Tom Wilson, who was standing nearby, looked at her with concern and asked, "Grace, you don't look like yourself. What's going on?"
Grace Li's eyes were slightly red, and she shook her head gently, trying to make her voice sound casual and lighthearted. "It's nothing, just a bit tired." She tried to brush it off with a typical response, masking the turmoil inside her.
"Mr. Thompson is over there. How about we go say hi? At events like this, networking is key. Who knows, it might bring some new opportunities for the company."
"Forget it." Grace Li almost instantly rejected the suggestion. At that moment, she felt conflicted and had no idea how to face Aiden Thompson. "Let's go meet the next entrepreneur. Time's precious."
Soon, they had identified the next target entrepreneur. Grace Li still wore a professional smile as she approached to greet him, but this time, the conversation was led by Tom Wilson. After a few light jokes to break the ice, he smoothly steered the discussion toward potential collaboration. Meanwhile, Grace Li was distracted, only occasionally nodding politely and barely participating in the conversation.
Once the discussion wrapped up, Grace Li couldn't help but glance around the banquet hall for Aiden Thompson. She saw him chatting animatedly with a wealthy entrepreneur and his daughter. The young lady, full of typical American warmth, was smiling and chatting with Aiden, who responded politely. Their interaction seemed very familiar.
At that moment, Aiden happened to look up, and their eyes met. His expression froze for a moment, and a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes, clearly not expecting to lock eyes with her here.
Grace Li quickly looked away and said to Tom Wilson, "Tom, I think I need to get some fresh air. It's a bit stuffy in here."
Tom Wilson asked with concern, "Do you want me to come with you? If you're not feeling well, I can call a car for you."
"No, it's fine. I'll just step outside for a bit," she replied quickly, turning and leaving the banquet hall.
Outside the hall was an open plaza, unusually quiet since everyone else was inside the banquet. Grace Li stood by a modern column, feeling a slight chill in the October New York night air. She wore an evening gown, and a cold breeze made her shiver, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself.
Her emotions were complicated and hard to describe. If most people found out their boyfriend was the heir to a massive corporation, they'd probably be thrilled. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, as though their relationship was about to face a huge challenge.
"Grace."
She heard the familiar voice and turned around to see Aiden Thompson walking toward her. They hadn't seen each other in about ten days, and although they had casually chatted on WeChat just yesterday, today, she felt like this man before her was a stranger.
Aiden walked up to her, naturally taking off his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders. His gesture exuded American gentlemanly charm. The familiar scent of his subtle cologne hit her as the jacket still carried his warmth, but none of it could dispel the coldness in her heart.
"Let's find a place to talk," Aiden said earnestly.
Grace Li casually asked, "Talk about what?"
"About me. I think it's time I was honest with you," Aiden replied, then asked, "Did you drive here? If not, you can ride with me. Let's go somewhere quiet."
Aiden pulled out his phone and made a call. Not long after, a black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up. The driver, Bob, got out of the front seat and respectfully said, "Mr. Aiden Thompson, your car is ready."
"Bob, I take the car for now. Go rest for a bit," Aiden told him.
"Got it, sir."
Aiden took Grace Li's hand and walked over to the passenger side, courteously opening the door for her. Grace Li suddenly remembered the time when she had tried to buy Aiden a car around $200k, and he had laughed, saying he only liked Rolls-Royces. At that moment, she had thought he was joking, but now, everything seemed to have a very real background.
She sat in the car, feeling the luxurious yet minimalist interior, but only feeling more uncomfortable. Aiden thoughtfully turned on the seat warmers and car perfume, filling the air with warmth and a subtle fragrance, but none of it could shake off the gloom that hung over her.
Aiden didn't drive far. He parked the car in a quiet parking lot near a lake. Throughout the drive, Grace Li stayed silent. Aiden knew she was upset and understood her confusion and inner turmoil.
Aiden reached out and gently took her hand, sincerely saying, "I'm sorry. I should've told you about my family sooner."
Grace Li raised an eyebrow, "Why tell me now?"
"I shouldn't have kept it from you. I always thought that my background didn't define who I am, and I wanted to make my own way. But now I realize that wasn't fair to you."
Grace Li wasn't unreasonable. She understood that Aiden hadn't intentionally lied to her—she'd just made assumptions based on some small details. She gave a wry smile, thinking how she had always imagined the story of a rich kid pretending to be an average Joe was just something out of a movie—until it happened to her.
"You didn't lie to me, it's just..." Grace Li trailed off.
"As your partner, I should've been more open," Aiden said, turning toward her with a serious look in his eyes. "Last September, I had a huge argument with my dad. He always thought I couldn't make it without him, and I wanted to prove him wrong. So I left home and came to New York to see if I could make it on my own. Then I met you, joined Nova Capital. I've always been grateful for how fate brought us together, whether as partners in love or at work. You always tell me I'm good enough to succeed on my own—do you know how much that meant to me? When I felt lost, you gave me strength."
Aiden went on, "My feelings for you are real. I want to build a future with you, to work side by side. That's never changed. But last week, I got a call that my dad's sick, and I had to go back to handle the family business. I wanted to find the right time to tell you, but I didn't expect it to come out like this."
Grace Li listened quietly. Everything made sense, and there was no reason to doubt him. But it wasn't that simple for her. What bothered her wasn't the secret itself, but how their worlds were so different.
"Aiden, do you understand how I'm feeling right now?" Grace Li leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm not mad that you kept it from me. It's just... it's a lot to take in all of a sudden. Can you give me some time to process it?"
"I get it," Aiden said softly. "Take all the time you need. So, should we head back now?"
Just then, Aiden's phone rang. Rex Thompson's voice came through loud and clear, "Where the hell are you? Everyone's looking for you!"
Aiden answered calmly, "Had some stuff to take care of, Dad. Don't worry."
"Cut the crap! Get back here now!"
Aiden's concern for his dad was evident. He spoke patiently, "Dad, I'll be back soon. Just take it easy and look after yourself."
After hanging up, Grace Li said, "You should go back. I have to get back to the event. Tom Wilson's at his first one like this, and I need to make sure he's good."
"He's the CEO. He'll figure it out. Don't stress so much," Aiden replied, starting the car again. "Let's just head home."
"No, we're going back to the event. This is a huge opportunity, and if we miss it, it'll be hard to find another chance to meet so many key players in the industry," she said firmly.
Aiden hesitated. He knew how determined Grace Li could be. After a moment, he sighed and agreed, "Okay."
Aiden drove them back to the event. When they reached the entrance, he turned to her and said seriously, "I'll be here at 9:30. Don't make me wait too long."
Grace Li nodded with a small smile, "Got it."
Back at the event, Grace Li found Tom Wilson. He noticed her looking better and asked, "Feeling any better? If you're still not up to it, let me know."
"I'm good now," Grace Li replied. "How'd things go?"
Tom Wilson grinned, holding up a business card. "I just had a great conversation with the R&D director at Aria Medical. He's really interested in our products, and he shared a lot of industry updates. This could lead to a partnership!"
Grace Li's face lit up. "That's amazing! Great news!"
Tom Wilson nodded. "Shall we keep going? We've still got a few more people to meet."
"Yeah, let's do it."
Despite still feeling a little off, Grace Li pushed through. By the end of the night, she'd met seven out of the ten entrepreneurs on her list, and the results were way better than she expected.
The event ended at 10 PM. By 9:30, people began trickling out. Grace Li and Tom Wilson said their goodbyes and mentioned they were leaving with Aiden.
As Grace Li stepped outside, she spotted Aiden Thompson waiting for her. He had loosened his suit jacket, his hand casually in his pocket, standing tall with the luxurious Rolls-Royce parked behind him. He was scanning the crowd intently, waiting for her. Grace Li had kept him waiting for five minutes—she wondered how long he'd been there.
She walked toward him, and Aiden immediately came over, took her hand, and guided her to the car. He opened the passenger door for her, a perfect gentleman.
Not far off, Rex Thompson watched them. His hands were folded over the handle of his cane, his face dark with displeasure. After a long silence, he turned to his assistant and said, "Find out who that woman is. I want to know exactly what's going on between her and Aiden. Get it done fast."
"Right away, Mr. Thompson," the assistant replied respectfully.