Chapter 6 Tamsin Crashes the Dinner Party

The vibe in the hall went ice-cold the moment Tamsin snapped.

Everyone stared, their expressions a mix of disapproval and indifference, as Tamsin realized she was the center of attention.

Someone in the crowd whispered, "Isn't that the girl who took a pic with Mr. Russell? How rude."

Tamsin's face turned ghostly pale. She looked at the old man who kept bowing and apologizing, and regret hit her hard.

"Sir, it was my bad. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have rushed." Tamsin bent down, her voice softening as she sincerely apologized, "I'm really sorry. How about I help you fill the fish tank with water?"

She reached out to take the almost empty fish tank from the old man, but he shook his head, refusing.

Cecilia watched the scene unfold, calm as ever.

Tamsin's efforts seemed to be backfiring. The onlookers looked even more detestable.

Julian's lips tightened, his expression complicated. "I didn't know she would come over."

Cecilia glanced at him. Julian didn't seem to be lying, but even if he was, she wouldn't care.

What she did care about was why Tamsin was here, even though Julian had brought her.

Cecilia remembered in her past life, Tamsin had won over Bodhi Percy, the head of the Percy family, at this very banquet. That connection had smoothed her path for her studies abroad. Upon returning, backed by both the Russells and the Percys, her career had skyrocketed.

But now, things seemed a bit off.

Just then, Owen rushed over. "Mr. Russell, I'm sorry, I didn't keep an eye on Ms. Brooks."

Julian's face darkened, "What happened?"

"Actually, I saw Ms. Brooks outside the venue, but I was a step too late," Owen hesitated, "Elowen let her in before I could stop her."

Julian felt a headache coming on. He glanced around the hall and, sure enough, saw Elowen smiling at them. More precisely, she was looking at Cecilia.

Julian frowned and turned to Cecilia, his eyes questioning.

Cecilia shrugged nonchalantly. "You better go help Ms. Brooks; looks like she can't hold on much longer."

Tamsin saw Cecilia and Julian, her tearful eyes fixed on Julian, hoping he'd save her from the awkward situation.

Julian's heart softened, and he sighed. "I'll be back soon." With that, he walked over.

Cecilia sneered, touching the glass of water with the goldfish.

She had always known Julian would do this; in his heart, Tamsin would always be more important than her.

Seeing Julian approach, Tamsin quickly apologized in a low voice, "Mr. Russell, I'm sorry. I prepared for this banquet for a long time."

Her voice grew smaller, and Julian thought she might cry any second.

He knew Tamsin valued this banquet a lot. She was smart, hardworking, and ambitious, always eager to participate in every event. This was what Julian had initially admired about her.

"It's okay," Julian couldn't bring himself to scold her. After all, it was him who changed the plan. "Owen will take you back later."

Tamsin paused. No, she couldn't just leave like this!

"But Mr. Russell, I really want to stay," she said, her head lowered, choking up, "I won't cause you any more trouble. Can I stay, please?"

She looked at Julian's face, which was gloomy and seemingly unhappy.

"Mr. Russell, don't be mad. I'll leave." Tamsin felt both wronged and unwilling, and tears instantly fell.

How could Julian stand to see her cry?

"Don't cry, you can stay," Julian said, wiping her tears away.

"Can I stay by your side?" Tamsin sniffled. "I've learned so much. I could be… helpful."

Julian nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Russell!" Tamsin beamed, her smile adorable.

Julian glanced at Cecilia and then gave Owen a look.

Cecilia, as an heiress, was accustomed to these events. He didn't need to worry about her, especially since she didn't understand the intricacies of finance and the wine industry.

Owen got the hint and quietly approached Cecilia.

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Cecilia cut him off, "It's okay. I can handle myself. You've had a long day; go take a break."

Owen paused, feeling a mix of warmth and bitterness.

He cautiously opened his mouth again, but instead of explaining, he simply said, "Mrs. Russell, you've worked hard."

Cecilia had changed. She wasn't noisy anymore and didn't seem to care about Julian as much.

Meanwhile, Julian was chatting with several big shots in the wine industry, with Tamsin by his side. Tamsin was animatedly talking about the aroma and taste of several new wines.

When it came to wine tasting, Tamsin had her own insights. But she was just a young college student, and her opinions didn't hold much weight with these seasoned pros. Still, with Julian by her side, they humored her with polite praise.

Cecilia took a sip of red wine, feeling the need for some fresh air.

As she walked past Julian and Tamsin, they were talking to a gentleman who only spoke a local dialect.

Cecilia remembered this guy was Mason Adams, a well-known wine merchant from Country S, famous for his good character and wine. He was also famously attached to his regional dialect.

Tamsin looked embarrassed, silently pleading for help from Julian, but Julian was just as lost. He understood the standard language of Country S, but Mason's dialect was a whole different ball game.

While he understood standard Country S language, Mason's dialect was impenetrable.

Cecilia found it amusing and, speaking fluently in Mason's local dialect, continued the conversation.

Mason was first surprised, then laughed heartily, and shook hands with Cecilia warmly.

Only then did Tamsin really look at Cecilia and realize they were wearing the same dress!

Plus, Cecilia's hairstyle, accessories, and shoes were all perfectly matched to the blue evening gown, making her look like a mermaid.

But Tamsin felt like a blue bumpkin.

Suppressing her jealousy, Tamsin praised, "Cecilia, your Country S language is really good."

Julian was also surprised. Besides the standard language of Country S, Cecilia could even speak the local dialect.

"What did Mr. Adams say just now? You seemed to be having a great conversation," Tamsin asked.

Cecilia replied indifferently, "He mentioned the Barolo wine he bought at the auction the other day. I told him it would definitely appreciate in value, and he was very happy to hear that."

Tamsin didn't get it. That bottle of wine wasn't a limited edition, and the old winery had always been lukewarm. It would be good if it could maintain its value, let alone appreciating.

"I just went along with his words," Cecilia couldn't stand Julian and Tamsin's straightforward gazes and explained briefly.

Julian seemed unconvinced. He narrowed his eyes and asked her in a deep voice, "You usually don't pay attention to the wine market. Why do you think that wine will appreciate?"