After Renee Jennings finished her stream, she saw a message from Faye Wyatt.
[Renee, Mrs. Sinclair said they’re free tonight. What do you think?]
Renee Jennings blinked and quickly typed back: [Faye, do you have any other plans tonight?]
「Five minutes later.」
Faye Wyatt replied: [I don’t have anything else. I’m free anytime.]
Renee Jennings: [Okay, then let’s meet tonight.]
Faye Wyatt: [Where should we meet? Should I pick?]
Renee Jennings: [I’ll leave it to you, Faye.]
Faye Wyatt: [OK~ I’ll send it to you in a bit~]
Renee Jennings sent back a sticker of a cuddling kitten.
Meanwhile, when Aria Sinclair saw that Renee Jennings had ended her stream, she called Vincent Morgan.
"Vincent, cancel whatever plans you have for tonight," she said excitedly. "You must make time to have dinner with your sister."
On the other end of the line, Vincent Morgan frowned instinctively. "Mom, didn’t we just have a birthday dinner last night? I’m very busy today, I can’t spare the time."
"No." Aria Sinclair realized her son had misunderstood and quickly explained, "Vincent, I’m talking about Renee, not Yvonne."
"Renee?" Vincent Morgan’s voice instantly rose in surprise. "Mom, are you kidding me? Dinner with Renee tonight? For real?"
Aria Sinclair said with a smile, "Yes, and Renee was the one who invited us. She contacted me through Fanny."
"Okay," Vincent Morgan agreed immediately. "I got it. Where are we meeting tonight? I’ll head over and wait now."
"Fanny hasn’t sent the address yet." Aria Sinclair walked into her walk-in closet to pick out an outfit. "I’ll forward it to you when I get it."
"Alright," Vincent Morgan said. "I’ll get ready then."
Aria Sinclair hung up. Halfway through picking her clothes, she suddenly remembered something.
Not long ago, she had won an emerald necklace at an auction overseas, intending to give it to Renee Jennings. Now was the perfect opportunity to present it.
She walked to her safe, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and took out the emerald necklace.
A gentle smile touched Aria Sinclair’s lips, her heart full of anticipation. An image was already forming in her mind—’Renee would look absolutely beautiful wearing this necklace.’
She placed the necklace on her vanity and turned back to choosing her clothes.
Half an hour later, she was sitting at her mirror doing her makeup when her phone screen suddenly lit up.
Aria Sinclair immediately picked up her phone. She saw the reservation details for a private kitchen sent by Faye Wyatt, replied, and then forwarded it to Vincent Morgan.
**
Renee Jennings changed her clothes. A pink cinched-waist shirt outlined her waist, paired with white trousers. Her long hair was tied up casually, making her look sharp and fresh.
As soon as she got downstairs, Renee Jennings called out to Glenn Zane, "Zane, you don’t need to prepare dinner for me."
"Alright, I understand," Glenn Zane replied with a smile.
Renee Jennings walked outside and saw Rhea Dempsey lounging lazily on a deck chair in the courtyard, sunbathing.
She walked over, lifted Ms. Dempsey’s sunglasses with a finger, and said with a grin, "Mom, I’m heading out. I’ll come chat with you when I’m back."
"Are you coming back for dinner?" Rhea Dempsey asked.
"No, I already told Zane."
"Okay, drive safe."
"I know," Renee Jennings said, turning to wave at her before opening the car door and ducking into the driver’s seat.
While waiting at a traffic light, she glanced up, and the distant marmalade sea silently slipped into her view.
The warm glow of dusk was like a blazing fire, slowly setting the clouds ablaze.
Renee Jennings took out her phone, recorded a video, and sent it to their three-person group chat.
The traffic light turned green. She put her phone down and continued weaving through the traffic.
When Renee Jennings arrived, she didn’t go in right away. She called Faye Wyatt from her car.
"Faye, are you here yet?"
"Almost, two more minutes."
"Okay," Renee Jennings said. "I’ll wait for you in the parking lot then."
’She didn’t want to go in alone. If Aria Sinclair and Vincent Morgan were already inside, it might be awkward.’
Her caution proved justified.
When Renee Jennings and Faye Wyatt entered the private room, Aria Sinclair and Vincent Morgan were already seated inside.
The two of them were dressed formally and elegantly, looking as if they were headed to a grand banquet.
Aria Sinclair gazed at the person right in front of her, the rims of her eyes reddening uncontrollably as tears welled up. Even her breathing seemed to slow by half a beat.
She opened her mouth, but the name she had repeated a thousand times in her heart now felt stuck in her throat, as if blocked by something, leaving only a silent, choked sob.