"Miss Meng."
Mason Meng froze mid-motion.
Recognizing the voice, her expression instantly shifted. She turned around abruptly, her eyes searching.
Ethan Jiang, having come straight from a contract signing event at Tiancheng Group's headquarters, hadn't even removed his tailored suit. He descended the steps with an unhurried gait, making his way toward them.
His noble, detached face gave away no emotion, unreadable as always—
Except for that brief moment when his dark eyes paused on Elena Shen.
Mason was still caught in the shock of Ethan's sudden arrival when he spoke, his voice calm but cutting:
"What exactly did our Elena do to offend the Meng family? Enough to make the eldest Miss Meng raise her hand in public?"
The grievance simmering in Mason's chest nearly boiled over.
After all, she was the one who got slapped square in the face.
The burning pain hadn't subsided, and the imprint surely remained vivid.
And yet here he was, head of the Jiang family, acting like he hadn't seen it—
Asking her why she would strike Elena, as if she were the unreasonable one.
Such blind partiality and shameless protectiveness made Mason furious.
And she couldn't understand it at all.
All these years, everyone only knew of Elena's close ties with Adrian Jiang.
Never once had anyone heard of a connection between Elena and Ethan Jiang, the elusive heir who rarely set foot in the country—
Let alone one strong enough for him to shield her so openly, so absolutely.
The more she thought, the more suffocated Mason felt.
But Ethan's identity was untouchable. No matter how outraged she was, she didn't dare show it. She forced her hand down and tried to reclaim some dignity:
"Elena hit me first. Annie and Lucy both saw it."
Ethan came to a stop beside Elena.
His eyes flicked briefly toward Annie Gu and Lucy Song, who stood just behind Mason, heads bowed, not daring to meet his gaze.
"Two against one. Miss Meng, do you take me for a blind man?"
His voice was dangerously quiet, calm to the point of iciness.
But the frost in his tone sent chills down their spines. Neither of the two girls behind Mason dared to raise their heads, much less speak up.
Then his voice shifted, the chill sharpening:
"And another thing—"
His cold gaze finally settled on Mason again, who now bit her lip in stubborn silence.
"Our Elena is gentle by nature. Even when dealing with the most uncouth people, she remains courteous. But that doesn't mean the Jiang family behind her share the same temper."
"Miss Meng, do you understand what I'm saying?"
Mason's fingernails dug deep into her palms. Her lips trembled, nearly breaking the skin with the pressure of her bite.
She had waited years—years—for Adrian Jiang to finally abandon Elena.
And just when it seemed her chance had come, Ethan Jiang appeared out of nowhere to shield her, as though she were the most precious thing in the world.
Jealousy flared so violently in Mason's eyes that it nearly spilled over.
But she dared not go against Ethan. Not even a word of protest could pass her lips.
Neither she nor the Meng family could afford the consequences.
Suppressing her anger, she forced a short apology:
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang. I was just joking with Miss Shen. There was no ill intent."
Ethan glanced at Elena beside him, her lashes low, silent.
Then his gaze returned to Mason, his tone cool, but his protectiveness blatant—
From the very first word, he had drawn a clear line: Elena was under the full protection of the Jiang family.
"The Jiang family does not tolerate tasteless jokes. If this happens again, Miss Meng, I suggest you have your father speak to me directly."
With that, he ignored Mason's pale face and the terrified expressions of her sidekicks. Gripping Elena's wrist, he led her out of the villa without a second look.
Upstairs, Annie Gu had just descended, looking for Elena. She had just reached the side entrance of the banquet hall when she caught sight of Ethan and Elena leaving together.
She turned, intending to retrieve her phone from the sofa and text her best friend.
But as she turned back, she froze.
By the potted bird-of-paradise near the floor-to-ceiling window stood a man—Adrian Jiang—who had just returned from Nanshi by plane.
Annie blinked in surprise.
Her brother had called her away earlier, and she hadn't realized that toward the end of the banquet, both Ethan and Adrian had arrived.
She followed Adrian's gaze through the glass window—
From his angle, he would've had a perfect view of the confrontation between Elena and Mason.
Before Annie could move, Adrian took a drag from his cigarette, then slowly extinguished it.
A storm brewed in his eyes. He stepped past Annie without a word and walked out the side door.