Chapter 5 Mrs Robinson Stands by Mr Robinson

Harper's smile faltered for a moment. "Why?" she asked. "Mr. Robinson's got Mrs. Robinson in tow tonight, so it's probably best you skip this party, Miss Hamilton," the voice on the phone explained. Harper plastered a fake smile and replied, "Oh, Mrs. Robinson is tagging along... Well, I wasn't exactly excited about going anyway." "Got it," the voice replied, then hung up. Harper stared at her phone, her lip caught between her teeth, as her roomies exchanged quizzical looks behind her. "Harper, did your boyfriend just cancel on you?" one of them asked. Another chimed in, "Isn't this the big international party? I thought he set it up to introduce you to those fancy foreign bigwigs." Sensing the doubtful glares behind her, Harper shrugged and tried to play it cool, "Well, he's got a major client to entertain. I can't mess that up for him." She then looked at the evening gown in her hands, a feeling of disappointment creeping in as she wondered, Logan has always disliked Layla. How could he suddenly do this... Harper tightened her hold on the gown, silently vowing, I've been eagerly awaiting tonight's event. I can't let this setback ruin my night! … As the night crept in, Logan arranged for Leo to drop off a stunning black Findella-inspired evening gown for Layla. Waiting downstairs, Logan watched as Layla gradually descended the stairs with elegance. Though he'd seen her in a burgundy gown, this new look caught him off guard. It was the first time he noticed just how stunning Layla was. "I'm ready," Layla stated, her gaze meeting Logan's. "Alright, I'll ask Leo to fetch the car," Logan replied with a nod. However, she barely caught his words. As she swung open the door, she spotted Leo waiting outside. Impressed, Leo couldn't resist complimenting, "Mrs. Robinson, you look stunning in that gown, even more so than Miss Hamilton." Logan immediately shot him a sharp look at the mention of Harper. Realizing his misstep, Leo promptly clammed up. Unperturbed, Layla remarked as she settled into the car, "No worries." Once Layla was inside, Logan leaned toward Leo and whispered, "Looks like your bonus for this month just went out the window." Leo felt a pang of injustice but stayed silent, knowing he had crossed a line. As they reached the club, Logan assisted Layla out of the car, earning approving glances from bystanders. One of them asked, "Who's the lady with Mr. Robinson?" "I think she's Mrs. Robinson," another replied. Another chimed in, "Huh, I haven't seen Mr. and Mrs. Robinson at events together before. Well, they do make a good-looking pair." … As they strolled, Logan held Layla's hand, and though she wanted to retract it, the scrutinizing gazes of the bystanders made her reconsider. Scanning the crowd, Layla spotted familiar faces from her past. Logan held significant sway in the business world, evident by his attendance at such a major international event filled with industry-leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and real estate tycoons. Thinking back, Layla had gone to great lengths to master finance to impress Logan. Yet, it proved futile in the end. Amidst the chatter, the abrupt sound of shattering glass grabbed everyone's attention. An old gardener had inadvertently knocked over a vase of roses, prompting a sharp rebuke from the club manager. "Who let this old guy in here? Kick him out!" the club manager barked. "Wait a second," Layla interjected, stepping forward to gather the fallen roses. As she did, she noticed that they were carefully trimmed, thorns removed, and of a rare variety. "Mrs. Robinson, this old guy broke Mr. Thomson's roses for everyone and caused a bit of a stir. I'll have him escorted out," the club manager explained firmly. Trying to keep things chill, Layla advised, "Since it was an accident, can you ask him to get a new vase?" She then proposed, "Since Old Mr. Thomson brought these roses, it'd be a waste not to enjoy them. Why don't we let all the ladies take one as a token of his gesture?" Everyone nodded in agreement, and the club manager also subtly gestured to the old gardener to distribute the roses. Approaching Layla, Logan whispered, "I didn't expect you to be the one to spice things up." Layla shrugged and replied, "I'm just trying to give Old Mr. Thomson some credit." Meanwhile, outside the club, Harper hopped out of a cab, clad in a sleek black evening gown. As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she caught sight of the curious glances coming her way. Shrugging off the attention, Harper was dead set on getting into the club. The security guard gave her a quick once-over and asked, "Got an invite, miss?" Caught off guard, Harper realized she hadn't even thought about needing one. This was new territory for her, as she'd always entered with Logan in the past. "Miss, no entry without an invite," the security guard stated firmly. "I'm here with Mr. Robinson," Harper lied. The guard narrowed his eyes skeptically and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are already inside. You are?" Feeling the weight of everyone's stares, Harper flushed. Before she could utter a word, Leo, who had been lingering nearby, stepped in and stated, "Sir, she's with our group." With Leo's intervention, the security guard eventually permitted Harper to enter. As she made her way into the club, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, only to be met with Leo's curious gaze. Leo asked, "Miss Hamilton, what brings you here?" Harper explained hesitantly, "I... I wanted to break out of my shell. Mr. Robinson always says I'm too reserved. Since I'll be heading abroad soon, I thought trying out events like this would be good. Leo, can you sneak me in?" Leo hesitated, considering her request. Harper continued, "My goal is to complete my studies promptly and return to helping Mr. Robinson. Last time, Mrs. Robinson blew ten billion on that land deal, which was probably a bust. She's not exactly a finance whiz, you know? With all the big shots here tonight, I'm worried she won't measure up next to Mr. Robinson." Leo finally gave in, thinking Mrs. Robinson isn't really savvy with finance. That's why Harper has always been Mr. Robinson's go-to. Her finance skills totally blow him away. Harper cheerfully entered the club, catching sight of Logan deep in conversation with a foreigner. Then she bumped into an old man in her haste, causing water to splash onto her gown. Responding on impulse, Harper blurted out, "Hey, watch it! Are you blind?" Her expression shifted abruptly as she glanced down at her now-damp gown.