Charlie felt a surge of happiness as he listened to his wife express her excitement. It seemed he had truly chosen the perfect venue for their wedding anniversary celebration. She must be overjoyed on this special day! They entered the Sky Garden and settled into their reserved seats. Before long, Loreen made her entrance. “Claire!”

“Loreen!” The two best friends embraced, their faces lighting up with joy. They eagerly began to reminisce about their shared memories, holding hands as they shared their excitement, taking a little while to calm down.

Loreen teased, “Claire, you really are a spendthrift. You actually booked the Sky Garden for dinner!”

Claire giggled with delight, “Well, you’re here! Of course, I had to splurge a little!”

Loreen beamed, “You’re my best friend!”

“Honestly, I feel a bit out of place dining here. I had to ask Miss Doris Young to make the reservation using her membership card!”

Loreen sighed. “The Sky Garden has some pretty strict requirements, doesn’t it? I heard it’s only available for their Diamond members or something like that, right?”

“Yes,” Claire confirmed with a nod. “To be honest, this is my first time here!”

Loreen smiled warmly. “Thank you so much, dear Claire!” She added, “By the way, I noticed a sign at the entrance saying the Sky Garden is fully booked three days from now. Is that really true?”

“Yes,” Claire replied, a puzzled look crossing her face. “That’s strange. The Sky Garden has never allowed reservations before. I wonder what’s going on.”

Loreen nodded thoughtfully. “I remember seeing a video online about a mysterious wealthy man in Aurous Hill who arrived with a convoy of Rolls-Royces, men in black suits, and suitcases full of cash to buy a necklace. Did you see that video?”

Charlie shook his head, but Claire responded, “I did, and it’s quite a sensation. Everyone is speculating about his identity.”

“What’s there to speculate about?” Loreen chimed in. “It’s all just gossip! People are dying to know who he is, especially since he seems so powerful and charming. Some even say he’s the new chairman of Emgrand Group.”

Charlie felt a sudden jolt of surprise but quickly composed himself. Loreen continued, “Now someone has gone ahead and booked the Sky Garden. That’s unprecedented, right? I bet the person who reserved this place is the same one who bought the necklace in that video.”

Claire sighed in exasperation. “We haven’t seen each other in ages, and you’re still just as much of a gossip!”

Loreen laughed heartily. “Gossip is what keeps us women going!” She added, “I’m planning to come back here in three days to see for myself who has the power to book the Sky Garden!”

Charlie, who had been quietly absorbing the conversation, suddenly felt a headache coming on. All he wanted was to surprise his wife with a memorable anniversary celebration, free from any unwanted attention. However, he realized he had underestimated the allure of the Sky Garden. It seemed that many people in Aurous Hill shared Loreen’s curiosity about the mysterious guest who had reserved the venue.