Chapter 34 - Celebration Party
Alex smiled at Lilia and blinked his eyes, "You're right!"
Lilia's face immediately lit up with excitement and admiration.
The designer for the Van brand was a legend in the world of fashion. His clothes combined traditional and modern styles, resulting in elegant contemporary clothes that were popular with all walks of life.
The name Alex rose to worldwide fame three years ago. The first lady wore his homemade clothes when receiving visits from foreign guests. It could convey the appeal of a traditional Javanese dress without looking old-fashioned and reap high praise from the guest.
Lately, Van brand clothes were getting harder and harder to get, and the price was increasing every year. People referred to Alex as a talented but eccentric designer.
As a model, Lilia also admired Alex's clothes. She immediately got into an exciting conversation with the man that Lilia had forgotten Tom and Chris were still there.
The two men exchanged glances and both sighed. Given Jean's possessive and overprotective personality, they only hoped that the man didn't see this scene.
Luckily, Lilia's chat was interrupted by Jean's speech from the stage. The man's deep, dignified voice could be heard clearly in this great hall. Lilia and the other guests focused their attention on the stage.
"Good night all. Thank you for attending this celebratory party on the sidelines of your busy life. Thank you also to the staff and colleagues of this company for your hard work over the years…"
Lilia found herself staring at Jean's figure as if bewitched. The man had the charisma and dignity of a natural leader who caught everyone's attention. He looked like a king addressing his people.
The content of Jean's speech was very short and concise. He praised the people who had worked hard all this time and asked them to enjoy the party. Even though it was short, Lilia could feel the sincerity in his voice. Now she understood why Jean, who rarely made public appearances, could maintain his good reputation.
"Sis Lilia, are you fascinated by Jean?" Suddenly Tom asked Lilia. His broad smile looked ignorant, "I can see it from your face!"
Lilia quickly neutralized her facial expression, "Oh? Mr.Tom also wants to make a public speech as President Jean's close friend? I'm sure it can be easily arranged. Excuse me…"Lilia moved towards the nearest servant.
"Eh, hey, wait, wait!" Tom panicked at the seriousness on Lilia's face. He gripped Lilia's arm tightly, "Sis, I'm just kidding, I'm sorry ...!"
"What are you talking about?"
Lilia and Tom both froze and slowly turned their heads towards Jean, who had already finished his speech.
Jean's gaze fell on Tom's hand that was still holding Lilia's arm. Jean shot Tom a knife-sharp gaze. The poor man immediately released Lilia and took cover behind Chris, who could only smile helplessly.
"Jean ..."
Before Lilia could explain, the man's arms were wrapped around her waist. Lilia once again fell into Jean's arms in front of everyone.
"Wait… Jean… let me go! Everyone is watching!" Lilia hissed frantically, but Jean ignored it.
The guests who attended were surprised to see the intimacy of the two. Some people even dropped their glasses. They all got the message behind Jean's attitude,
'This is my woman, so don't mess around!'
'Is this really President Jean who has never been attracted to women?!' Almost all of them still could not believe what they'd just witnessed.
Currently the mayor was delivering his speech on stage, but no one paid attention. They were too busy stealing glances at Jean, who was whispering with the woman in his arms.
"You look familiar with the three of them. Especially with Alex." Jean whispered in Lilia's ear.
Lilia kept trying to get away from Jean, but her efforts were in vain, "Well… I see. By the way, your speech was great."
"What are you talking about?" Jean brushed off Lilia's attempt to change the subject with a calm face.
"...He plans to launch a new product for this year, and he offered to become one of the models." Lilia replied while pinching Jean's arm, telling the man to release her.
"Hmm ... and you accepted the offer?" Instead of letting go, Jean pulled her closer.
Lilia could smell Jean's clear, springy scent, without the usual smell of cigarettes. Lilia's face got even redder and she got ready to elbow Jean until the man let her go. Although Lilia's reputation would also be destroyed, at least it would be better than spending the night in this embarrassing position.
Before Lilia could even do that, she heard the voice of the woman she hated.
"Brother Chris!"
Lilia turned her head and Jean followed her gaze. She froze when she saw Sara Hartanto make her appearance.