Chapter 5944

Sanjing Yoshitaka's decision to invite Charlie and Claire to the core area of the party stemmed from his concern that Michaela might notice he had overlooked her good friend. After all, a friend powerful enough to persuade Michaela to come in person must hold significant importance in her life. If Michaela showed up and realized that her friends were not even present in this vital area, she would likely be upset with him as the host. Charlie understood his reasoning. Although he had little interest in the individuals at the party, the crucial aspect was that his wife genuinely admired Tawanna—or at least enjoyed her music. The opportunity to meet and converse with idols was a rare treat for fans. Seeing Charlie's agreement, Sanjing Yoshitaka let out a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, “Mr. Wade, Mrs. Wade, please follow me!” Charlie responded, “Don't worry, Mr. Sanjing, we're a party of five here.” He gestured towards Loreen, Sasaki Yukiko, and Kelly, who was representing Michaela. Mitsui Yoshitaka quickly realized his oversight and promptly replied, “Yes, yes! My apologies for the oversight. Please, follow me!” Sasaki Sachiko felt uneasy, whispering to Loreen, “Loreen, I don’t think I can go. You should proceed with Mr. Wade and the others.” For most in the Sasaki family, receiving a direct invitation from Mitsui Yoshitaka would be a tremendous opportunity. Yet for Sasaki Sachiko, the idea of socializing with someone as esteemed as Mitsui made her uncomfortable. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and confused, she preferred to refrain from attending. Loreen, while recognizing Sachiko's more reserved nature, couldn’t forget how her friend had been bullied by her sister moments ago. She remembered how Sachiko had been squeezed out by a cousin and even targeted by hired assassins. If it weren’t for Charlie's timely intervention, things could have ended tragically for her. Through her own experiences, Loreen had come to understand a vital truth: in a large family rife with complex relationships and agendas, simply avoiding conflict doesn’t guarantee peace or affection, as someone will always perceive you as a potential rival. If you don’t take the initiative, someone else will take the chance against you. To thrive in such an environment, one first needs to strengthen themselves; otherwise, a stable life might always remain elusive. Now that Charlie was present, it was the perfect moment to help Sachiko carve out her standing within the family. As her best friend, Loreen couldn’t let Sachiko miss out on this valuable opportunity. Taking firm hold of Sachiko’s arm, she whispered urgently, “You silly girl, if you want to become someone in the family no one dares to challenge, today is your golden chance! Not everyone gets to be on Charlie's side.” “But…” Sasaki Sachiko faltered, “I really don’t excel in these situations, and… Mr. Mitsui holds such a high position. I’m afraid I might say or do something wrong that could anger him and negatively impact the Sasaki family…” “Don’t fret!” Loreen reassured her. “Just follow confidently. Whatever you say or do, so long as you don’t directly insult Mitsui in front of everyone, he won’t be angry with you.” Sasaki Sachiko was taken aback, but Loreen wouldn’t allow her time to hesitate, pulling her along toward the core area of the party with Charlie and Claire. Within the core area, three round tables were arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the central table serving as the main table for the gathering. Since this was a Western-style party and did not involve a formal meal, the tables were relatively small with a limited number of seats. Each table was designed to accommodate only six guests. At the main table, the seating arrangement orchestrated by Mitsui Yoshitaka comprised three places for his family and the remaining three for Tawanna, her boyfriend, and Kelly West representing Michaela.

After arriving, Tawanna spent her time scrolling through trending news on social media and reading fan comments. Previously, she had tirelessly championed the current underdog, projecting confidence. Now, after the quick turnaround in public sentiment, she had to confront the reality of her situation. It didn't take long for her to notice that social media was not kind to her. Many mocked her poor judgment and overconfidence, suggesting that she was simply a naive young woman who had jumped into the fray without understanding the stakes. Numerous users ridiculed her influence, pointing out that while she had many fans, they failed to stand by her at crucial moments. On popular short video platforms, many users edited videos of her previous statements where she publicly supported the losing side, pairing them with well-known, derisive clips that added to the mockery. This negative feedback fueled Tawanna's anger and made her fully grasp the harsh reality of the phrase "the winner takes all." Just for backing a loser, she faced a barrage of criticism and ridicule that would likely haunt her for years. In that moment, she noticed a trending post on social media that had quickly captured attention, titled: Is Tawanna's secret ripe for exposure? Among the responses, the most liked comment posited that Tawanna's unwavering support for the loser must stem from hidden secrets she wished to keep hidden, fearing that they would be revealed should the other party succeed. This notion garnered widespread agreement, with thousands of users commenting their support for the idea. Tawanna was blindsided by how swiftly she became the focus of public derision. Feeling despondent, she abruptly remembered something and turned to her boyfriend: “Trev, did you record my speech just now?" “Absolutely,” Trevor replied, nodding. “I captured the entire moment.” “Great!" Tawanna exclaimed. “Send me the video.” Trevor promptly shared the video with her, and she quickly opened her short video app, uploaded the clip, and paired it with the caption: “Even from thousands of miles away in Japan, I stand up for LGBT rights. It is my greatest wish and motivation to ensure that LGBT individuals receive the fair and just treatment they deserve. As for who wins this competition, it holds no significance for me!” After posting, she hit send. Her intent with the message was clear: while she supported the losing side, it wasn’t due to hidden secrets that she feared could be revealed; rather, it stemmed from a deep-seated desire for fair treatment of the LGBT community. In essence, she needed to frame her stance using LGBTQ advocacy as a shield, deflecting criticisms from various angles. With hundreds of millions of fans on social media, the video received an overwhelming number of views and quickly surged to the top three of trending topics across multiple platforms. Many of her followers were discovering her supposed noble character for the first time, fervently liking and commenting in support, contributing to a rapid shift in public perception. This swift change in sentiment made Tawanna feel the thrill of strategic moral positioning. Eager to capitalize on the moment, she schemed to produce more material to keep the momentum going. Just then, she noticed Mitsui Yoshitaka approaching with a man and three women. Her eyes brightened, and she whispered urgently to her boyfriend, “Trev, get your phone ready and record quietly. Be discreet about it!”