Dionysius finally rose from his seat and began walking towards the direction where the girls had entered.

  Rommel’s face broke into a satisfied smile, assuming that Dionysius was giving him the courtesy of personally welcoming Seranthalia La Magenta.

  Little did he know, Dionysius had no such intention. His objective wasn’t to personally receive Seranthalia La Magenta at all!

  After all, his sister, Xanthia, had graciously accepted his invitation to attend his birthday party. He naturally wanted to properly greet her and meet the cssmates she’d brought along.

  However, the spotlight at the moment was undeniably on the grand arrival of the illustrious Miss Seranthalia.

  Seranthalia La Magenta’s presence injected a burst of energy into the atmosphere, pushing it to a new peak. She was dressed immacutely for the occasion, adorned with elegant jewelry that screamed opulence. Her carefully styled chestnut hair cascaded in loose curls, creating a voluminous, radiant effect that drew every eye in the room.

  Her noble and composed demeanor, combined with her stunning looks, instantly captivated the hearts of many boys seeing her for the first time.

  Her entrance was nothing short of breathtaking.

  Yet, despite the spectacle, Seranthalia La Magenta’s mood was far from jubint. While she managed to maintain a polite, albeit insincere, smile for appearances, her expression cked genuine warmth. Still, the sight of Dionysius rising to greet her brought a faint glimmer of soce.

  As the center of attention, Seranthalia felt a rush of exhiration—a sense of triumph that finally soothed her frustrations.

  This was exactly why she relished mingling in Dionysius’s social circles. Here, she didn’t have to share the limelight with other girls. She was the uncontested star, the crown jewel of the gathering.

  Standing beside her, Andrea Tan exuded an air of smug satisfaction.

  “Country bumpkins will always be country bumpkins,” she thought, her gaze darting toward Xanthia’s group. “No matter how much they try, they can’t compare to the grace and radiance of Miss Seranthalia.”

  Moments earlier, Andrea and Seranthalia La Magenta had felt slightly embarrassed by the opposing group’s strength in numbers. But now, surrounded by a male-dominated crowd, Andrea’s confidence surged. She even began plotting ways to use the boys’ attention to put Xanthia and her friends in their pce.

  Meanwhile, several cssmates from Dionysius’s high school, gathered in a corner, were whispering among themselves.

  “Whoa! That girl with the long hair has such a strong ‘main character’ aura. Could she be the rumored fiancée of Dionysius?”

  “Didn’t he personally deny those rumors? Said they were fake news.”

  “Even if she’s not his fiancée, there’s no way she’s just an ordinary friend. Their retionship must be special.”

  “Campus crush strikes again! So this is why he’s always so aloof. With a beauty like her tucked away, no wonder he has no interest in the rest of us mere mortals.”

  “Wait, hold on. Isn’t that Xanthia from Css 3 of Year One? She’s here too? Now things are getting interesting.”

  “Wow, Xanthia’s outfit is so casual today, but she still looks so effortlessly charming. Dionysius sure knows how to pick them. Inviting both Seranthalia La Magenta and Xanthia… what’s he pying at?”

  “Xanthia’s no ordinary girl, that’s for sure. If she’d worn the JK uniform from her popur photos online, even that long-haired beauty wouldn’t be able to overshadow her.”

  “True, Xanthia’s got this approachable charm. And look at the girls she brought along! Some of them are really pretty. It’s like she’s hosting a mini mixer within the party. She’s got such a kind heart.”

  “Exactly. In comparison, that long-haired girl brought just one friend, and her friend’s got such a stuck-up attitude. Total mood killer.”

  Curiosity got the better of them, and a few students decided to dig deeper into Seranthalia La Magenta’s background through Dionysius’s middle school acquaintances. What they uncovered left them awestruck.

  The name “Seranthalia La Magenta” carried significant weight. She wasn’t just some pretty face—she was the real deal, a genuine daughter of a prestigious familia. Her beauty and elegance were the perfect match for someone of Dionysius’s caliber.

  No wonder he had personally gone to greet her. A girl like Seranthalia deserved nothing less.

  But then, something utterly unexpected happened.

  With a wide, cheerful smile, Dionysius bypassed Seranthalia La Magenta entirely and stopped in front of Xanthia.

  “Xanthia,” he said warmly, “it’s such a delight to have you here at my birthday party. I’m so happy you could make it!”

  Xanthia waved dismissively, signaling him not to make a fuss.

  “Go greet your other guests,” she said casually. “Don’t go overboard just because of me. I’m just here to eat and drink my fill.”

  But Dionysius shook his head earnestly.

  “I’m here to greet you,” he insisted. “The other guests? Auntie Issa has everything perfectly under control.”

  His attentive demeanor left Xanthia’s friends, save for Luciel, utterly stunned. Even Lhoraine was taken aback. While she’d always hoped Xanthia could rely on Dionysius for support, the dynamic she now witnessed defied all logic.

  Xanthia’s tone remained indifferent, as though this level of deference was nothing out of the ordinary.

  “How’s the food preparation going?” she asked.

  “Everything’s ready,” Dionysius replied enthusiastically. “We’ve got all sorts of ingredients, including seafood like king crab. We’ll grill them fresh. It’ll be a feast!”

  Dionysius’s recent interactions with Xanthia had taught him one thing: his sister had a voracious appetite and a deep appreciation for good food. Naturally, he’d gone all out to ensure she had the best culinary experience.

  “Good job,” Xanthia said, patting his shoulder approvingly. “Just make sure to charge it all to 'him'. Don’t waste your personal stash on this.”

  “Of course not,” Dionysius thought to himself.

  He was more than happy to spend his father Demetrios’s money. After all, whether it was his father or his mother Eleanor, they both encouraged him to host social events like these. To them, these gatherings were investments in his network.

  Meanwhile, Lhoraine struggled to process what she was seeing.

  “Did Xanthia secretly acknowledge him or something?” she thought. “Why does it feel like she’s completely in control, like she’s the one calling the shots?”

  Dionysius then shifted the conversation.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your cssmates?” he asked.

  Xanthia obliged, introducing each of her companions in turn.

  To their surprise, Dionysius greeted every one of them with warmth and sincerity, putting them at ease. His friendly attitude was completely unexpected, especially considering the sheer number of girls Xanthia had brought along.

  Even Elena La Loannou, who had been skeptical at first, found herself shocked by Xanthia’s influence. She’d assumed Dionysius had come to welcome Seranthalia and Andrea, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  Was it possible that Xanthia had truly earned this level of favor?

  By the end of the introductions, Dionysius’s guests were all set to receive their return gifts—a high-end MP3 pyer from a semiconductor’s consumer electronics line. This exclusive device, a rival to apple’s iPod, showcased the prowess of the Papadopoulos familia’s corporate empire.

  In this parallel world, Shardtech Semiconductor had taken the pce of Samsung as the dominant tech giant, solidifying the Papadopoulos familia’s reputation as the “Shardtech Conglomerate.”

  For Xanthia’s cssmates, this party was turning into an unforgettable evening—one where they witnessed not just the wealth and power of the Papadopoulos familia but also the unexpected and intriguing dynamics between Xanthia and Dionysius.

  Dionysius’s meticulously prepared Shardtech MP3 pyers were bound to delight every friend fortunate enough to attend his birthday party. Everyone said that the he was generous to a fault, and this wasn’t just empty praise—it was fact.

  Yet, at this very moment, most of the guests were utterly stunned.

  Many had assumed that Dionysius had gone to personally greet Miss Seranthalia La Magenta, the illustrious Magenta familia’s eldest daughter. Who could have expected the situation to take such a dramatic twist?

  Rommel, for one, was completely dumbfounded. Only now did he betedly realize that Dionysius wasn’t simply ignoring him; it felt like the man was deliberately spping him in the face!

  Oh? You were just teaching me how to handle things? Suggesting I should personally welcome Miss Seranthalia?

  Fine then.

  I won’t do it. Instead, I’ll go out of my way to greet another girl, showering her with attention and even acknowledging each of her cssmates one by one.

  Does that put you in your pce?

  Of course, Rommel was far from pleased.

  Especially when he saw Miss Seranthalia’s dazzlingly beautiful smile freeze completely on her face. His heart ached beyond words.

  “Dionysius, you bastard! How could you treat Miss Seranthalia like this?”

  Consumed by indignation, Rommel didn’t even bother confronting Dionysius. Instead, he darted over to Seranthalia La Magenta, eager to comfort her, his demeanor overflowing with solicitous concern.

  Rommel wasn’t bad-looking. He had a slightly chubby frame, decent facial features, and a complexion on the darker side. At first gnce, he might even seem rather affable. After all, who could distrust a cheerful sheepdog?

  But to Seranthalia La Magenta, he was a complete eyesore. The combination of his chubbiness and darker skin tone automatically cost him major points in her eyes. For some inexplicable reason, he reminded her of a ptter of braised meatballs.

  Yet the real issue wasn’t Rommel’s appearance. It was his familia background. The Fmei familia was wealthy, sure, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the ShardTech Consortium. Nikos, the head of ShardTech, wasn’t just a businessman or entrepreneur. He was a true powerbroker, overseeing an empire that employed countless ordinary citizens across the nation.

  “Miss Seranthalia, welcome, welcome! Cheer up, won’t you? You’re absolutely stunning when you smile. Truly, your smile lights up the room,” Rommel said enthusiastically. He was doing precisely what he’d earlier hoped Dionysius would do.

  But Seranthalia La Magenta’s once-radiant smile had now vanished entirely. Forcing herself to rally, she responded half-heartedly, “Thank you. Your smile… is quite amusing as well.”

  Rommel, oblivious to the faint disdain in her tone, beamed with delight. “If my smile can amuse you, then I’ll make sure to smile even more often!”

  He scratched his head and fshed his signature grin, teeth gleaming in an almost cartoonish dispy of good humor.

  Seranthalia La Magenta fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her irritation was mounting, a storm of negativity brewing inside her.

  The problem was the sheer contrast between expectation and reality.

  Just moments ago, she had been the undisputed center of attention. Practically every young man in the room had been awestruck by her grand entrance. Some whispered excitedly among themselves, others scrambled to gather information about her, while a few even raised their voices in exaggerated conversations, hoping to catch her ear.

  This kind of reaction from the opposite sex always brought her a measure of satisfaction. Yet, above all, what mattered most to her was Dionysius’s response.

  And what had he done?

  Completely dismissed her, his behavior shouting louder than words.

  Seranthalia La Magenta’s heart surged with bitter resentment. How could her position in Dionysius’s eyes—the man she regarded as her "husband"—be utterly eclipsed by some girl?

  And who is this girl?