The attention she garnered made him wonder about her life in recent years- the pursuits, the admirers.

Yet, despite his curiosity, Marcus knew better than to pry into such personal matters, especially given their past relationship.

Suddenly, he heard a cheerful voice beside him. “Look, it's Miss Brown!"

Violette's eyes sparkled with excitement upon spotting Melissa. She turned to Marcus, her voice tinged with envy and admiration. "Can we go over and say hello? Her dress is breathtaking, and she looks incredible. I wish I had her figure!"

Her words were accompanied by a bashful smile.

Marcus, holding a wine glass, cast a steady gaze in Melissa's direction, his attention fixed on her.

He couldn't deny that she appeared more captivating than ever.

As Melissa caught sight of Marcus and Violette, her smile wavered momentarily before she offered them a polite nod as greeting.

Albert, noticing Melissa's brief change in expression, scanned the room and recognized Marcus.

“Ah, the young Fowler heir! What a pleasant surprise!" he exclaimed, approaching with Melissa in tow. “Is this your new partner? You two seem Like a good match,"

Albert commented, turning to Melissa for her opinion. “Am I right?"

Violette responded modestly to Albert's compliment, “That's very kind of you, Mr. Waston."

Meanwhile, Marcus' gaze lingered on Melissa, silently questioning how she might react. Once, such a situation might have reduced her to tears given how timid she was, but she had grown stronger.

With a poised smile, Melissa replied, "Mr. Fowler has a knack for making the right choices."

Before Albert could further stir the pot, Marcus intervened, “Is that so, Miss Brown? Perhaps I've made errors in judgment before."

"Success and failure are two sides of the same coin, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Fowler?" Melissa responded with equanimity.

At her words, Marcus sneered, "It seems you're really good at looking at the bright side, Miss Brown."

Melissa responded promptly, “We must move forward, no matter what."

The air between them grew charged in an instant.

Violette, puzzled by the tension, inquired, "Were you and Marcus colleagues before, Miss Brown?"