In the hall, Ella's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and picked up the call.

"Cendy?" She asked.

"By the way, there's a charity banquet tomorrow. Are you attending?" Cendy asked, realizing that she had forgotten to inquire about it when they parted ways earlier in the day.

Ella paused for a moment, recalling the timeline of events. There was an annual charity dinner in Seattle that evening, attended by most of the city's dignitaries. However, she didn't usually attend such events, so she had declined the invitation. Lucien was considerate enough never to pressure her to accompany him to socialize.

In the past, she believed that Lucien's consideration was an act of kindness. But now, she realized that he was merely keeping her isolated, not allowing her to interact with anyone else, so that she would have no one to turn to when things went south.

"Yes, I'm going," Ella answered.

"Did I hear you right? I was just asking on a whim," Cendy responded, smiling. She loved going to these kinds of events, and she was excited to finally have a friend to go with. Even though she did ask Ella, she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Let's go pick out dresses tomorrow," Ella suggested.

"You're not kidding?" Cendy was still a little unconvinced. Ella never agreed to go to a party like this before.

"See you tomorrow," Ella hung up the phone without much more explanation.

Jack was also taken aback by his daughter's response. "Ella, you're going to attend the charity banquet tomorrow? I thought you didn't like this kind of socializing."

Ella felt a pang of remorse for her actions in her previous life. She realized that she had been unfilial, putting all her energy into a man and neglecting her family. Ultimately, it led to their family breaking apart.

Ella made a heartfelt promise to her father, "Dad, from now on, I will protect our family and help you manage the Ford Group. I will work to make our family shine brightly for generations to come, and no one will be able to take it away from us, including Uncle Morton."

Jack looked at his daughter with a newfound admiration. He remembered that in the past, Ella didn't have such grand ambitions. He had considered letting her take on the family business, but he never forced her to do so. He knew her heart was set on Lucien, and he had thought that when the two families got married, he would hand over Ford Group to Lucien to manage. Now, he saw Ella's determination to protect and elevate their family business, and it filled him with pride and hope for the future.

With his daughter expressing her commitment, Jack couldn't help but feel joyous. "Good, Dad believes in you!" he said with a happy expression.

Ella's smile widened. In this life, she was determined to firmly hold onto Ford Group, and she would never make the mistake of giving it to Lucien without conditions!

—

The following afternoon, Ella and Cendy went to the luxury dress area to select high-fashion evening dresses. They each chose their favorite gowns and changed into them. Afterward, they sat in the dressing room to freshen up.

Cendy asked Ella, "Are you feeling better now?"

Ella was stunned, "What?"

"Yesterday with Eden…"

"Cendy," Ella blushed slightly.

Cendy bit her lip and muttered, "What is it you see in that guy?!"

Ella shook her head and tried to change the subject, "I heard Winston Green is coming back."

She didn't want word of Eden slipping until the moment of truth.

Ella became cautious, realizing that this high-class dress district might have ears, and her plans could be jeopardized if any information leaked out.

Cendy, however, seemed unfazed. "Why do I care if he comes back?" she said indifferently. "Besides, I haven't heard anything about him coming back. Isn't he doing well abroad? What's the point of him returning?!" Her tone turned bitter.

"I thought he was supposed to come back right after he graduated from college," Ella snorted.

"He better not," Cendy made a disgusted face.

Ella held back some of the words she wanted to say and continued chatting with Cendy about other unimportant topics. They spent the entire afternoon getting ready and finally finished dressing up.

As Ella stood up from in front of the makeup mirror, she was startled by Cendy's sudden scream. It was deafening!

"Ella! Can you stop being so pretty?! Are you trying to outshine me completely?!"

Ella was speechless at Cendy.

"Ugh! You look so good that I just want to–!" Cendy smothered her with a hug.

"Get off," Ella frowned.

Cendy wasn't really ugly; she had delicate features and foreign looks. However, her constant companionship with Ella might have made her appear more ordinary in comparison.

As for Ella, she was undeniably stunningly beautiful. Words couldn't fully capture the perfection of her features. Each one of them was beautiful, and together, they created a truly perfect look.

Indeed, the rumors were true – all the men in Seattle seemed to want to marry Ella. However, it wasn't solely because of her talents or skills; her captivating beauty was the main reason. She was so irresistibly good-looking that no man could resist her charm.

Cendy continued praising Ella's looks all the way as they arrived at their destination. A guy at the entrance respectfully opened the car door for them.

Ella took a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous as it had been a while since she had participated in such an event. She composed herself, making sure she looked her best. Stepping out of the car, her slender calves gracefully touched the ground. In that instant, countless flashbulbs illuminated the scene, shocking the reporters and media waiting outside.

The Ford Family's eldest daughter, who rarely attended banquets, looked absolutely stunning as she walked out. She didn't give the media any time to interview her; they could only capture pictures of her mesmerizing beauty as she entered the banquet hall with Cendy by her side.

As Ella entered the hall, all eyes were drawn to her. She wore a stunning silver long-tailed tight dress that perfectly accentuated her delicate figure. Under the light, the dress shimmered like starlight, and paired with her flawless face and fair skin, she looked like an ethereal beauty that had descended to earth, leaving everyone in awe.

Lucien quickly approached her, though his slightly angry expression was well-concealed. "Ella," he said, "What brings you here? I thought you didn't like this kind of socializing?"

"It just occurred to me that I can't always be a canary," Ella replied softly, trying to suppress the memories of her tragic fate at his hands. She took a deep breath, not wanting to let her emotions show.

Her eyes shifted slightly to Lucien's side, where Zoey Duke, one of Lucien's lovers, held onto his arm. Ella couldn't help but wonder how she had once thought that Zoey was really just Lucien's assistant. She had been completely unaware of the betrayal and heartache that lay ahead.

"Ms. Ford," Zoey said respectfully when she caught Ella's eye.

"I've heard that you've always been a great assistant to my fiancé. Lucien has often mentioned you, speaking highly of your work," Ella said with a smile.

"I am honored to receive Mr. Williams' appreciation," Zoey responded with grace, her words modest and appropriate. However, in her heart, she harbored contempt for Ella. If she knew that Lucien's praise was for her skills in bed, she wondered if Ella would be infuriated beyond measure.

To outsiders, Ella was seen as virtuous, well-read, and reasonable, a role model for upper-class millennials. However, in Zoey's eyes, Ella was nothing more than an insignificant person, someone she never took seriously. At this moment, Zoey's respectful demeanor was merely a façade.

"Just curious, I don't understand the need for such an intimate gesture with my fiancé. Is it a work necessity, or is there something else behind it?" Ella's tone turned cold.

In that instant, Zoey's expression instantly changed, her face turning pale.