Chapter 77 A Slap in the Face Elyse stepped forward and introduced herself nobly. âHello, Mr. Hansen. My name is Elyse Clayton.â
There was a graceful and impeccable smile on her face. âAs for Miss Dillon, perhaps she just happens to pass by this place.â She directly spoke on Amelieâs behalf.
On the other hand, Amelie pressed her lips together, not in a hurry to speak. Beside them, Leo looked at Amelie, who remained motionless as though she was just a passer-by. Her expression was calm, and her bearing was dignified. He squinted his eyes, wondering what she was up to.
Following that, Elyse stepped forward, awaiting Mr. Hansen to lead the way for her. To her surprise, Mr.
Hansen didnât go in as he waved his hand and said, âNo, the person Mr. Steward would like to see isnât Clayton.â
âItâs me, Mr. Hansen.â Only then did Amelie call out to him as she brushed past Elyse and stood in front of the butler. âIâm Amelie Dillon.â
âAmelie Dillon?â Hearing the name, Mr. Hansen dipped his head. âThatâs right. Youâre the one that Mr.
Steward would like to see. Please come with me, Miss Dillon.â His attitude turned hospitable in an instant as he led Amelie into the place.
On the other hand, the ignored Elyse was rooted to the spot as her mind turned blank. Whatâs going on? Isnât Amelie here to look for Leo? I canât believe sheâs here to see Owen!
Meanwhile, Leo furrowed his brows. Despite being a seasoned man, he was still shocked by what he had just witnessed. His gaze then trailed Amelie.
âLeo.â Elyse came over with an embarrassed expression. She had promised that not only could they have a word with Owen, but she could also persuade him to work with Genesis.
What had just happened was no different from a slap in the face for her. On the other hand, Amelie had been invited into the house by the Steward Familyâs butler. At that moment, Elyse felt extremely humiliated.
Soon, Mr. Hansen brought Amelie to the reception room. Guests to the Steward Residence were led to different places based on their statuses. The average guests would be brought to the side hall, while the more important ones would be led to the living room.
Meanwhile, the most important guests would be invited to the VIP room, which was where Amelie was heading.
While on her way, she was greeted by many servants, who couldnât help gaping at her as she was led to the VIP room. They started speculating about her identity.
One had to know that fewer than five guests would be invited to the VIP room in any given year. All the same, Amelie wasnât perturbed by the servantsâ stares, nor was she astounded by the lavish decorations in the VIP room. She remained calm and collected as she was seated on a chair, looking like a noble lady from a medieval painting.
Mr. Hansen couldnât help but be awed by her elegance as he treated her even more politely. âPlease wait a second. Mr. Steward will be here soon.â
âThanks, Mr. Hansen,â Amelie replied gently.
Soon, she was served a cup of coffee. Although she had no idea what kind of coffee it was, the aroma exuding from it suggested that it was the best-in-class coffee that was extremely rare.
She nodded and watched the servant leave. Only then did she fish out her phone and send a message to Toby, telling him to bring Elyse away.
Elyse had no idea what was going on with Owen. If she caused some trouble, all their efforts would go down the drain.
The instant Amelie was done sending the message, she heard the doorknob turning. She promptly got to her feet and saw a dapper-looking man stepping into the room.
The man sported a solemn expression. With a tall and burly figure, he looked domineering. Although there were only some wrinkles on his face, his hair was all gray, which made him look like he was in his late fifties.
He was none other than Owen Steward, who was a business tycoon in Skaynia. In fact, he was only in his early forties.
âGood day, Mr. Steward.â Seeing the man, Amelie ambled forward and greeted him politely.
On the other hand, Owen asked her to drop the formalities. âWhy didnât you tell me that you were coming? I wouldâve picked you up at the airport.â
âYouâre a busy man, so I canât possibly waste your time.â Amelie put on a gentle smile. Despite her polite tone, she appeared amiable.
The instant Owen saw her, he stopped looking solemn and put on a faint smile.
Meanwhile, Elyse still wasnât willing to give up. âThey must be mistaken!â She could never believe that, given her connections, Owen would refuse to see her. âIâll tell Mr. Steward that Iâm friends with Mrs.
Steward. Iâm sure heâll let me in.â Then, she shuffled toward the security guard.
Just then, someone got in her way and said, âStop right there. Youâre only going to ruin our plan.â
Elyse had turned around in a hurry and almost crashed into that person. She looked up and realized it was Toby, whose handsome face appeared impassive as he glanced at her.
âWhat do you mean?â Elyse was eager to regain her dignity, so she had forgotten that she had an image to keep up. Her expression appeared somewhat hideous.
On the other hand, Toby wasnât willing to speak to her, nor did he bother to explain anything. He gazed at Leo and said, âThis matter is very important, Leo. Why donât you bring Miss Clayton somewhere else first?â
âIâm here to help!â Elyse was enraged that she was ignored, but she still suppressed her fury and explained, âIâm on good terms with Mrs. Steward. Iâm the best person to persuade Mr. Steward.â
Hearing that, Toby could barely conceal his contempt. âYou said youâre on good terms with Mrs.
Steward, but donât you know she has nothing to do with Mr. Steward anymore? Besides that, theyâre enemies now.â He had wanted to save the last bit of dignity for her. However, since she just couldnât see sense, he had no choice but to break the truth to her.
âNo wayâ¦â Elyseâs face paled in an instant. âHow do you know?â
In fact, Toby wasnât aware of it initially, but Amelie had brought it up while they were on their way to this country.
Elyse had offered to help, but she was completely clueless about what had happened in the Steward Family, which was ridiculous. Fortunately, Toby had decided to come over as he was worried about Amelie. Otherwise, their plan wouldâve been ruined.
He then gazed at Leo. âLeo, youâre usually more sedate than I am, so what has gotten into you this time?â He was questioning why Leo had asked Elyse to come over and talk to Owen. Since they had sought Amelieâs help, it was preposterous that Leo had let Elyse tag along.
Hearing that, Elyse flushed with anger, for she realized Toby was reprimanding her, not Leo. She snapped without any resignation, âWhat nonsense are you spouting? Mrs. Steward has never told me that she has fallen out with her husband!â
âDo you think she would inform everyone that she has fallen out with her husband?â Toby was speechless at her silliness. Only a dumb man like Leo would fall in love with this kind of woman.
An aggrieved Elyse bit her lip as she remained silent.
âWhatâs going on?â Leo asked in a grim voice. Owen kept a low profile, so they could hardly gather any information about his private affairs.
Toby tucked his hands into the pockets and gaped at them. âDo you know why Mr. Steward is so eager about venturing into the entertainment industry as he has bought several film production companies in just a few years? Thatâs because heâs trying to retaliate against his ex-wife, who hooked up with a director and took away all his wealth. The reason he has been buying up these companies is to make sure his ex-wife will lose her footing in the industry. Didnât you say youâre on good terms with his ex-
wife? Donât you find it odd that, considering Mr. Stewardâs status, his ex-wife hasnât taken part in any proper film in the past few years?â Toby knocked some sense into the lady.
Hearing that, Elyse hung her head low. Mrs. Steward indeed hasnât been invited to participate in any major films. She didnât ponder on it in the past, but she now realized something was indeed amiss.
âIs your source of information reliable?â Elyse still hoped that this piece of information was inaccurate.
âThat was what Foxy told me. She knows Owen fully well,â Toby replied dispassionately.
At the mention of Foxy, Elyse suddenly thought of something as her face turned ashen. âCould Amelie beâ¦â Foxy?