"I didn''t force him toe back. He had a choice," M grumbled.


    Phoebe grinned and whispered in M''s ear, "For General Morrison, home is wherever you are. It''s normal for him toe home after work. He insisted oning home daily, even when he couldn''t see you before."


    M looked at Phoebe suspiciously and asked, "Did he bribe you? Why are you praising him so highly?"


    Phoebe shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "That''s just how I see it. It''s okay if you don''t want to hear it." M patted her shoulder and said, "Let''s go for lunch. And then you cane with me to buy a gown." "What gown?" Phoebe asked.


    "I got invited by Lillian Kimmel this morning, so I have to go to her banquet tonight," M said with a long face.


    "The President''s daughter invited you?" Phoebe was surprised.


    "Yes, we''ve never met before." M sighed. "But she''s the President''s daughter. It''s hard to say no considering my status."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "Why did she invite you?"


    "I have no idea."


    "Should we tell General Morrison?"


    "That''s fine."


    "Then, I''lle with you."


    M nodded in response.


    In the evening, M showed up at the fancy mansion of Imperial Heights dressed in her best attire. Surprisingly, her fancy gown seemed out of ce among the other guests dressed in simple clothes.


    M felt like she had been made a fool of. When Lillian invited her, she described it as a fancy and upscale banquet and told M to dress up for the asion.


    There was a stage In the mansion''s garden where a pianist and a band yed music. Down below, people were sitting around a bonfire, some busy barbecuing. M''s beauty caught people''s attention, but her fancy attire seemed a bit much. Some even quietly made fun of her showing off.


    "Hi, Mrs. Morrison, I''m Lillian Kimmel. The president is my father," Lillian greeted M politely.


    M smiled graciously and shook Lillian''s hand. "Hi, just call me Wanda."


    "You may call me Lillian."


    "Lillian, did hear you right? Or did you mean something else? This isn''t exactly a banquet. It''s more like a casual gathering," M asked, trying to hide her irritation. S Lillian looked around surprisingly and said blithely, "This is an upscale banquet. Even though most guests are children of officials and wealthy people, along with the families of political leaders, we usually keep things simple. No one would dress as elegantly as you do."  M smiled awkwardly in response. Suddenly, she saw a familiar person approaching from a distance.


    "Lillian,e and have some barbecue," Fenna said. She held several skewers in her hand.


    M and Fenna froze in that fleeting moment of eye contact.


    Fenna seemed unaware of M''s presence. She looked startled. M frowned when she got what Lillian was up to.


    Lillian was helping Fenna get back at M by putting her on the spot.


    If M stormed off looking annoyed now, it would confirm what at people already, thought about her being petty and ungrateful. This gossip would spread fast in political circles.


    M would be embarrassed, and Nathan would be dragged into it too. On the other hand) in M stayed, Lilian would do her best to embarrass her even more.


    As Fenna slowly approached, Lillian feigned ignorance and said, "Wanda, let me introduce a friend of mine. She''s my best friend, Fenna Hudson."


    M didn''t y along with Lillian. She smiled and asked, "Since you''re Fenna''s best friend, don''t you know that she''s Nathan''s assistant?"