Dear Sweetheart novel

Dear Sweetheart Chapter 34 This Cocktail Reception Is So Posh
As Gabriel spoke, he uncapped the thermos flask.
Inside the flask was the sweet soup. Its fragrance wafted through the air, and Gabriel also caught a whiff of it. He explained, “It’s from Ms. Garland. She said it’s a thank-you gift.”
“Sweet soup as a gift? How practical.” Gazing at the pink thermos flask, Curtis had trouble containing a smile. He pulled his empty coffee cup toward him and poured the soup into it.
Then, he took a sip. It was warm and sweet.
Taking in the aroma, Gabriel could not help saying, “Mr. Faymon, that’s too sweet for you. Would you like me to take it away and order something else for you?”
Curtis shot him a frosty look. “No need for that. Get back to work.”
Gabriel fell silent immediately.
At a little after four o’clock in the afternoon, Gabriel made a trip to the translation department to return the clean thermos flask to Rayna. “Here you go, Ms. Garland.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have. You could’ve told me to go and get it. There was no need for you to return it personally,” Rayna replied, smiling.
“I happened to have to go downstairs and get something.” He reassured her that it was no trouble and was about to leave when he hesitated for a while. Finally, he walked back to Rayna and asked, “Ms. Garland, could you make some for me next time?”
“Oh, do you like to eat sweet things too? Of course. The next time my mother makes it, I’ll bring some for you,” Rayna replied. She had thought Gabriel would not have a sweet tooth.
“Your mother is great at cooking,” Gabriel complimented.
“She used to cook for others.”
“Ah, no wonder.”
For some reason, Gabriel and Rayna fell into a conversation. The longer they chatted, the more the pair got along like a house on fire.
She discovered that despite his aloof demeanor and usually serious expression due to the nature of his job, he was actually a big softie. He even had a cat and a dog as pets.
After talking for a while, she asked him cautiously, “Mr. Faymon has been coming to the office rather often recently. Is everything okay?”

Gabriel knew she was discreetly enquiring about the company’s matters. “Everything is fine. You only have to focus on your job. Even if something does happen, the upper management will handle it. It won’t affect the rest of you.”
Hearing that, Rayna refrained from asking more questions.
He has a point. Even if there’s a problem, it’s the higher-ups’ business and has nothing to do with us.
Bright and early on Saturday morning, Rayna went to City Hall.
After waiting for a while, she got back two invalidated marriage certificates. She felt relieved but also a little wistful.
I thought it’d be a marriage where we’d live happily ever after. Alas, it ended after only a year.
However, the feeling only lasted for about half a minute. She soon headed to the shopping mall to buy groceries, and she was even in such a good mood that she purchased several pots of flowers. Then, she arrived home just as a deliveryman came to deliver a package.
She put away the groceries in the kitchen before opening the big box. Upon lifting the thin layer of paper, she found a neatly-folded, champagne-colored gown nestling inside the box. It was incredibly gorgeous, and the sight of it made her gasp.
I was fortunate enough to have attended Valentino’s pre-spring show a few months ago and saw this gown on the catwalk. At the time, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the model, and I kept gushing over how gorgeous it was. However, it was way too expensive. I never imagined I’d end up owning it!
“Is she so well-connected that she even managed to secure an endorsement deal from Valentino?” Rayna murmured. She stared at the logo on the box, still feeling that everything was too surreal.
Jefferson seemed partial to this brand as he used to love giving me various haute couture pieces and bags from Valentino. Could it be from him?
Nonetheless, Rayne quickly dismissed that thought. I’ve never introduced him to my family, and there’s no way he’d get to know that silly sister of mine. I’m overthinking this.
When noon rolled around, she had a quick and simple lunch.
Dame Estate was quite some distance away, and Rayna still had to get her hair and makeup done. Hence, she only stayed home for a short while that afternoon before heading out, and it was past four o’clock when she finally exited the salon.
Roxanne sent a message saying she had a few scenes to reshoot and told Rayna to go ahead to Dame Estate first.
Having no other choice, Rayna hailed a taxi and headed over there.
She was not very familiar with Dame Estate and had only heard it was a private manor situated near beautiful lakes and mountains. Thanks to its breathtaking surroundings, the wealthy often used it as the venue for cocktail receptions, parties, and such.
The sky gradually darkened, and after the taxi drove uphill, she spotted the manor’s open-air parking lot from afar. Many luxury cars were parked there, and most of them were limited editions.
The entire manor was aglow with lights, looking as though it were a large luminous pearl under the night sky. Two rows of attendants stood by the manor’s arched doors, and all the guests who walked in were lavishly dressed and exuded an elegant air.
Although Rayna had only gotten out of the taxi for a minute, she had already spotted quite a few familiar faces. They were all business magnates whom one could hardly find on the pages of a financial magazine, and she could not help feeling slightly shocked.
This cocktail reception is even grander than what Roxanne made it out to be!
When she approached the entrance, an attendant stopped her. “Could you please show me your invite, miss?”
Rayna gave him a barcode to scan, but after the attendant checked his phone, he said to her apologetically, “I’m so sorry. The invitee is Roxanne Griffith, so you’ll need to wait for her to arrive before you can go in. You can’t enter on your own.”
She was dumbstruck.
What’s with this admission procedure? It’s ridiculous!
She hesitated for a while before asking, “Could you make an exception? Look, it’s so hot outside. I’ll go and sit where you can see me. Is that okay?”
“The areas around the manor, including this doorway, are equipped so that heat dissipates quickly. Hence, it won’t be hot.”
Rayna was at a loss for words.
Suddenly, she heard a low chuckle behind her. The familiar voice sent a chill down her spine.
“She’s my friend,” Jefferson said as he approached Rayna, his voice as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze. He wore a black tuxedo and held a golden invitation card between his fingers, which he handed to the attendant.
The attendant immediately became very respectful when he saw the golden invitation card.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Hamilton. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”