Chapter 327

Dane offered a polite nod, keeping his expression neutral as Tiffany looked him up and down without any attempt to hide it. The attention made him more than a little uneasy, but he just stood there, quietly waiting.

“Wait, Dane? As in Dane from Vertex International?” lieana’s eyes suddenly brightened, her whole demeanor shifting with excitement.

“Who else would it be?” Tiffany replied, looking far too pleased with herself. It was like being able to recognize Dane gave her some secret advantage in the room.

“I have to admit, Dane really is quite the catch,” lieana said, practically beaming. Then she turned to her daughter. “Irma, come on, say hello to Dane. You told me you’ve always looked up to him, remember p>

Irma finally glanced up at Dane, and for a second she just stared. Her mother had said he was handsome, but this was something else. Up close, he was almost intimidating. Her heart skipped a beat before she managed to steady herself.

“Hi, Dane. I’m Irma. I’m your junior at Cabinda University, studying finance.” She flashed him a friendly smile. “I’ve heard so much about what you’ve done. The professors talk about you all the time… I’ve always wanted to know more about your story. Maybe we could chat sometime p>

Irma spoke with confidence. She knew she wasn’t as pretty as Claire or Yolande, but in her eyes, she made up for it by being smart and capable. If she could get close to someone like Dane, she could be a real partner, someone he would appreciate and rely on.

lieana watched with expectation. This was exactly what she’d hoped for. She had even thought about asking Ophelia to introduce Irma to a promising young man, and now the opportunity was right in front of her. Ophelia had agreed but never made any moves, and back then, lieana hadn’t cared. Everything changed when she heard the Churchills had found Melissa’s daughter. Suddenly the pressure was on. She knew the Greens and the Churchills were close. If Irma could use Ophelia as a bridge to the Green family, her future would be secure. The Dean family wasn’t without influence, but snagging a wealthy son-in-law would take her husband’s career to the next level. lieana had it all planned-except she hadn’t considered Ophelia’s own intentions.

Ophelia, for her part, was sharp. She’d never planned on introducing Dane to Irma. With the old ties between the Greens and the Churchills, and the previous engagement always lurking in the background, she knew that was a line the Churchill family couldn’t cross, even if others could try their luck.

“Hi. I’m afraid it’s probably not the best time,” Dane replied, his tone firm but polite. Irma’s smile faltered, just for a second.

“Oh, what’s the problem? We’re all close here,” lieana chirped, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

“lieana!” Ophelia cut in, catching her off guard. She hadn’t expected her to push even after Dane’s obvious refusal.

lieana just kept going. “No need to be shy. Today’s the perfect chance, don’t you think? Let Irma and Dane get to know each other. Ima is ambitious, and she can learn so much from someone like Dane. If one day she’s even half as brilliant, I’ll be the happiest mom in the world p>

Ophelia saw what was happening and realized lieana wasn’t going to let it go. Thankfully, Dane knew how to avoid getting caught in the middle.

He turned to Padgett. “I think I’ll head out for now. I don’t want to bother anyone p>

“I’ll pick her up after lunch,” he added, glancing at Claire.

“My grandfather’s waiting for her at home.” Dane didn’t explain why Baldrick was waiting-Padgett already understood.

“What’s the rush? It’s lunch time. Stay and eat with us,” Padgett said, waving off everyone else’s agendas. He hadn’t lost his authority yet he could still keep all these schemers in line

“Dane isn’t a stranger. In fact, he’s pretty much family.” Padgett gave a pointed look at Edison’s wife and then at lieana: “He’s my future in-law