The phone disconnected after his proclamation.
Sasha was in a state of shock. Yancyâs son? Solomon is Yancyâs son? Impossible!
Meanwhile, the ball was in full swing at the Empire State Tower. To accentuate the summit, the
organizers had spared no expense in making the ball into an extravagant affair, including inviting various
prominent stars and socialites to attend as guests.
The sound of mingling murmurs and clinking of champagne flutes filled the ballroom. Inhibition lowered
under the effect of alcohol as several of Sebastianâs acquaintances were beginning to eye the socialites
suggestively.
One of them nudged him. âHayes, want to try your luck with any of the girls over there?â
The latter gave a perfunctory smile in response. âIâll pass,â he said with an air of indifference.
Sensing his disinterest, the others left him alone and went to chat up the socialites.
There were two women in the ball who stood out among the rest. However, even the most brazen
tycoons present were loath to hit on them.
One of them was an award-winning actress, while the other was the heiress of the Benson family that
was practically royalty.
Almost every one of the business magnates had set their sights on the two women, but none of them
had the guts to approach them, fearing rejection.
The two ladies cruised their gaze upon the crowd before settling on the lone figure lounging on the
ballroom couch.
The said individual was browsing lazily on his phone, mile-long legs crossing over each other indolently.
He seemed molded from a different cast as he appeared completely detached from the ball. However,
the bored look on his face did nothing to hide his gorgeous features. With dark eyes and angular
cheekbones carving downward to a flinty jaw, he was easily the best-looking man in the whole room.
âWho is that?â the heiress asked, her gaze glued on the figure.
One of the organizers caught the question and stepped forth. âMs. Benson, heâs Mr. Sebastian Hayes,
one of the top business elites in Astoria.â
She hummed by way of acknowledgement. Without further ado, she headed straight to where Sebastian
was sitting.
âHi, Iâm Millie Benson.â She smiled sweetly, extending a perfectly manicured hand at him. âMay I invite
you to a dance?â
The rest of the magnates were green with envy. They knew that having the Benson heiressâ affection
could only mean good things for oneâs business.
However, they were shocked to see that Sebastian continued looking at his phone as if she was invisible.
It was a long moment later that he looked up, apparently finally realizing her presence. âYou may not,â he
said with a hint of annoyance. âInvite someone else, please.â
Millieâs face fell. âExcuse me?â Her voice was sharp with disbelief. âDonât you know who I am?â
âI donât care,â he said tersely. His patience with this woman was quickly running thin.
The organizer from earlier hurried over and tried to salvage the situation. âMr. Hayes, Millie is the heiress
to the famous Benson family.â
âAnd?â
âA-And⦠Itâs a good opportunityâ¦?â The man was flabbergasted. Doesnât he realize itâs a golden
opportunity for him to get the backing of the Bensons and have his business expand internationally?
Sebastian appeared enlightened. He took a leisure sip of champagne from the glass. âI see. You can
have the opportunity then.â
The crowd was in an uproar. From the way they were looking at Sebastian, one would think he was
crazy.
Enraged at being belittled, Millie was ready to teach the Astorian man a lesson.
Before she could do so, however, Karl walked up to Sebastian with a message. âMr. Hayes, Ms. Wand
left the hotel.â
âWhereâs she going?â
âUnclear, but she got into Solomonâs car.â
The stem of the champagne flute in Sebastianâs hand cracked cleanly into half, spilling the liquid all over
the luxurious carpet.