After dinner, Rex gathered Aiden and Vera in the tea room and said, “Next Wednesday is the company’s anniversary. It’s our 30th, so we can’t let it slide.”

  Vera nodded. “The plan is already ready. I’ll send it to you shortly.”

  Rex sipped his tea slowly. “What about the guest list? Have you finalized it?”

  “It’s ready. I’ll send that too.”

  “Alright, I’ll take a look later.”

  Rex sat in his study, scanning the guest list Vera had just sent over. It was long, but he focused on the key people. He also looked over the event proposal. Since it was a cocktail party, the plans were mostly standard, and he didn’t feel the need to dig into the details. He trusted his children to handle it.

  Mabel entered with a tray, holding a cup of water and some medication—Rex had to take them every day.

  Rex frowned when he saw the pills. “The doctor said you’re recovering well. Why are you still taking so many meds?”

  “It’s because you’re doing well that you need to keep taking them. You can’t stop,” Mabel replied.

  Rex sighed softly, placed the pills in his hand, and swallowed them with some water.

  As he looked at the guest list, Mabel noticed Elijah Porter’s name. “I wonder if Elijah will come?”

  “Whether he comes or not doesn’t matter. The invite still has to go out.”

  “Well, it’s been years, so the invite is only right.”

  Rex changed the topic. “By the way, what do you think of Grace Li?”

  “I only spent two days with her, but she’s a good girl—confident but humble, kind-hearted, and thoughtful.”

  Rex asked, “Would you want her to be your daughter-in-law?”

  Mabel had thought about this for a few days and sighed. “She’s very career-driven, not quite like the kind of daughter-in-law I envisioned. But it’s not for me to choose; it’s for your son. He likes her, and she’s really a good person. I feel comfortable around her. I’m fine with her—what matters is how you feel.”

  Rex paused for a moment and then said, “Invite her to next week’s anniversary.”

  Mabel smiled. “If your son hears this, he’ll be over the moon.”

  “Don’t tell him yet.”

  Mabel shook her head with a sigh. “Fine, fine. You’re the boss.”

  Rex glanced at his phone. “Do you want to make the call, or should I?”

  Mabel replied, “It was your idea, so you should make the call.”

  Rex checked the time—it wasn’t too late, just after 9 PM.

  He dialed Grace Li’s number, and she picked up quickly.

  “Good evening, Mr. Thompson,” Grace Li greeted.

  Rex, his face unreadable, looked at the guest list and said, “Miss Li, I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

  “No, not at all. Please, go ahead.”

  Rex continued, “Next Wednesday is Silverstone Group’s 30th anniversary, and there’s a cocktail party in the evening. I’d like to invite you to join us.”

  There was a brief silence on the other end. Rex asked, “Is that inconvenient for you?”

  “No, just a little surprised,” Grace Li said, her voice lighter now. “I’ll definitely come. Thank you, Mr. Thompson.”

  “Great. I’ll send you the details later.”

  “Thanks again.”

  When Grace Li received Rex’s call, she was still at the office, and Ryan and Olivia were nearby.

  As soon as they heard Grace Li call him “Mr. Thompson,” Ryan and Olivia perked up, knowing that Aiden’s parents had been opposed to their relationship and were particularly curious about this.

  “Boss, was that Mr. Thompson’s father calling?” Olivia asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Ryan grinned. “You look pretty happy. What’s going on? Got some good news?”

  Grace Li smiled. “He called to invite me to Silverstone Group’s 30th anniversary party.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Wow!” Olivia and Ryan said in unison.

  Grace Li laughed. “What’s with the reaction?”

  Olivia teased, “So what’s your role there? Are you going as the future ‘First Lady’ of Silverstone Group?”

  Grace Li sighed. “No matter what role, I’m honored to be invited.”

  She hadn’t spent much time with Rex and Mabel, but she did find their interactions pleasant, even though things had gotten a little awkward when Mabel asked her about her future plans.

  While she wasn’t sure why Rex had personally called to invite her, she did feel honored. It felt like she was being taken seriously by his family.

  It seemed like success was within reach.

  **

  Grace Li took the upcoming cocktail party very seriously.

  Since starting her career, she had attended dozens of business events and cocktail parties, but for these, she usually just dressed in a professional, mature way to make a solid impression on potential partners.

  However, a company anniversary cocktail party like this one was more about socializing, and it was likely that many of New York’s elites would attend. As Aiden Thompson’s girlfriend, she couldn’t afford to embarrass herself.

  So she quickly reached out to Isabella Hsueh for help with the planning.

  They went together to pick out dresses and shoes, and they also booked a stylist.

  Grace Li had a long weekend coming up, so she decided to visit her hometown. Her cousin was getting married, and she wanted to be there for the ceremony.

  Her younger siblings were already married, so she became the center of attention during the family gathering.

  But she wasn’t worried about the usual marriage pressure from her relatives anymore because she wasn’t single anymore.

  After the wedding reception, Huiyun Liang asked again about Grace Li’s relationship. “By the way, Grace, how are things with Tom? Are you two getting serious?”

  Grace Li looked at her mother, a little frustrated but trying to stay calm. “Mom, I’m with Aiden Thompson, not Tom Wilson.”

  “But didn’t his family disapprove of you two being together? Tom is a good boy, and his parents like you,” her mother insisted.

  Grace Li had tried explaining multiple times that she and Tom were just friends, but her mother refused to accept it. “Mom, Tom and I are just friends,” she said firmly.

  Huiyun Liang didn’t relent. “I really think he’s good for you, Grace. We’ve talked to him, and we really like him.”

  Grace Li furrowed her brows, “Did you two say something to him?”

  “Not much, just told him that we’d prefer him as our son-in-law.”

  No wonder Tom had acted a bit strangely recently and even confessed to her. It turned out her parents had been pushing him.

  “Mom, this is just going to hurt him more.”

  Huiyun Liang didn’t get it. “Why would it?”

  “Because in my heart, there’s only Aiden Thompson, and it’ll probably always be that way. You pushing Tom won’t help anyone. It’ll just hurt him.”

  At that moment, Shichen Li, her father, spoke up, “Grace, you’re being foolish. You and Tom are such a good match. Aiden Thompson’s family background is so different from ours. You have to think about it carefully. You’re going to face a lot of difficulties if you stay with him,” Shichen Li said, his tone serious.

  Grace Li had heard these words many times. Her parents, especially her father, couldn’t seem to understand why she was so determined to stay with Aiden. They wanted her to be with someone like Tom, who could offer her a more secure future in their eyes.

  “I know, Dad,” Grace Li answered softly, her voice trembling slightly. “But Aiden is someone I truly care about. It’s not just about his background; it’s about who he is, and how he makes me feel.”

  Her mother, Huiyun Liang, exchanged a glance with her husband before sighing. “We just want the best for you. But if you’re sure about him... we’ll try to accept him. But this relationship won’t be easy.”

  Grace Li smiled gently, knowing her mother only wanted the best for her, but she calmly replied, “Mom, I understand that you care, but Aiden and I are happy together. I know you want what’s best for me, but I’ve made my choice, and I’m sure about it.”

  “Grace, you’re too stubborn. Tom and you are such a perfect match. Aiden Thompson’s family background doesn’t match ours. You have to think about it carefully. You’re going to face a lot of difficulties if you stay with him,” her father said, his tone serious.

  “I’ve thought it through, Dad,” Grace Li replied softly. “Tom is a great guy, but I’ve already made my choice. I won’t regret being with Aiden.”

  After a pause, Huiyun Liang finally spoke. “Actually, Aiden came by on your birthday.”

  Grace Li was surprised. “He came by?”

  Huiyun Liang bit her lip, glancing at her husband. “You weren’t feeling well that day, and Aiden showed up with flowers and a cake. But your dad told him that you weren’t available, and then had a talk with him.”

  Grace Li was shocked. She remembered waiting for Aiden’s message or video call that day, but all she got was a quick “Happy Birthday.” She had no idea that Aiden had come to her house and that Shichen Li had pulled him aside to talk.

  “What did you guys say to him?”

  Shichen Li spoke up. “I told him you two weren’t suitable, and that it would be better to end things now, before it gets too complicated.”

  Grace Li’s blood pressure shot up. “How could you say that to him?”

  Shichen Li shrugged. “I was just looking out for you.”

  “Dad, how could you talk to my boyfriend like that behind my back? That’s not looking out for me.” Grace Li was upset. It had been over a month, and she didn’t even know what had happened. She had no idea that her parents were pushing Aiden away.

  Aiden had shown up that day with flowers and a cake, but he had been pulled aside by Shichen Li, probably feeling hurt. And he never told her about it.

  Grace Li walked into her room, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled out her phone to call Aiden.

  He picked up quickly. The first thing he asked was, “Did the wedding end?”

  “Yeah, I just got back home,” Grace Li said, feeling comforted hearing his voice. “Did you go out today?”

  “No, too much work, plus the anniversary event. I’ve been in the study all day,” Aiden replied.

  “Sounds exhausting.”

  “Yeah, but once the anniversary stuff is over, I’ll come to see you.”

  Grace Li said, “Actually, I could come to LA.”

  Aiden responded, “No need to travel all that way. I’ll come to you.”

  “Well, if I have to go to LA for work, will I be able to see you?”

  “Of course,” Aiden said. “Just let me know when you’ll be there.”

  “Okay,” Grace Li smiled.

  She walked over to the window. It was May 2nd, and there was no moon tonight, but she could see a sky full of stars. “Aiden, I can see a lot of stars from here.”

  She heard some movement on his end, probably him standing up and walking over to the window. He looked up at the sky. “I can see them here too.”

  “What should we do about this?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know... I just feel like... I really miss you today.”

  Aiden paused for a second, his voice full of affection. “Grace, don’t tease me. I might just fly over to your place in the middle of the night.”

  Grace Li laughed. “Don’t, please. We’ll see each other soon enough.”

  “Yeah,” he said softly.

  Grace Li glanced out at the sky again. “You keep working. I’m going to take a shower.”

  “Alright.”