After briefly introducing several people to Grace, Scarlett pulled Grace to the mountain of clothes and said with a worried expression, "We've looked through everything until our eyes are sore. Please help me pick one."

  Grace hadn't even seen a wealthy young lady with this many clothes in TV dramas, and she was quite surprised on the spot. Many of the clothes still had their tags attached, clearly brand new.

  "Aren't you usually very opinionated about what to wear? Why are you so indecisive today?" Grace casually remarked.

  She didn't realize her words caused Scarlett's pretty face to blush slightly, her thin lips pressing together as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

  The other girls all showed knowing, ambiguous smiles. One of them said, "It seems Grace doesn't know our Scarlett has already set her heart on someone."

  Another chimed in agreement, "Grace, you might not know, but Scarlett's 'crush' is also coming tonight."

  These few sentences made Scarlett bury her head in shame into the pile of clothes. "Oh, stop it, you guys!"

  Grace was very surprised; she had indeed never heard Scarlett mention having a secret crush.

  Seeing Scarlett's rare, shy appearance, Grace pulled her up. "Really?"

  Scarlett nodded shyly, then grabbed Grace's hand and swayed it awkwardly. "Help me pick an outfit, quick."

  Grace could understand Scarlett wanting to look her best in front of her crush, so she seriously began advising her.

  She finally chose a white, short evening gown.

  "You're already slim. Darker colors would make you appear even thinner, which might make you look overly bony and disharmonious," Grace explained.

  Scarlett nodded in agreement, finding Grace's reasoning sound.

  Grace added, "It'll be dark soon. White stands out more at night, making it hard for him not to notice you!"

  Hearing this, Scarlett showed a coy expression, snatched the evening gown from Grace's hands, and trotted into the walk-in closet.

  The others couldn't help but smile seeing this.

  When Scarlett finished dressing up, the girls walked out of the villa together like a beautiful scenic line. They were radiant, gorgeous, vibrant with youth, yet each was distinct.

  The most eye-catching among them were Grace in her black evening dress and Scarlett in her white one.

  People present cast their gazes towards them. The elders' eyes held mostly appreciative admiration, while the peers' looks were clearly more direct and unveiled, especially those from the young, wealthy gentlemen seeing Grace for the first time.

  "So hot. Douglas, do you know her? A friend of your sister's?"

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  On the lawn, a few close male friends were gathered together. The leader among them was Scarlett's cousin, Douglas, one of Aethelburg's famous playboys.

  Douglas looked at Grace's fair, glowing figure, his soul almost flying away for a moment. Hearing the question, he just shook his head and murmured, "Haven't seen her before..." As he spoke, he was already walking briskly towards the group of girls.

  His companions exchanged glances upon seeing this, then revealed meaningful smiles one after another.

  "Scarlett!"

  The girls had just picked up cocktails and were chatting happily when Douglas barged in inopportunely.

  He called Scarlett's name, but his eyes couldn't seem to leave Grace.

  Besides Grace, the other girls obviously all knew Douglas. Seeing him approach, they instinctively took two steps back, one after another. Coming from interconnected wealthy families, Douglas's Playboy reputation was already well-known within their circle.

  This left Grace standing closest to him.

  Before Grace could react, this seasoned player in romance had already taken the initiative to speak. "This beauty looks very unfamiliar. Are you a new friend of Scarlett's?" As he spoke, he proactively extended his hand, revealing a handsome smile. "Hello, I'm Douglas, Scarlett's brother."

  Douglas had exceptionally outstanding looks, not at all inferior to Eric's. If one didn't know him and judged solely by his face and his innate, noble young master aura, one might indeed find him pleasing to the eye.

  Little did anyone expect that, before Grace could extend her hand in response, Scarlett had already slapped away her cousin's hand first, warning him with a slightly angry expression, "Stay away from Grace. I'm warning you, don't mess with her!"

  Grace blinked in confusion.

  Douglas, not only unbothered, but also smiled even more broadly at Grace. "Your name is Grace? A very nice name."

  Scarlett pulled the still-unclear-about-the-situation Grace to the other side, whispering in her ear, "Ignore him."

  "Isn't he your brother?" Grace asked in surprise.

  Another girl gently shook her head. "Don't be fooled by appearances. Douglas is a notorious playboy."

  "Scarlett is protecting you."

  Grace nodded in understanding, giving Scarlett a grateful smile.

  But deep down, she actually didn't feel it was a big deal. If the other party were a Playboy, she herself could be a Playgirl!

  Having already closed off her heart to love in her previous life, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to be more pragmatic in this one, especially with handsome guys proactively presenting themselves like this. Who's playing whom is not yet certain!

  Douglas wasn't discouraged by failing to strike up a conversation with Grace. The interest in his eyes was completely unconcealed, directly following Grace.

  A playboy like him was just like that. Inner qualities, substance — none of it mattered. He simply liked 'wooden beauties' who could make him fall at first sight.

  For him, a woman's beauty was the greatest attraction!

  At this moment, Scarlett suddenly gasped with belated realization, then looked at Grace with a horrified expression. "Oh no, dear! I forgot to tell you that Eric's father is coming today. I'm not sure if Eric will come!"

  Seeing her overreaction, Grace offered a reassuring smile. "It's okay. I already thought of that, so I'm mentally prepared."

  "Oh, it's all my fault."

  "Really, it's fine."

  The other girls were stunned upon hearing this. Someone tentatively asked, "You're Eric's ex-girlfriend?"

  Grace nodded without denying it. "Just broke up."

  This answer made their lips part, and then they looked at each other.

  One of them exclaimed, "Then you were Eric's first love! So many girls chased him in high school, but he was completely focused on studying. Who would have thought he started dating right after entering university!"

  Grace maintained an elegant yet polite smile.

  Seeing this, Scarlett quickly interjected, "Oh, let's not talk about him anymore. Grace has already broken up with him. Eric is still pestering her relentlessly, sticking to her like plaster."

  This statement made the girls even more shocked, seeming not to have expected Eric to be such a sentimental type.

  "Scarlett, Scarlett, he's here! Bruno is here!" Suddenly, someone excitedly patted Scarlett.

  And when the name 'Bruno' was mentioned, Scarlett became visibly tense.

  They all looked over and saw a man in a well-tailored suit, exuding a gentle and refined demeanor, walking in through the main gate. By his side, a pretty, delicate-looking girl was intimately holding his arm, walking alongside him.

  In an instant, Scarlett's excited, joyful expression froze on her face.