Eleanor Hollis listened to the two talking on the side, feeling a bit uncomfortable. So the woman who had the arranged marriage with Hugo Quinn was this man’s sister. It seemed they had known Hugo for a long time. "Alright, let’s not talk about this." Hugo’s face was full of impatience. Jude Shaw hurriedly took a drink. "Okay, okay, I won’t mention it. I’m just giving you a heads-up; it looks like the two grandfathers have conspired about something. Don’t blame me for not warning you if you suffer in the end." If the Quinton Family and Ford Family were to form an alliance through marriage, it would be beneficial for both sides, especially since Claire Shaw liked Hugo. This matter seemed certain. A soft laugh suddenly echoed. Eleanor looked over following the direction of the laugh and saw a man dressed in a black suit. Different from Hugo’s indifference and Julian Sterling’s warmth, his appearance was somewhat striking, with a captivating mole on the tip of his nose—like a nobleman stepping out of a painting. "This is Evan Yancy." Hugo introduced him to her. Eleanor quickly nodded and politely greeted him. Evan smiled with his eyes curved. Eleanor was the first woman Hugo brought out, naturally drawing attention. When Hugo and Eleanor first got together, the others didn’t approve, since they had investigated her background and knew Eleanor had been married before, with a five-year-long marriage. As men, none of them were indifferent to this. Perhaps in their future affectionate and intimate times, thoughts might arise remembering that a man had also been so close with her, and for five long years at that. Could the heart really feel at peace? Among their group, Hugo had always been proud and arrogant, not bothering to spare a glance for things he didn’t deem worthwhile. So why would he want someone who had worn those "worn-out shoes" for five years? Therefore, they had been waiting and watching for the two to break up, but surprisingly, Hugo had brought Eleanor out to meet them, so their attitudes had to be adjusted. "Just sitting here is boring. How about I sing a song for you all?" Julian suddenly stood up, with an elegant posture. Eleanor suddenly recalled that in all these years Julian had debuted, he seemed never to have sung publicly before. Fans were all curious about what his singing sounded like, and unexpectedly, she would be the first to hear it. She felt excited, even clenching her palms nervously. But the others had expressions of deep apprehension, including Hugo, who also furrowed his brows. "Cover your ears, or you’ll regret it later." Hugo suddenly whispered to her, pulling out earplugs from somewhere, intending to put them in her ears. Eleanor shook her head, thinking that hearing her idol sing for the first time, how could she wear earplugs? It felt too disrespectful. Yet, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Evan and Jude’s actions; they also prepared earplugs and had already put them in. Eleanor’s face was full of surprise. After three minutes, she understood why everyone looked so miserable. She had thought there were no completely tone-deaf people in the world, that this saying was a lie, but hearing Julian’s singing, she realized that some people could indeed sing so out of tune, and he had painstakingly sung the entire song. Follow current novels on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥 Julian’s voice was so loud that occasionally, there was a piercing echo from the microphone that hurt the eardrums. Eleanor was about to cry; was this really her idol singing? Wasn’t this supposed to be a captivating voice? Hugo handed out the earplugs again. Eleanor did not reject them this time, immediately inserting the earplugs into her ears, finally achieving peace. However, Julian seemed immersed in his singing, unable to extricate himself, singing one song after another without stopping. Eleanor pursed her lips, took a sip of juice, and found the other three men seemed accustomed to it, calmly drinking their respective drinks. However, due to the noise on site, there was no communication among them. This atmosphere, inexplicably somewhat eerie... It wasn’t clear how long it lasted, but Julian finally stopped, placing the microphone on the table, allowing the group to finally remove their earplugs. "Julian’s singing seems to have improved once again." Hugo began to lie through his teeth, and finished with a sip of wine. "Yeah, before, listening to it would only land a person in the ICU. Now, it’s directly life-threatening, saving the trouble of resuscitation." Eleanor couldn’t hold back a soft laugh; Evan’s words were indeed a bit biting. Yet Julian didn’t mind at all and sat down on the side. "Singing is just a hobby; enjoying it is enough." As he finished speaking, the private room’s door was opened. Claire Shaw appeared at the doorway. She wore delicate makeup, exuding nobility. "Brother, why didn’t any of you call me for the gathering?" She gave Jude a coquettish glance, closed the door, and sat next to Evan of her own accord. Jude’s face stiffened, his temple beginning to throb. Before, they would occasionally bring Claire along for gatherings, after all, everyone was familiar within this circle. But knowing Hugo would bring Eleanor, he had quietly attended, not expecting Claire to follow. The atmosphere on site suddenly felt a bit stagnant due to her arrival, everyone’s expressions showing a brief lapse of rigidity. Especially Hugo, who furrowed his brows, staring at Claire, unsure whether her arrival was simply for the gathering or something else. Claire’s temperament was well known among the men present; she was extremely strong-willed. "So you’re Eleanor Hollis, we finally meet." Claire smiled and slowly swirled her finger around the rim of her cup. Previously, Hugo had protected Eleanor very well; she couldn’t even meet her once. Upon hearing Claire call Jude "brother," Eleanor understood her identity; she was the woman who had the arranged marriage with Hugo. "I saw your photo before, thinking you’d be a thousand times prettier in person. But now, not so much." Claire’s words made Hugo instantly dark-faced, even Jude’s expression turned stern. "Claire, you go back!" Jude was somewhat angry; this person really did whatever she pleased! Claire raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly. "Why should I go back? You all gathered without telling me. Isn’t it just because of this woman? We’ve known each other for years, yet you all deceived me for an outsider, even you, Jude. You’re my brother, what does she have that I don’t?" Claire’s words were sharp and pointed; though everyone had tried to maintain surface harmony, she forcefully tore that layer away, revealing the sharp truth beneath. Eleanor didn’t know what to say, because as Claire pointed out, she was merely an outsider; those present seemed to have known each other from a young age, they were part of a circle. Moreover, judging by everyone’s reactions, if Grace Lynch hadn’t gotten pregnant, Claire should have married into the Quinton Family. She had liked Hugo for a long time.