In the car, Tiesto suddenly asked, "Javi, are you familiar with the northwest desert region?"
"I'm quite-" Javi almost said 'familiar,' but suddenly froze.
Wait. Was he about to get reassigned out there?
He immediately changed his tone. "Not at all! I'm completely unfamiliar with that area. Mr. Sterling, I'm used to working by your side. You've been especially busy lately-I'll give it my all."
Tiesto let out a cold scoff. "I thought maybe you didn't want this job anymore."
"How could that be? I could work under you for another hundred years!"
Javi racked his brain but couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong.
If this was about Ella being friendly to him... that wasn't exactly something he could control.
As if reading his thoughts, Tiesto said calmly, "Who told you to knock on Ella's door?"
If he hadn't arrived earlier, Javi might have seen Ella answering the door in a bathrobe.
Javi felt completely wronged. "Didn't you message me and telling me to bring an umbrella because it was raining?"
"I told you to bring an umbrella. Did I tell you to knock?"
Javi: "..."
People in love really are unreasonable.
Was Mr. Sterling secretly the jealous type?
The next day, Tiesto selected two photos and sent them to Grandma Sterling.
"This girl looks delightful. Just looking at her, you can tell she's blessed. She suits you perfectly. Look at your noses, your eyes-you two even have that married-couple look. You brat, treat her well, understand?"
After admiring the photos, Grandma Sterling suddenly noticed something. "Why are there only two?"
"There are only two."
The rest, he planned to use strategically later.
Considering her precious grandson rarely took photos at all, this was already a rare exception. Grandma Sterling didn't press further.
Tiesto glanced at the picture again.
A married-couple look?
Did they really?
When Ella was changing clothes, her gaze accidentally landed on the lingerie from the night before.
Her face flushed again.
Thankfully, Tiesto didn't live here. Otherwise, she wouldn't even know how to face him.
That evening, Ella finished writing her article.
The editor-in-chief walked over and handed her an entry pass. "There's a banquet tonight. A lot of influential figures will be there. I managed to get an entry pass. Go take a look-see if there are any opportunities."
"Do I need to interview anyone? Write a specific piece?"
"You're not at that level yet. Just go broaden your horizons."
The guests at this banquet were all major players. Ella didn't yet have the qualifications.
If this had been a formal invitation rather than just an entry pass, the editor wouldn't have given it to a complete newcomer like her.
Ella nodded.
"Of course," the editor added, "if you're capable of writing something impressive, I won't regret trusting you."
"Thank you, Editor. I'll do my best!"
After work, Ella rode her bike to the address listed on the pass.
It was one of Elaris's most famous seven-star hotels-the Elaris Grand Hotel.
She parked and walked inside, only to run into her brother, Caleb.
"Caleb!" Ella waved happily when she saw him.
Caleb walked over with a bright grin. "Ella! What are you doing here?"
"Editor sent me to gain some experience." She waved the entry pass in her hand.
Caleb chuckled. "Not bad. I'm here with a client for dinner."
"Caleb, about the money you transferred to me last time... I don't need it right now. Let me send it back-"
Caleb gently pressed down the hand she was reaching for her phone with. "If you send it back, then don't call me your brother anymore."
"Caleb..."
He smiled. "Don't be so formal with me."
As they were talking, a group of people walked toward the banquet hall.
Leading them were their adoptive mother, Nora, and Piper-along with several others.
When Piper saw Caleb and Ella, her expression turned slightly unnatural.
Piper turned her head away as if she hadn't seen the siblings at all.
But inwardly, she was annoyed.
Why did she have to run into them here of all places?
They weren't thinking of tagging along with her to get inside, were they?
With that thought, Piper tightened her grip on Nora's arm and quickened her pace.
Caleb's eyes darkened slightly. He asked quietly, "Does Piper bully you at Nora's house?"
"Why bring that up?" Ella said with a bright smile. "Let's not talk about things that ruin the mood."
It wasn't that she'd forgotten the past.
She just didn't see the point in revisiting it.
Caleb didn't really need to ask anyway-he could guess.
Over the past few days, the whole family had tried adding Piper to the family group chat.
Their intention was simple: to check in on her and send her some money, just like they did for Ella-although the three brothers had done so rather reluctantly.
After all, they'd missed over twenty years of her life. They thought they should make up for it.
But several days had passed, and Piper still hadn't accepted the requests.
The day Caleb went to the Hart family villa, he had already seen the expression on her face.
How could he not understand what she was thinking?
He didn't bring her up again.
Instead, he said, "Give me your address. I prepared a wedding gift for you. I'll send it over."
"You really don't have to, Caleb. You've already given me so much."
"I already bought it. If I don't give it to you, that's a waste. Write it down."
Left with no choice, Ella gave him her current address.
"Wait here for me a minute," Caleb said.
A few minutes later, he returned and handed her an invitation card.
"Use this to go in."
"What is it?"
"Dummy. With an entry pass, you're limited to certain areas-basically treated like staff. With an invitation, you're officially a guest."
Only then did Ella understand the difference.
No wonder her editor had never really given her opportunities-complaining that she wasn't willing to drink and entertain at business dinners-yet this time handed her the entry pass so easily.
Turns out it was something the editor didn't even want.
"Caleb, if you give this to me, what about you?"
"I'm not attending the banquet. I'm here with a client. The invitation was given to me by them anyway."
"Thank you, Caleb. I'll head in now."
"Wait."
He pulled her back gently, took out a handful of candy from his pocket, and slipped it into her bag. "You liked this last time. I grabbed some from the private room just now."
It was mint candy-her favorite back in elementary school.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Caleb, you're the best!"
Even after she walked away, Caleb was still smiling at those words.
With the invitation card, the treatment was completely different.
Ella was ushered inside instead of being restricted to the outer hall like other reporters holding entry passes.
Inside, the men were dressed in tailored suits, the women in elegant gowns.
High society truly did feel like another world.
She glanced down at herself-white blouse and tailored slacks. Professional and neat.
Without her brother's invitation, she wouldn't have made it past the entrance.
Pulling herself together, Ella slipped into work mode, exchanging pleasantries and quickly collecting a few business cards.
Nearby, Nora and Piper were chatting animatedly with a group of wealthy ladies.
The Hart family's financial situation was solid. Jayden Hart ran a business that had been thriving in recent years.
Nora loved bringing Piper to events like this.
Tonight, Piper wore a formal gown and navigated conversations effortlessly.
Nora suddenly spotted Ella inside and looked surprised. "How did she get in?"
Piper noticed the work badge on Ella's chest. "Probably through her company."
Nora clicked her tongue. "When I used to bring her, she refused to come. Now she shows up for a few thousand dollars a month."
Mrs. Steele, standing nearby, asked curiously, "Mrs. Hart, isn't that your second daughter? Why did she come dressed like that?"
Embarrassed, Nora replied coldly, "She's not my daughter anymore."
Piper, meanwhile, just found Ella irritating.
That face of hers-too eye-catching-wandering around like that.
They were biological sisters, yet somehow the heavens had favored Ella, giving her the better figure and prettier features.
Mrs. Steele looked surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You all know Ella was adopted. Her biological family found her and took her back."
"Oh, I see," Mrs. Steele said. "Mrs. Hart, you're truly kind-raising someone else's child for so many years."
Nora smiled faintly. "Consider it a good deed. Luckily, I still have my own biological daughter and son by my side. As for someone else's child... if she leaves, she leaves."
In truth, many people knew Piper was adopted too-and that she and Ella were biological sisters.
But Nora repeatedly emphasized that Piper was her biological daughter, and no one was bold enough to contradict her.
If you repeat something often enough, it becomes the accepted truth.
Mrs. Steele shook her head. "Even so, Ella should repay your kindness. Raising her wasn't nothing."
Nora waved dismissively. "Don't even mention her biological family... no house, no car, and three unmarried older brothers."
The women around them clicked their tongues.
"In this day and age, what man can get married without a house or car?"
"Ella really is foolish. You treated her with your whole heart, and she chose them instead."
They didn't lower their voices at all-even as Ella walked closer.
Piper smiled. "I'll go say a few words to her."
"Piper is so gracious."
"Yes, just one year older, yet she's so much more mature than Ella."
