Chapter 5 Mrs Robinson Stands by Mr Robinson

• Harper's smile faltered
• "Why?" she asked.
• "Mr. Robinson's got Mrs. Robinson in tow tonight, " the voice on the phone explained.
• Harper plastered a fake smile and replied, "Oh, Mrs. Robinson is tagging along... Well, I wasn't exactly excited about going anyway."
• "Got it," the voice replied, then hung up.
• Harper stared at her phoneas her roomies exchanged quizzical looks behind her.
• "Harper, did your boyfriend just cancel on you?" one of them asked.
• Another chimed in, "Isn't this the big international party? I thought he set it up to introduce you to those fancy foreign bigwigs."
• Sensing the doubtful glares behind her, Harper shrugged and tried to play it cool, "Well, he's got a major client to entertain. I can't mess that up for him."
• She looked at the evening gown , a feeling of disappointment creeping in as she wondered, Logan has always disliked Layla. How could he suddenly do this...
• Harper tightened her hold on the gown, silently vowing, I've been eagerly awaiting tonight's event. I can't let this setback ruin my night!
• …
• As the night crept in, Logan arranged for Leo to a stunning black Findella-inspired evening gown Layla.
• Waiting downstairs, Logan watched as Layla gradually descended the stairs with elegance. Though he'd seen her in a burgundy gown, this new look him . It was the first time he noticed just how stunning Layla was.
• "I'm ready," Layla her gaze meeting Logan's.
• "Alright, I'll ask Leo to fetch the car," Logan replied with a nod.
• However, she barely caught his words. As she swung open the door, she spotted Leo waiting outside.
• Leo , "Mrs. Robinson, you look stunning in that gown, even more so than Miss Hamilton."
• Logan immediately shot him a sharp look at the mention of Harper.
• Realizing his misstep, Leo promptly clammed up.
• Unperturbed, Layla remarked as she settled into the car, "No worries."
• Once Layla was inside, Logan leaned toward Leo and whispered, "."
• Leo felt a pang of injustice but stayed silent, knowing he had crossed a line.
• As they reached the club, Logan assisted Layla out of the car, earning approving glances from bystanders.
• One of them asked, "Who's the lady with Mr. Robinson?"
• "I think she's Mrs. Robinson," another replied.
• Another chimed in, "Huh, I haven't seen Mr. and Mrs. Robinson at events together before. Well, they do make a good-looking pair."
• …
• As they strolled, Logan held Layla's hand, and though she wanted to retract it, the scrutinizing gazes of the bystanders made her .
• Scanning the crowd, Layla spotted familiar faces from her past.
• Logan held significant sway in the business world, evident by his attendance at such a major international event filled with industry-leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and real estate tycoons.
• Layla had finance to impress Logan. t it proved futile in the end.
• Amidst the chatter, the abrupt sound of shattering glass grabbed everyone's attention. An old gardener knocked over a vase of roses, prompting a sharp rebuke from the club manager.
• "Who let this old guy in here? Kick him out!" the club manager barked.
• "Wait a second," Layla interjected, stepping forward to gather the fallen roses. As she did, she noticed that they were carefully trimmed, thorns removed, and of a rare variety.
• "Mrs. Robinson, this old broke Mr. Thomson's roses for everyone. I'll him out" the club manager explained firmly.
• Trying to keep things chill, Layla advised, "Since it was an accident, can you ask him to get a new vase?"
• She then proposed, "Since Mr. Thomson brought these roses, it'd be a waste not to enjoy them. Why don't we let all the ladies take one as a token of his gesture?"
• Everyone nodded in agreement, and the club manager also subtly gestured to the old gardener to distribute the roses.
• Approaching Layla, Logan whispered, "I didn't expect you to be the one to spice things up."
• Layla shrugged and replied, "I'm just trying to give Mr. Thomson some credit."
• Meanwhile, outside the club, Harper hopped out of a cab, clad in a sleek black evening gown.
• As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she caught sight of the curious glances coming her way.
• The security guard ?"
• Caught off guard, Harper realized she hadn't even thought about needing one. This was new territory for her, as she'd always entered with Logan in the past.
• "Miss, no entry without an ," the security guard stated firmly.
• "I'm here with Mr. Robinson," Harper lied.
• The guard narrowed his eyes skeptically and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are already inside. You are?"
• Feeling , Harper flushed. Before she could utter a word, Leo, who had been lingering nearby, stepped in and stated, "Sir, she's with our group."
• With Leo's intervention, the security guard eventually permitted Harper to enter.
• As she made her way into the club, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, only to be met with Leo's curious gaze.
• Leo asked, "Miss Hamilton, what brings you here?"
• Harper explained hesitantly, "I... I wanted to break out of my shell. Mr. Robinson always says I'm too reserved. Since I'll be heading abroad soon, I thought trying out events like this would be good. Leo, can you sneak me in?"
• Leo hesitated, considering her request.
• Harper continued, "My goal is to complete my studies promptly and return to helping Mr. Robinson. Last time, Mrs. Robinson blew ten billion on that land deal, which was probably a bust. She's not exactly a finance whiz, you know? With all the big shots here tonight, I'm worried she won't measure up next to Mr. Robinson."
• Leo finally gave in, thinking Mrs. Robinson isn't really savvy with finance. That's why Harper has always been Mr. Robinson's go-to. Her finance skills totally blow him away.
• Harper cheerfully entered the club, catching sight of Logan deep in conversation with a foreigner.
• Then she bumped into an old man in her haste, causing water to splash onto her gown.
• Responding on impulse, Harper blurted out, " Are you blind?"