivia, Shawn Warren immediately wrapped an arm around William's neck and whispered, "Have you forgotten about Olivia's dream?"
At Shawn's words, William indeed didn't voice any objections, though he still shot his friend a dark look.
"Let go."
His goal achieved, Shawn Warren knew when to quit and let go of William.
"Alright, alright, I'm letting go. Come on in and have a seat. Little sister Olivia hasn't met our friends yet, has she? Come on, I'll introduce you."
Although Shawn Warren loved a bit of drama, he was reliable when it came to getting things done. If he made a promise to a friend, he would do everything in his power to keep it.
That was why when William had asked him to help Olivia find a way into the industry, Shawn had invited the entertainment bigwigs he knew.
Bypassing William, Shawn took Olivia's hand and addressed the people on the opposite sofa. "Let me introduce you all. This is my niece, Olivia Wynne."
"Olivia, come and meet everyone. This is Mr. Linden."
Casting a charming glance toward Mr. Linden, Olivia gave a sweet greeting, "Hello, Mr. Linden."
Mr. Linden felt a stir of excitement from Olivia's beautiful eyes, but the moment he registered Shawn Warren standing there, any inappropriate thoughts were instantly extinguished. He said to Olivia, "Don't call me Mr. Linden. You're Mr. Warren's niece, so you should just call me Uncle Linden from now on."
Olivia obediently replied, "Uncle Linden."
After that, Shawn Warren introduced Olivia to a few more people, and she greeted each of them in turn.