Scowling, Barbara turned around to find out who the person was, only to see that it was actually... Maria!

“Excuse me. Are you Jeff Cooper? Nice to meet you. I'm Maria."

Maria's sudden appearance caught Jeff and Alena by surprise, and even Barbara was also stunned by her presence.

Alena subtly glanced at her fiancé in confusion, only to find that Jeff looked just as puzzled.

It was obvious that neither Jeff nor Alena had met Maria before. "Oh, I see what you're up to!" Barbara muttered to herself. After recovering from her initial shock, she figured out Maria's purpose.

This high-end banquet was a place for many people to expand their social connections. It was obvious that Maria wanted to get acquainted with Jeff.

Maria was in the same industry as Jeff, so it was reasonable for her to try to get close to him.

Barbara snuck a contemptuous look at Maria when no one was watching. After all, the Cooper family's golden era had long passed, and Jeff's stardom in the modern world wasn't enough to influence the ancient martial arts world.

If it weren't for the fact that Barbara was a fan, she wouldn't have so much as glanced at him.

“Nice to meet you..." Jeff replied politely, raising one eyebrow. "Miss Jenkins, right?"

"Yes. Tell me, is this seat taken?" Without waiting for a response, Maria sat down next to Jeff.

Alena was sitting on Jeff's left, and Maria just took the seat on his right.

It was the first time for them to meet, but their seats were so close to each other. Considering that both Jeff and Maria were popular in the entertainment circle, it was likely that their picture would hit the front page of tomorrow's gossip news.

What on earth does this woman want?

As a professional agent, Alena had a discerning eye and had seen how all kinds of female artists would go to get clout.

But she was still Jeff's fiancée, and she wouldn't let any starlet steal Jeff's thunder—-especially if it came to gossip between a handsome man and a beautiful woman!

However, upon observing Maria carefully, Alena soon found that although the latter was sitting next to Jeff, she didn't seem to be interested in him.

She sat upright and looked straight ahead, as though she was just intently waiting for the party to start.

Moreover, there wasn't a trace of malice in Maria's bright eyes. It soon became clear to Alena that Maria was nothing like those despicable figures in the entertainment circle that would use others just to gain publicity.

“Have you met Mr. Cooper before, Maria?"

At this time, Barbara, who was now two seats away from Jeff, suddenly spoke.

The way she addressed Maria so casually instantly attracted the attention of both Jeff and Alena.

"Oh?

So they're cousins?