Chapter 5939

Without giving Claire a chance to react, Charlie grasped her hand and marched through the crowd toward Kelly West. At that moment, Kelly West was the center of attention among the elite circle. Everyone held a glass of wine, captivated by her conversation, while Sasaki Miki watched Kelly with admiration from the sidelines. Upon seeing Charlie and Claire approach, accompanied by Loreen and her cousin Sasaki Sachiko, a look of disapproval crossed her face as she scrutinized Charlie, curious about his intentions. Charlie stepped out of the crowd, ready to call out to Kelly West, when Sasaki Miki cut in with a sneer, deliberately raising her voice, "Mr. Wade, you are not permitted to come here!" If Sasaki Miki had genuinely wanted to persuade Charlie to leave, she wouldn’t have needed to speak so loudly. Her intention in amplifying her voice was to draw the attention of everyone in the elite circle. The more eyes on her, the better her chance to create a commotion around the topic. Since the head of the Sasaki family, who was also her grandfather and Sasaki Sachiko’s, was present, it provided her with an opportunity to ridicule Sachiko. Even though the guests were conversing around Kelly West, they were all prominent figures, and the general volume of their discussions was fairly low, making Sasaki Miki’s voice stand out and capture everyone's attention. Seeing that all eyes were on her, Miki quickly feigned an apologetic expression, saying, "I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt you. This gentleman and his wife are guests invited by my sister Sachiko. They’re from a small city in China and may not be familiar with the etiquette at parties like this in Tokyo. I sincerely apologize on their behalf." She then turned quickly to Charlie, "I apologize, Mr. Wade. While you have been invited to the party, at gatherings like this, the group speaking privately are all close friends. Strangers typically cannot approach unless formally introduced. Even then, the intermediary must first check if everyone is open to meeting new acquaintances." Initially, everyone was focused on Miki Sasaki’s performance before turning their attention to the Mr. Wade she mentioned. Many attendees noted that while Charlie didn’t immediately appear to be a loser, he also didn’t exude an aura of sophistication. He struck them as someone from the middle class, eager to break into the upper echelons. After all, these were elite individuals, distinguishing themselves through their meticulous attire, accessories, and hairstyles. They could assess the quality of a suit merely by its fabric. Watches, shoes, and belts served as further indicators. When scrutinizing a man, they would also notice fine hairs at the sideburns and neck, which suggested he lacked a full-time stylist; otherwise, those hairs would have been tended to. From their observation, Charlie evidently lacked the markers of upper-class status. In that moment, while others looked down on Charlie, Kelly West—the star of the event—stared at him and Claire, astonished. As a designer, Kelly’s prominence amongst Tokyo’s wealthy elite wasn’t due solely to her looks, but largely because she had the support of Michaela Joules, the head of the Joules family. Kelly understood Michaela’s stance regarding Charlie and knew well how crucial her connection with Michaela was. Michaela had brought Kelly to the event as part of her strategy to be closer to Claire, Charlie's wife. Without this connection, Kelly might never have had the opportunity to meet Michaela. Recently, Michaela had generously offered Kelly numerous opportunities. Kelly was here today because the Joules and Mitsui families were planning a massive investment to build a super business center in Tokyo. This center would not only become the largest shopping mall in Tokyo, but it would also feature towering office buildings, luxurious hotels, high-end apartments, and even a top-notch private hospital that would leverage medical expertise from both the United States and Japan to provide exceptional healthcare for the wealthy.

Michaela had decided to invest in Japan due to the nation's close ties with the U.S. and more favorable investment policies, in addition to the fact that elite individuals from the U.S. have historically held Japan in high regard, often expressing interest in investing or retiring there. With her abundant Western resources and significant capital, Michaela realized she could drive this business idea forward on a grand scale. By attracting affluent Westerners to retire or receive care in Japan, the potential for profitability and market growth was immense. In Michaela’s perspective, if this project proved successful, it wouldn’t merely involve land speculation or selling properties. It could usher in a wave of American wealth, making it a solid business opportunity. Furthermore, the Joules family’s strategy focused on establishing long-term growth rather than quick returns. If Japan became a retirement haven for wealthy individuals, it would ensure a continuous stream of profit for the Joules family. Consequently, Michaela traveled to Japan to explore the possibilities and set this initiative into motion. When the Mitsui family caught wind of Michaela's plans to invest in Japan and attract wealthy Western consumers, they immediately recognized the substantial commercial potential. Despite their pervasive presence in various industries across Japan, they lacked strong Western clientele, prompting them to reach out to Michaela for potential collaboration. For Michaela, the Mitsui family was influential; they held extensive land that intrigued her, but even more significantly, they were involved in various sectors across Japan. This led her to forge a cooperative agreement with the Mitsui family, subsequently asking Kelly West to come to Japan to serve as the chief designer for this ambitious commercial project. The Mitsui family not only possessed valuable Tokyo real estate but also thrived across multiple industries. Thus, this collaboration with the Joules family was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Though the Mitsui family initially extended considerable effort to invite Michaela to the party, she was uninterested in attending Tawana Sweet's event. However, to accommodate the Mitsui family and save face, she sent Kelly West in her stead. Given Michaela had yet to finalize her partnership with the Mitsui family, they treated her with utmost respect and went to great lengths to impress Kelly West in hopes of winning favor with Michaela. Kelly was well aware that her popularity at the event stemmed largely from Michaela’s backing. Grateful for Michaela’s support, she felt an even greater thrill upon spotting Charlie and Claire. Thus, she pushed through the crowd, eager to greet Charlie and Claire with enthusiasm. Unexpectedly, Miki Sasaki noticed Kelly West moving toward her and approached, trying to maintain her facade: "I’m sorry, Ms. West. Please disregard them; I’ll have them leave at once." Kelly saw through her insincerity and replied coolly, "If you dare to send away Miss Joules’s friends, I will leave with them! Should any collaboration between Miss Joules and the Mitsui family be jeopardized, you will be held accountable!" Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd. Everyone had assumed Kelly was merely Michaela’s spokesperson and lavished her with compliments, but they hadn’t anticipated that Michaela had other close friends in attendance! Sasaki Miki asked in disbelief, "You... what did you just say?! They are... Miss Joules’s friends?!" Kelly West dismissed her with a wave and pushed past her, striding confidently towards Charlie and Claire, visibly exhilarated. "Claire, Mr. Wade, I didn’t expect to see you here!"