Chapter 774: Chapter 774: Party
Gwen immediately froze. Annie didn’t notice the brief change in her expression.
“It’s Vincent. My colleague. He’s celebrating his birthday tonight. Most of our coworkers will be there.”
She paused before looking toward Gwen. “Do you want to e with me?”
Gwen hesitated.
“…If I said yes, would you really take me with you?”
Without any hesitation, Annie nodded. “Of course.”
The answer came so naturally that Gwen couldn’t detect even the slightest trace of insincerity.
“Then, I want to e.”
Deep inside, she wanted to see whether Annie had truly meant everything she said.
Or whether it had all been another lie.
Of course Annie agreed, but first she made Gwen face the wall for half an hour and write a 500-word apology letter.
Soon afterward, Gwen hurriedly purchased a beautiful evening gown. She even got ready alongside Annie.
Throughout the entire preparation, she remained in a daze.
She quietly watched Annie helping her choose matching accessories, occasionally fixing a loose strand of her hair or adjusting her dress without asking for anything in return.
Not once did Annie show any signs of resentment. Only when they finally arrived at the venue did Gwen pletely realise something.
Annie hadn’t been lying.
‘Maybe… she really is much kinder than I always believed.’
As that thought crossed her mind, the two sisters entered the party together.
pared to extravagant celebrations before the post-apocalypse, the gathering was actually quite simple.
Back then, people might have considered it nothing more than a small birthday or housewarming party.
However, in today’s world, the event appeared remarkably luxurious.
Warm lights illuminated the spacious hall. Soft music drifted through the air.
The rich aroma of roasted meat, fresh pastries, and expensive wine filled the room, making the atmosphere feel lively yet elegant.
Guests chatted cheerfully in small groups while servers moved gracefully between them, carrying silver trays filled with desserts and drinks.
The moment Annie entered, several people greeted her warmly.
Instead of leaving Gwen standing awkwardly behind her, Annie immediately began introducing her.
“This is my younger sister, Gwen.”
One after another, she introduced Gwen to her colleagues, acquaintances, military officers, and several influential guests.
Watching Annie sincerely praise her abilities in front of everyone, Gwen gradually understood what Annie was doing.
She was giving her an opportunity. An opportunity to establish genuine relationships.
Not by relying on Felix. Not through expensive gifts. But through Annie’s trust in her.
This time, Gwen didn’t back away.
She smiled gracefully, accepted the pliments with confidence, and politely introduced herself to everyone.
Whenever someone praised her, she also sincerely praised Annie in return.
‘I’m not doing this because I accept her as my sister,’ Gwen stubbornly told herself. ‘I’m only doing this because I want to build my own connections.’
Even though deep down, she wasn’t entirely convinced by her own excuse anymore.
After finishing another pleasant conversation with a high-ranking military officer, Gwen quietly excused herself.
She walked toward one corner of the hall, picked up a delicate pastry from the dessert table, and slowly took a bite.
The sweet cream melted inside her mouth. For the first time that evening, she finally relaxed.
Just then, behind her, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
When she looked ahead, she noticed an elderly man approaching her.
He appeared to be in his early sixties.
His neatly bed gray hair and expensive tailored suit gave him the appearance of a respectable gentleman.
The moment Gwen saw him, she immediately put on a polite smile. “Hello, sir.”
The old man smiled back warmly before glancing toward Annie, who was chatting with someone else across the hall. “Oh, hello, young lady.”
He tilted his head slightly as though trying to remember. “What was your name again?”
Gwen smiled politely. “I’m Gwen. I’m Miss Annie’s eldest sister.”
“I see.” Patrick nodded with an amiable smile. “So you’re Annie’s sister. That’s wonderful.”
The two of them casually began chatting. At first, the conversation remained perfectly normal.
Patrick asked about her work. Her hobbies. How long she had known everyone attending the party.
Gwen answered politely while maintaining proper etiquette. However, as the conversation continued, something began to feel wrong.
Patrick’s gaze lingered on her a little too long. His pliments gradually became increasingly personal.
Instead of looking into her eyes, his gaze occasionally wandered over her figure.
An unfortable feeling slowly crept into Gwen’s heart.
‘Something’s not right…’
Her instincts immediately warned her to leave.
She began subtly searching for an excuse to end the conversation without creating an awkward scene.
Just then, Patrick suddenly shifted closer.
Before Gwen could react, he casually placed one hand on her thigh. The sudden touch caused Gwen’s entire body to stiffen.
A chill ran down her spine. Patrick leant slightly closer before smiling.
“Miss Gwen, I’ve been wondering, have you ever considered moving into the military residential district?”
Hearing those words, Gwen froze. The military residential district… that was precisely where Annie currently lived.
It was one of the most prestigious residential areas in the country.
Only influential military officers and prominent figures of the base were qualified to live there.
For countless women, being able to move into that neighbourhood was practically a dream.
As long as someone lived there, their status and quality of life would immediately bee inparable to that of ordinary citizens.
In the past, Gwen might have bee excited upon hearing such an offer. She might even have accepted it without thinking twice.
However, Annie’s earlier words suddenly resurfaced inside her mind.
“I’m unhappy because you relied on Felix’s name instead of mine.”
Remembering that conversation, Gwen slowly reached down, gently removed Patrick’s hand from her thigh, and maintained her polite smile.
“Sir, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood something.”
She looked at him calmly.
“My sister already owns a house inside the military residential district. If I truly wished to live there, I would only need to ask her. I’m sure she’d gladly let me stay with her.”
Patrick’s smile visibly stiffened. He hadn’t expected that answer. For a brief moment, even he realised he had chosen the wrong bait.
Still, his smile quickly returned.
“Well, it’s never a bad thing to have more than one option.”
He leant a little closer again. “After all, what if one day your sister changes her mind?”
As he spoke, a suggestive smile appeared across his face.
Seeing that expression, Gwen’s disfort intensified. She quietly clenched her fists beneath the table.
‘Should I just shove this disgusting old man away? No… That’ll create a huge scene.’
She frowned slightly. Patrick held a relatively high position within the military.
More importantly, he appeared to be one of Annie’s superiors.
Although Gwen hated admitting it, she had absolutely no intention of causing trouble for Annie in this way.
So she forced herself to remain patient. Meanwhile, across the hall, Annie had already noticed Gwen’s increasingly unfortable expression.
Her eyes immediately narrowed. Without the slightest hesitation, she strode directly toward them.
The moment she reached Gwen’s side, Annie firmly pushed Patrick’s hand away before stepping protectively in front of her sister.
Her expression turned ice-cold. “What the hell are you doing to my sister?”
The instant those words echoed throughout the hall, the lively atmosphere instantly froze. Music continued playing softly in the background.
Yet, every conversation abruptly stopped. Every guest turned to look toward Annie.
Patrick’s eyes widened in surprise. “Annie…”
He forced out an awkward smile.
“I think you’ve misunderstood…”
Before he could finish, Annie cut him off. “I don’t care what excuse you’re about to make.”
Her voice was frighteningly cold. “Get out.”
She pointed directly toward the entrance.
“Leave before I ask security to throw you out. How dare you lay your filthy hands on my sister?”
Her furious voice echoed throughout the entire venue. Standing behind Annie, Gwen blinked repeatedly.
She had never seen Annie this angry before.
The first time… had been when they fought each other.
This was only the second time. Yet somehow, the current Annie appeared even more terrifying.
She stood firmly before Gwen like an unbreakable wall, shielding her from Patrick without the slightest hesitation.
For some reason, Gwen couldn’t take her eyes off her.
‘She looks pretty cool.’
A strange warmth quietly spread through her chest. It was a familiar feeling.
Very similar to how she used to feel whenever Felix protected her.
Annie, however, paid no attention to Gwen. Her heart was boiling with rage. ‘How dare this bastard touch my sister?’
Before Patrick could say another word, several security guards hurried over after hearing the motion.
Without waiting for further instructions, they immediately grabbed Patrick by both arms.
Patrick’s expression instantly changed. Only then did he realize how serious the situation had bee.
Without another moment of hesitation, he suddenly dropped to his knees before both Annie and Gwen. “I’m sorry!”
His voice trembled.
“I made a mistake! Please forgive me. I simply thought she looked lonely. I only wanted to keep her pany. I never intended anything else. Please… please don’t take it to heart.”
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