Chapter 155: Chapter 155: The Dinner Party

Chapter 155: The Dinner Party

With Serena’s approval, Elias visibly relaxed.

His whole body eased, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "You dressed me up like this for what, exactly?"

"Dinner," Serena said. "I have a dinner gathering this afternoon. You’re coming with me."

Elias muttered, "It’s just dinner. Anyone would think you were sending me down a red carpet."

But a little uncontrollable happiness still showed on his face.

Everyone knew what it meant to bring a partner to a dinner like that.

Serena walked over and naturally took his hand. His fingers were soft in hers, almost delicate. She looked down for a few seconds, then raised her eyes with a smile.

"A red carpet? If you want to walk one, I can arrange that. You might even meet a few award-winning actresses."

She said it so casually.

To Serena, the red carpet that celebrities dreamed of stepping onto was nothing more than a strip of fabric and cameras.

Elias glanced at her.

No need.

Eventually, he would be meeting one particular award-winning actress in a much more private place. Serena did not need to trouble herself.

Outwardly, though, he looked surprised and excited.

"Really? I really like Seraphina Hale. Could I meet her?"

[System Theta: Host...]

Elias answered calmly, "What are you scared of? Serena doesn’t know I’m going to make a move on Seraphina Hale. Besides, I haven’t even met Seraphina yet."

He paused, then added with perfect ease, "Think of it another way. I’m giving Serena an early preview so she can get to know her future sister."

[System Theta: ...]

Its host was terrifyingly bold.

Serena had not expected Elias to actually care about that.

She had only said it casually. But if he liked it, she could take him there in the future.

Of course, everything depended on whether they made it through tonight smoothly.

"Of course," Serena said.

She gave him the promise, then brought him to the car.

Serena was not driving.

The driver was not Liora, either.

If someone was under suspicion, Serena would not use her. Trust was useful only after it was earned.

As for Elias?

Elias figured that, if Serena could, she would probably like to kick him out of the car, or throw him into the river and be done with it.

Unfortunately, she could not control the part of herself that wanted him. She could not bear to give up his body.

That was why she treated him so gently on the surface while suspicion and testing still sat underneath.

Elias gave System Theta a serious warning.

"In the future, when you take on new hosts, remember to tell them never to think with their crotches. Otherwise, you won’t train a single useful host. Every last one of them will end up living with trash women like these."

[System Theta: Understood!]

Its spirits lifted immediately.

It recorded the sentence at once.

This was firsthand advice from the Bureau’s ace employee. Priceless experience.

[System Theta: So this is why you never fall for anyone? You always keep your head clear.]

"That’s not it," Elias said. "I’m just heartless after I’m done with someone. So thinking with the lower half doesn’t matter much."

[System Theta: ...]

Maybe it should delete that note.

Unexpectedly, the place they arrived at was not a restaurant.

It was an estate.

The property was slightly smaller than the Blackwood residence, and it was nowhere near as isolated or quiet. The nearest avenue was alive with traffic, headlights, and the steady movement of the city. The house stood like a private island carved into the middle of wealth and noise.

Serena led Elias inside.

He had been to more than one place like this by now. The Blackwood residence. The Frost residence. This estate. Not to mention all the worlds he had crossed before, with their absurd mansions and staged luxury.

Nothing about it stirred him.

His face stayed calm, too.

Serena had reminded him before they arrived to stay composed. Not in so many words, of course. With their current relationship, she would not say something as blunt as don’t embarrass me.

But that was the meaning.

"Good evening, Ms. Blackwood. Good evening, Mr. Kane."

The male attendants in the corridor bowed at the same time, their voices neat and trained.

Serena nodded slightly.

Then she leaned down beside Elias’s ear and murmured, "I bought a uniform like that, too. Should we try it when we get home tonight?"

A dull little pain hit her waist.

Elias had punched her, not hard enough to hurt, but not light enough to miss either.

His beautiful face turned red, and his voice came out barely above a whisper, though his teeth were clenched.

"What are you even saying..."

Serena laughed softly. "Not nervous anymore, are you?"

Elias froze for a second.

So Serena had said it to ease his nerves.

Not bad.

The woman who had once been a hopelessly blunt disaster had become thoughtful enough for this.

What a shame.

All this gentleness was fake.

Elias had already guessed a little of Serena’s plan, and his heart remained perfectly calm.

"I’m not nervous anymore," he said quietly.

They entered a bright, lavish hall.

A blond woman with blue eyes came forward almost immediately. She gave Serena a warm hug, her English carrying a faint European lilt.

"It really has been too long."

"It has," Serena said, smiling as she hugged her back.

In front of outsiders, Serena’s manners and posture were flawless. Every gesture had been trained until it looked natural.

But Elias could still tell that her relationship with this blond woman was actually good. The smile on Serena’s face was not as fake as usual.

Elias was looking at her.

She was also looking at Elias.

Then she held out a hand with just the right amount of politeness.

"Hi. I’m Lucinda."

Elias reached out and shook her hand lightly.

"Hello. I’m Elias Kane."

"If I’m guessing correctly," Lucinda said, smiling, "you’re Serena’s boyfriend."

Elias opened his mouth, about to say something.

Lucinda did not give him the chance.

"You’re beautiful. Serena has excellent taste. Honestly, I can’t believe she actually started dating. We all thought she was going to grow old alone."

Serena smiled mildly. "That’s dramatic. I just didn’t have the thought before. Now I do. I suppose it happened naturally."

The two of them started talking again.

Naturally, Elias had no room to cut in.

Still, whenever Serena happened to glance over, she saw him standing beside her with his head slightly lowered, his cheeks faintly red, looking quiet and obedient.

He looked so happy.

Could that really be faked?

Lucinda suddenly clapped her hands once. "All right, all right. Everyone’s waiting for you. Go in."

Serena withdrew her gaze and nodded. "Mm."

Only when they entered the dining room did Elias finally understand what kind of gathering this was.

Most of the guests looked like Serena’s international classmates from some elite school or overseas program, with a smaller handful from her own social circle. They were all around Serena’s age.

So it was a class reunion.

The moment Serena arrived, the dining room, which had been lively a second ago, went quiet.

Dozens of gazes gathered on her and Elias, moving back and forth between them.

Then, in the next instant, the room erupted.

The cheers were even louder than before, everyone’s excitement impossible to hide.

"Serena, you finally came!"

"Long time no see!"

"You’re dating now? You have to introduce him properly."

"Come on, don’t hide him."

The old classmates rushed forward with such warmth that Elias was squeezed off to the side.

He looked at Serena.

Her expression was calm and faintly helpless, but there was a small, undeniable happiness in her eyes.

Elias was genuinely surprised.

Serena Blackwood had this side to her, too?