novelraw Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Aniston's Intuition
Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Aniston's Intuition
Chapter 272: Aniston's Intuition[Chapter 272: Aniston's Intuition]
The car drove up to the manor, and the security guard, poised to ask for an invitation as the vehicle approached, immediately dropped the pretense upon seeing the two ladies inside. His face broke into a deferential smile. "Ms. Aniston, please come in!" With that, he hurriedly dashed back to open the gate.
As they got out in the parking lot, the two ladies stood for a moment, just like Eric did when he first saw the Liberty City, surveying the villa before walking in together.
Upon pushing open the glass door, they entered a grand hall spanning over 600 square feet, bustling with waitstaff and chefs darting about. The sight of the two women elicited little
more than an indifferent glance from the staff.
The party hadn't technically started yet, but as Eric's girlfriend, the petite girl thought it only natural to arrive a bit early.
After a moment, feeling ignored, she grew somewhat irritated, even forgetting about Nicole beside her. Strutting towards the kitchen in her high heels, she accidentally stumbled upon a middle-aged man in a suit discussing something with Drew. Pushing her chest out defiantly, she strode over. "Hey, how's everything coming along?"
Drew looked up at Aniston, dressed in a little white dress, and smiled softly. "Madam, you're a bit early; the party hasn't started yet. But you're welcome to rest in the living room for an hour."
Seeing Drew treating her like just another guest made her furious. "You little brat, don't forget who you are. Mind your manners, or I'll have Eric toss you out."
"I'm so scared," she giggled with a mock 'terrified' face, quickly morphing back to a sly grin, rebutting, "Go ahead if you dare."
Aniston shot Drew a few fiery glares before turning her attention to the suited middle-aged man. "Are you in charge of the party?"
He smiled and nodded, seemingly ignoring the girls' banter. Both women were close to Eric Williams, and he didn't dare offend either. He extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Ms. Aniston. I'm Will Clark. How may I assist you?"
"I don't like the arrangement of the buffet table outside. Can you move it?" she casually offered, seeking an excuse to exert her influence.
Before Will could react, Drew interjected, "Mr. Clark, don't forget I'm covering the bill today!"
Will glanced around. As a party planner, he often dealt with disputes among different hosts and typically deferred decisions to the person with authority. In this manor, the sole authority figure was Eric.
"Perhaps it's best if you ladies consult Mr. Williams," he said with a slick smile.
Both girls glared at Will, but he merely shrugged, adopting a demeanor that implied, 'You do what you want; I'm not getting involved.'
Frustrated, they exchanged glances, aware of the potential fallout. They would not escalate matters in front of so many people, especially not in a way that would embarrass Eric.
Finally, the petite girl suggested, "Let's split it down the middle!"
"Rock-paper-scissors!" Drew chimed in.
Aniston clenched her fists, apparently recalling something. Quickly shaking her head, she said, "No way. Or do we go find Eric?"
Drew smirked, "You were the one who started this mess; we have over a hundred guests today. If you act up and embarrass Eric in front of all these people, ugh..."
Aniston wasn't like Drew. If their positions had been reversed, the brazen girl probably wouldn't have cared about Eric's dignity, but Aniston didn't dare go there. Sighing defiantly, she asked, "Where's Eric?"
Drew shrugged, the corners of her eyes not batting as she replied, "I don't know; there are over thirty rooms here. You can go
The petite girl hadn't gained any leverage from Drew in the kitchen and left in a sulk, only to find Nicole missing. After asking a few staff members with little success, one waiter pointed up the staircase. "I just saw Ms. Kidman go that way. She might have gone upstairs." Aniston thanked him, heading towards the stairs. She noticed the same tightly shut door leading to the lower level but didn't feel inquisitive like Nicole; instead, she ventured up. After a thorough search, having taken her time to explore, she found no sign of Nicole or Eric. A strange feeling grew inside her. Frustrated, she double-checked by knocking on several doors, receiving no response.
Returning to the main hall, Aniston inquired again about Eric's whereabouts from the party
organizers.
"No idea. Mr. Williams could be in one of the rooms."
"Ms. Aniston, it's our first time here as well."
"Sorry, Ms. Aniston. Perhaps you could look outside; the estate is pretty big. Mr. Williams may be somewhere else."
Having asked everyone without any leads on Eric's location, the petite girl stomped her foot
in irritation, muttering, "Now that's just great -- building such a big house for hide-and-
seek." Though complaining, she still headed outside. The inability to find Eric and Nicole intensified that odd sensation, but she felt instinctively resistant to dwelling on a specific thought. While asking Drew directly would have been the simplest way, Aniston strongly disliked engaging with her. Besting Drew in a war of words seemed futile; she preferred a physical approach, which she was slightly better at, but today was clearly not the right time for that.
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