Chapter 1
In the midsummer night, it was raining heavily, and the lightning tore apart thick dark clouds, and the thunder rumbled.
 In the medieval church-style Oil Painting Academy of the P City, it could be seen the liveliness inside, because the Zero Degree magazine would hold a fashion charity gala here tonight to commemorate the tenth anniversary of its founding.
Before the gala, there was a talk session, and some of the guests were signing their autographs in front of the exhibition board for the press to take the pictures, and some were chatting.
On such occasions, it would be embarrassing and out of place if you were talking and laughing with people you didn't know well, but Diana Swift could handle it.
"Will Betty Miller come tonight?"
"Probably she won't."
"That's true. She had spent so much money for nothing, I think she won't have the mood for the charity."
There were some women talking in gentle voices. One might think that they were concerned about someone if he didn't listen carefully. And they didn't talk about it much. These rich ladies looked at each other and then laughed in unison.
Diana Swift, who was surrounded by them, remained silent. Although she smiled slightly, it was not difficult to see that she was lacking in interest and had only been half listening.
Seeing this, someone changed the topic and looked at Diana Swift with a smile, "Darling, is this the one you tried on in Paris two days ago? It's so pretty."
Diana Swift answered her, "No, the one I tried on two days ago was just a sample, this one was ordered during the Autumn-Winter Couture Week last year."
It was nothing special for these girls to have some couture dresses, but they couldn't always wear those couture dresses like Diana Swift, because it was too extravagant. They did not hide their envious expressions, and as usual, they praised as what they were talking about.
Diana Swift didn't say anything when she heard it, and she just keep calm. And when she was about to leave, she drank half a glass of red wine, and said to them "It is fun." before leaving with Bonnie Smith, the deputy editor-in-chief of Zero Degree magazine who was about to take office.
As soon as Diana Swift left, the rich ladies secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight, Diana Swift was obviously not in the state. She was not interested in laughing at Betty Miller, and she didn't respond when they praised her dress.
"What are you thinking, you don't have to listen to those kiss-asses! Just stay in the banquet hall, tonight is your sister's D-day, if Cara Johnson dares to make trouble in the banquet hall, you can do whatever you want!"
Bonnie Smith smiled and greeted the guests with frequent nods as she walked to the banquet hall. She smiled while talking, and her voice wasn't loud.
Diana Swift raised her eyebrows, and before she could answer, there was a commotion behind them, and the two turned around together.
Not knowing who was coming, the clicking sound of the press at the door became urgent. The reporters who were still doing interviews gave up their subjects and rushed to the display board that at the end of the red carpet, crowding into a group.
Bonnie Smith half-squinted her eyes to identify, "It seems that Laura Brown is here. You need to stay here, I need to go."
She responded quickly, and started to walk away before she finished speaking.
Diana Swift looked at the crowded outside from a distance, she didn't care too much at first, but when she saw Laura Brown suddenly from the people, who she hadn't seen for a long time, her back instantly stiffened.
As if sensing, the figure standing beside Laura Brown also glanced in her direction. His gaze passed through the crowds, as if stained with the coolness of the summer rainy night, cold and distant.
After a quarter of an hour, the filming and interviews part of the red carpet were all over, and the guests were led into seats of the banquet hall.
The layout of the banquet hall tonight was decorated by Diana Swift. The lights in the hall were like waterfalls, and the band played Mozart's fortieth Symphony In G Minor live. The white roses were placed in the center of every table, which arrived by air this morning. The rose petals were fresh and full, and the edges were still glowing with warm light pink. The waiter wearing a vest and a bow tie held up the disc with one hand and shuttled back and forth between the people in the room. This was the fancy lifestyle of the upper-class.
Bonnie Smith was worried about the gala before. When she knew that this gala was handled by Diana Swift, and the person who wanted to do something in the banquet have stopped her idea, and the CEO of the group successfully came to the stage to speak, she could rest assured.
After the CEO finished his speech, Jamie Davis, the editor-in-chief of Zero Degree magazine, took the stage. Jamie Davis loved to talk about some "Chicken Soup for the Soul", probably because she wanted to pay tribute to the strategizing of "the devil" Miranda. This time, what she said contained the seismic changes of the magazine.
Everyone at present was smart. When she mentioned the "new deputy editor", everyone subconsciously turned their attention to Bonnie Smith.
Bonnie Smith was like a little white swan who has won the battle, standing up with restraint, and the corners of her eyes were filled with joy.
Some people just glanced at her and then looked at Diana Swift who was sitting beside her, such as Laura Brown.
Laura Brown was already forty-two this year, and had won numerous awards. Moreover, she had married three times. Whether in the fashion industry or in the entertainment industry or the current celebrity circle, she had a pivotal position.
She tilted her head slightly, leaned closer to the man beside her, and asked in curious, "Why didn't you accompany Diana? Are you two fighting?"
The man raised his eyes, looked at Diana Swift not far away, and tapped the cup lightly with his fingertips for a long while, and did not answer.
Laura Brown only regarded him as the default, so she secretly taught him how to coax girls.
He nodded, and still looked at that side.
He hadn't seen Diana Swift for two years, but she still looked the same as before. Even if she looked cold and expressionless, her face was so pretty that no one could compare.
The afterparty was arranged as a charity auction, and the guests who attended would walk to the small hall on the other side.
"Lot 029 Tahitian natural black pearl and diamond necklace, donated by Ms. Brown..."
The auctioneer on the stage was introducing the lot, but Diana Swift already checked the lot information on the roster. She sneered in her heart, thinking that someone was going to spend a lot of money to please Laura Brown.
The auctioneer already quoted the price when she was thinking, "The starting price is 800,000 dollars!"
"Eighty hundred and fifty thousand!"
"900,000!"
"One million!"
When the auctioneer just finished the quotation, the price rose rapidly.
When the bid reached 3 million dollars, many people looked at Diana Swift's right rear, and some even couldn't help but whisper on this occasion.
Diana Swift didn't look back, because she could imagine how calm the man looked when he frequently raised his cards.
"Five million, it's five million dollars now."
"Five million once, five million twice, anyone else?"
"Deal!"
The hammer fell with a dull sound.
"This necklace worths five million dollars? Who is that man?"
The film star Kate Hall, who was sitting far away from the stage, knew that the price of this necklace was too high, and whispered to her agent, who sat beside her.
"Josh Hunter..." The agent murmured thoughtfully, "Why did he come back suddenly?"
Kate Hall, a little girl who just entered the entertainment industry, everything is new for her. She caught the key words and asked, "Is his name Josh Hunter? Is he a terrific person?"
Kate Hall was a new star who was not qualified to talk to a person like Josh Hunter for the time being, and her agent brought her here just to enrich her experience. Therefore, her agent was unwilling to explain to her, and she lowered her head and kept typing the phone under the table to tell this news to other female stars that she was responsible for, and those female stars had already entered this industry for many years.
And other agents present did the same.
This young owner of Hunter Group went to Australia to explore overseas markets and had not made an appearance in China for two years. There was no warning on an occasion like tonight, and his actions were uncharacteristically high-profile.
This seemed to be a signal that the years-long internal strife of the the Hunter family had ended.
In P City, it would be no surprise that there would be another man of the hour to be talked about by people after tonight.
Actually, attending this charity dinner was not in Josh Hunter's plan. But he has always acted flawlessly. He was temporarily entrusted to accompany Laura Brown to attend this auction. Not only did he show his patience when he accompanied his elders to attend various events in his early years, but he also auctioned the pearl necklace donated by Laura Brown, which was known as her beloved for many years.
This kind of small auction held by fashion magazines is to show the respect to the sponsors. What Josh Hunter did was for Laura Brown's pride.
Laura Brown smiled and said slowly, "When Rex is free, you and Diana should come to my home to have dinner."
What she said meant that she had accepted his kindness.
At the end of the auction, there were still many people looking at Josh Hunter.
He sat in the dim light, loosened the Windsor knot at his neckline, folded his legs, and leaned on the seat.
There were many guests tonight, what was more, he and Laura Brown arrived late, therefore, many people didn't know that he was here. At this moment, they knew he was here. Those who were acquainted with him would naturally come up to greet him and want to chat with him, and those who didn't know him also want to join in the conversation to make themselves impressive.
Diana Swift sat still in her seat, looking straight at the empty booth coldly.
Bonnie Smith was so worried about Diana when she saw what Josh Hunter did, and all her excitement for promotion had faded away.
She asked in a low voice, "When did your husband come back? Did you two quarrel?"
"No, we didn't."
Diana Swift only answered the latter one, because she didn't know the answer to the former.
After a long time, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her.
She was familiar with that shoes, and its lacing is unique. Almost at the moment when she saw it, Diana Swift already knew its owner.
"Diana, let's go home."
His voice was neither high nor low, it was so plain and ordinary, which gave Diana Swift the illusion that they were a normal couple who would meet every day.
 "I'm driving here... I really..." Bonnie Smith stepped on a ten-centimeter high heel, and was pulled out by Diana Swift, and she was unable to stand still, "Why did you want to take me home? You two just..."
"Because you need us to take you home."
Diana Swift glanced at her coldly, which made Bonnie Smith dare not say anything.
Outside the courtyard, the rainstorm just stopped, and the night was so thick that there was no trace of light. The wind was blowing, half of it was cold, and half of it was hot and humid from the summer night.
The driver respectfully opened the passenger door.
Seeing that Josh Hunter did not ready to get in the car, Diana Swift subconsciously stepped forward, but Josh Hunter suddenly waved his hands, and then directly looked at Bonnie Smith.
Bonnie Smith was shocked, and rushed forward immediately to get into the co-pilot to make room for the young couple in the back row.
"Well, just take me to Star Park, thank you."
After Bonnie Smith told the address to the driver, she peeked at the couple in the back seat from the rearview mirror.
The two of them looked straight ahead, ignoring each other, and they sat far away from each other.
The Bentley drove into the main road. For three minutes, there was no sound in the carriage. Bonnie Smith felt that the atmosphere in the car was weird.
When she was about to say something to break the silence in the car, Josh Hunter suddenly said, "Congratulations, Miss Smith, you have been promoted."
Bonnie Smith smiled embarrassingly as he said, "Thank you so much." And she should say something nice to compliment him, "It's been a long time, Mr. Hunter, and it's awesome tonight."
Diana Swift rolled her eyes at her from the rearview mirror.
"Awesome?" Josh Hunter was confused about what she said.
Without waiting for Bonnie Smith to explain it, Diana Swift casually said, "It's not what you think."