Huntley finally looked her way, annoyance flashing in his eyes. What was that for?

Fernanda shot Huntley a sharp, disapproving glance. I m warning you, Linsey is Collin s girl. Don t even think about getting involved.

Her words only fueled Huntley s defiance. With a dismissive scoff, he boldly declared, Collin s girl? That just makes me want to steal her even more.

Fernanda s hand flew to cover his mouth, her eyes darting around in panic. She feared someone might overhear his reckless statement. Once certain they were alone, she pulled her hand back, her face creased with a frown. Wasn t your drunken escapade last night enough? Go splash some water on your face and snap out of it. If your father hears you talking like this, you ll regret it.

Huntley didn t fear Fernanda, but Alfredo was another story. Grudgingly, he gave in and complied.

That evening, the family gathered for dinner. Huntley s gaze locked onto Linsey without a hint of subtlety. Out of nowhere, he said in a teasing tone, Linsey, don t we know each other from somewhere?

Linsey froze mid-bite, startled by his remark. The others at the table turned their attention to the pair.

You two have met before? Collin asked, his brows knitting together as he sat beside Linsey. His investigations had never turned up any link between her and Huntley.

Linsey, visibly confused, couldn t respond right away. She studied Huntley across the table, racking her brain for any memory of him, but came up empty. Her only recollection of Huntley was from when Ivy visited Vista Villa and mentioned him as Collin s half-brother while discussing Collin s past.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Linsey shook her head with a polite, apologetic smile. I m sorry, I don t recall ever meeting you.

Huntley raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with mischief. Sounds like your memory s playing tricks on you.

As he spoke, a piece of fish landed on his plate.

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He glanced over to see Fernanda adding a pork rib to his plate, her voice a hushed whisper meant only for him. Enough talking. Eat. This update is available on Find?Novel.net

Fernanda had no intention of letting her polished son get tangled up with someone like Linsey.

Brushing off her warning, Huntley pressed on, undeterred. I distinctly remember meeting you at a Ruiz Group banquet. We didn t chat long, but it was a memorable conversation.

His words sparked a faint memory in Linsey.

She generally avoided banquets, and that particular day, she had been battling a high fever. But since Ruiz Group was a key partner of Felix s company, he had insisted she attend, leaving her no choice but to dress up and go.

The banquet, masked as a social gathering, was really a networking hub for corporate bigwigs. Felix, a lightweight when it came to alcohol, had her handle the toasts. Most executives were content with one drink, but Huntley had pushed her to down three shots of whiskey.

By the end of the night, she had been hunched over in the bathroom, sick and miserable, only to be berated by Felix for making a mess.

Linsey had kept things civil with Huntley up to now, but the memory stirred a quiet resentment, and her tone carried a slight edge. Yes, I remember that now.

She expected him to drop it, but to her surprise, Huntley kept going, refusing to let the conversation die.

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