Jessica and Davis exchanged a glance. They had anticipated that their appearance might stir reactions, but the revelation of their marriage being the evening’s surprise caught even them off guard.
Lucas swallowed hard, struggling to collect himself. "Of course, I knew you were planning to settle down with that lady... what’s her name again?" he stammered.
"Vera Louis," Alex answered with a scowl. He had never liked Vera. When Davis once asked him why, Alex’s response had left him stumped—"She’s fake and lives fake."
At the time, Davis had found the evaluation too harsh and almost considered distancing himself from Alex. But on second thought, he decided to keep their relationship professional, after all, their business ties were long-standing.
Reflecting on that choice now, he couldn’t help but sigh. He was glad he hadn’t chosen love over loyalty. He cast a subtle glance at Jessica. His gaze shifted briefly to Jessica.
From the moment Jessica met Alex at the lobby, he had treated her with measured respect—more comfortable with her as Davis’ wife than anyone else had been and more than Davis had expected.
"Still don’t like her?" Davis asked with a low smile playing on his lips.
""I don’t," Alex said without hesitation "but I’m not petty enough to stir trouble. You probably now understand why I called her fake."
His words drew a soft chuckle from Davis.
Jessica looked between the two men, trying to piece together the meaning behind their words. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Alright," Davis said, his voice calm yet commanding. "You can all introduce yourselves formally"
Alex turned to Jessica, his smile widening. "Do you still think I need to introduce myself?"
"It won’t hurt," she replied with a mischievous grin. "Besides, tonight seems like our official meeting. The previous one was just a sneak peek."
Alex laughed heartily. "Fair enough. I’m Alex Gando. Known your husband for years—he’s a close buddy of mine or practically call him a brother." He smirked playfully.
Jessica’s brow furrowed as she chewed over the name. "Alex Gando?" It rang a bell. She felt certain she’d had business dealings with his company, though Richard had handled it and the cooperation seems to still be on at the moment.
"You’re the CEO of Beauty Cosmetics?" she asked, her gaze piercing aa though to see him lie. Alex nodded in affirmation.
Jessica nodded back in recognition.
Before she could say more, Lucas chimed in, his tone light. "Alex, you’ve had the spotlight long enough. Step aside."
Turning to Jessica, he added, "I’m Lucas William, from Wills Pharmaceuticals." Then, lowering his voice, he winked. "But I’ve got a few other interests—I’ll fill you in later."
Jessica chuckled and nodded. Davis watched her closely, visibly relieved that she seemed to be relaxing at least at the moment she is neither working nor thinking about it.
Next, Matt spoke up. "Matt Bruce," he said curtly. Jessica studied his features quietly as she acknowledged the introduction.
All eyes turned toward the only man who hadn’t said a word since entering. He had been so quiet, it was easy to forget he was there as though he was invisible.
The whole room fell into a pin drop silence as everyone seemed more interested to watch the good show play out.
"Luke, can you say something?" Alex asked, frustration evident in his tone.
Luke lifted his gaze from his phone, smirking. "Does it matter?"
Davis shut his eyes briefly, tension building in his jaw. Jessica noticed and gently held his hand, a silent reminder to keep calm.
"Alex, don’t bother," Davis said with a cold smile. "It doesn’t matter."
"No, Davis. It does matter," Alex insisted. "That incident wasn’t anyone’s fault, and after everything—especially your near-death experience—it’s time he let go."
"Alex, just let it be," Jessica interjected softly. "Some things take time. When he’s ready, he’ll come around. I don’t know the full story, but I believe he will."
She stood up slowly. Davis caught her hand, trying to stop her, but she gave him a silent nod. "I can handle this," her eyes said.
Reluctantly, Davis let go.
Lifting the hem of her dress, she walked gracefully to Luke and offered her hand. "We haven’t met, and I believe we share no animosity. My name is Jessica." Her smile was warm and radiant.
Luke stared at her outstretched hand, battling internally with the decision to accept or ignore it. But then like she had just said "there is no bad blood between them" he mused. He lifted his gaze to her face, a subtle frown settling on his face.
"Too much resemblance." He muttered.
Davis clenched his fists on his thighs, wanting nothing more than to pull her back. He had never felt so helpless watching his wife stand alone trying to make peace when the other party isn’t willing to.
His gaze snapped and same time , his patience snapped but&& theJust as he opened his mouth to intervene, Luke reached out and clasped her hand.
"I’m Luke Dawn," he said, his tone clipped. "And I must say, you’re truly exceptional."
"Thank you," Jessica replied with a gracious smile. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."
As she returned to her seat, Luke shot a cold glare toward Davis, both men silently challenging each other.
"Can we stop the tension now?" Alex sighed.
Jessica nestled beside Davis, who instinctively wrapped his arm around her. His chest rose and fell, a storm brewing within.
She gently patted his chest and whispered, "Calm down. I’m not bullied... I just needed to smooth this path. Okay?"
Davis exhaled deeply. She wanted to handle it. He had to let her. But then, her purpose —to smooth out the bad relationship between them. Ridiculous.
Alex’s gaze shifted toward two women who had remained quiet. Based on their appearance and air of confidence, Jessica assumed they were from powerful Noveiran families and probably experts in their fields.
One was fair-skinned, with bright, twinkling eyes and a charming smile framed by deep dimples that could disarm anyone.
The other, a blonde, sat poised and calm, silently locked in an unspoken battle of wits with Jessica.
"Jess, the fair one is Adah," Alex introduced. "And the one beside her is Tricia."
Adah smiled briefly and gave a small wave. "Welcome to Noveira," she said with a smirk. "I hope we get to know each other better before the night is over."