Chapter 272: Have Some Self-Respect!

Despite their casual attire, Luca and Arabella immediately became the center of attention. Their appearance alone was enough to draw curious glances and quiet discussions from every direction.

Arabella naturally linked her arm with Luca’s as they walked through the main entrance together, looking more like a pair of celebrities than guests at an engagement banquet.

Once they passed through the main gate, they entered the hotel lobby.

The spacious hall was already filled with celebrities, business leaders, socialites, and other prominent figures from Capital City.

The banquet had yet to officially begin, but nobody was standing around doing nothing. Groups had already formed throughout the hall, with people chatting, exchanging pleasantries, and catching up with old acquaintances.

For many business leaders, this was the perfect opportunity to seek partnerships, secure investments, or attract new sources of funding.

As for the celebrities and socialites, they had their own goals.

This was a chance to put their best foot forward, make connections, and perhaps catch the attention of someone who could change their future.

’If I can get close to a big boss, my acting career will definitely become much easier.’

In the past, Luca might have found such thoughts amusing.

He had seen plenty of celebrities who appeared elegant and untouchable on screen become completely different people at private banquets. Some were willing to endure humiliating treatment from wealthy patrons just to secure better opportunities.

But Luca was already used to seeing things like this.

He had attended enough banquets to know that some organizers would even go out of their way to suck up to him.

There had been occasions when, at the end of a banquet, someone would discreetly hand him a room key with an obvious invitation attached.

It wasn’t exactly difficult to understand what they were implying.

This had happened more than once.

Of course, Luca had never accepted.

He already had more than enough women around him.

Not only were they all outstanding in their own ways, but each had her own personality, talents, and strengths.

With Vivienne and the others by his side, Luca was already perfectly content.

As he and Arabella entered the main hall, they immediately attracted even more attention.

Several business owners, particularly those involved in construction and real estate, quickly came over.

"Hello, Miss Windsor. Mr. Hale."

"Miss Windsor, you’re as beautiful as ever. You and Mr. Hale really make a wonderful pair."

"Miss Windsor, I’m from Jonah Building Industries..."

Within minutes, Luca and Arabella had received a stack of business cards.

Before the crowd could grow any larger, a familiar male voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Arabella, Luca, you’ve finally arrived!"

A group of young people soon made their way through the crowd.

Michael was naturally at the front.

Arabella and Luca greeted them together.

Luca couldn’t remember everyone’s names, but he had met all of them at Arabella’s birthday party.

Tony, Elizabeth, and Christine were among them as well. They were all Arabella’s childhood friends.

Luca glanced at Michael’s head before chuckling.

"Why did you dye your hair black? Your blond hair looked pretty good."

Maybe it was because Luca had grown accustomed to seeing Michael with blond hair, but the black hair still looked somewhat strange to him.

Besides, blond hair had a certain stylish appeal. In plenty of television shows, it was practically the signature look of the cool character.

Michael scratched his head awkwardly.

"I’m representing my family at Jack’s engagement party. I figured I should look a little more formal."

Luca raised an eyebrow.

From the kid’s expression, he could tell that probably wasn’t the whole story.

Still, Michael clearly didn’t want to explain.

Since that was the case, Luca had no intention of pressing him.

"Oh, right, Luca."

Michael suddenly remembered something. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he became noticeably more animated.

"’Breaking Stardust is currently in closed beta. Have you considered forming a team?"

As a well-known professional player, Michael had naturally gotten his hands on the game early.

From his perspective, the game was both competitive and entertaining.

There were still plenty of things the developers needed to optimize, but the overall quality was already impressive.

If the company managed the game properly, it could easily become a major hit once it was officially released.

"’Breaking Stardust’? I’ve never heard of it," Luca said casually. "I’ll look it up when I get back."

Forming a professional team wasn’t something that could be decided on a whim.

Money wasn’t the main concern.

The real question was whether the game could attract enough players to sustain a competitive scene.

It would be better to wait until the official release before making any serious decisions.

Michael nodded.

"That’s true. It’s probably too early to form a team right now. We still need to see what the player base looks like and assess the skill levels of potential recruits."

He immediately grinned.

"But Breaking Stardust is really fun, Luca. You have to try it!"

The game came from a relatively young studio, but its ideas were remarkably imaginative. The gameplay was fresh, and there was plenty of room for skilled players to distinguish themselves.

Michael was clearly enjoying himself as he talked about it.

Just then, a sudden commotion came from the entrance.

The elevator doors opened, and the entire atmosphere of the hall changed.

A middle-aged man and woman stepped out first.

Their clothes were elegant without being flashy, while their bearing carried the unmistakable authority of people accustomed to being at the center of attention.

Two young men followed behind them.

One wore glasses and had a refined, handsome appearance, looking every bit like a polished gentleman.

The other raised an eyebrow, a playful smile resting on his lips. He looked completely relaxed, as though nothing around him could truly interest him.

The moment the four appeared, numerous guests moved forward to greet them.

Several celebrities and socialites were particularly eager to get close.

Some of the women had dressed especially boldly for the occasion, with necklines plunging almost to their waists.

’No wonder they’re scrambling for opportunities. Some of them are practically throwing themselves at the wealthy.’

The four were none other than the organizers of the banquet, Mr. and Mrs. Denim and their two sons.

They had barely entered the hall before a crowd of delicate flowers gathered around them, each hoping to catch their attention.

Vincent Denim, the eldest son of Maison Premier, remained composed and indifferent.

Jack, however, was an entirely different story.

His eyes wandered across the crowd, openly appreciating the women around him.

If he hadn’t remembered that this was his engagement party and that he needed to maintain his image, he might have already approached one of them.

Mr. and Mrs. Denim led their sons deeper into the hall.

Before long, they noticed Luca and the others among the guests.

The couple paused briefly before smiling and nodding toward them.

After exchanging a few words with their sons, they moved on to greet the other distinguished guests.

A moment later, Vincent led Jack toward Luca and the others.

Vincent’s expression remained calm, but Luca still caught the fleeting trace of coldness in his eyes.

So this was the legendary Vincent Denim of Capital City’s upper circle.

Luca took one look at him and felt slightly disappointed.

’Another hypocrite.’

Compared with Vincent, Luca actually found Jack’s arrogant and domineering personality more straightforward.

At least the guy didn’t bother pretending to be something he wasn’t.

"Welcome to my brother’s engagement party."

Vincent approached them with a faint smile.

Then his gaze shifted toward Arabella, who was standing beside Luca.

The moment their eyes met, something changed in Vincent’s expression.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

From the first time he met Arabella, he had decided that he would make her fall in love with him.

Unfortunately, despite all his efforts over the years, Arabella had never even looked at him twice.

He had once thought marriage would help him forget her.

He had been wrong.

Even after marrying Stephanie, Arabella remained firmly lodged in his mind.

Whenever he had sex with his wife, the woman appearing in his thoughts was still Arabella.

No one knew just how deeply she had become an obsession.

"Arabella..."

Vincent’s eyes burned with emotion.

His lips trembled slightly, and even his voice became unsteady.

Arabella’s expression immediately turned cold.

"Mr. Denim, please have some self-respect."

She looked directly at him, her voice calm but carrying an unmistakable warning.

"You should still call me Miss Windsor. Otherwise, my boyfriend might get jealous."