Chapter 86

Two men in sharp suits stepped onto the crimson carpet-one in charcoal grey, the other in deep sapphire blue.

Samuel shot a sideways glance at Jason and said,"Bro, did you really have to go all formal tonight? I look totally outclassed next to you."

Jason's eyes had a calm clarity, with a gentle hue beneath the cool surface. His well-defined features carried a trace of quiet melancholy, like a piece of art displayed behind glass-beautiful, untouchable.

He gave a faint smile. "Even if I threw on a potato sack,I'd still outshine you."

Samuel looked speechless. "Wow, ruthless. I used to be the school's poster boy, y'know?"

Jason let out a soft, amused snort. "And I'm a national heartthrob."

Samuel curled his lips. "Well, Tristan is an international heartthrob."

The mention of that name wiped the smile off Jason's face. "Seriously? That's just throwing shade at your own family. ldiot."

Samuel:"..."

Reporters lined up along both sides, eagerly raising their mics.

"Mr. Lewis, who are you rooting for to win tonight?"

"Jason, are you here to support Megan -Mrs. Reid?"

"Since Miss Lewis is a contestant too, are you cheering for your sister tonight?"

Before either of them could answer, a petite figure hurried over. Trailing behind her was a chubby girl carrying a case, along with three top domestic models.

"Jason,Samuel!" Amelia wore a pure white off-shoulder lace gown.Her collarbones peeked through subtly, and her elegance gave off a snow-lotus-on-ice vibe.

With her sweet voice and tiny footsteps, she quickly slipped between her brothers and playfully hooked her arms around theirs.

Though the two men clearly looked annoyed,they didn't shake her off-probably for the sake of appearances.

"Oh, so you're here to support your little sister's big moment!"

"Word has it that the winner might get to co-star with Mr.Lewis in his new project!"

"If Miss Lewis wins tonight, we could see a sibling duo on screen-how exciting!"

"Jason, any thoughts seeing Mr. and Mrs. Reid together tonight?"

"Samuel, we heard you once stepped in during a campus attack involving Mrs. Reid-are all the Lewis brothers that protective of her?"

Amelia had planned to ride her brother's fame into the spotlight. But the media just kept circling back to Megan,never giving her the center stage.

She should be the highlight tonight, the showstopper, the queen of the night. She wasn't going to let anyone steal her thunder.

With a calm sparkle in her eyes and a composed smile, she said, "My brothers are kind-hearted.They've already clarified their actions that day-for them, it didn't matter who needed help, they'd step in regardless.

I just hope our friends in the media don't twist their actions or chase clout at the cost of my brothers'peace of mind.

As for who wins tonight, well, maythe best woman win."

"Sounds like you're feeling pretty confident, Miss Lewis."

Amelia beamed. "With my brothers here to support me, how could I not give it my all? Let's all wait and see."

Arm in arm with Jason and Samuel, she strutted down the red carpet, graceful and poised.

They walked in silence.

Once inside the venue, she tactfully let go of their arms, clearly sensing they weren't keen on maintaining the act any longer.

Putting her hands together in front of her, she gave a bright smile. "Jason, Samuel, I'll head to my dressing room now to get ready."

The chubby girl sneaked a peek at Jason, her cheeks turning crimson, before scurrying after Amelia.The three models glanced back at the Lewis brothers with a hint of reluctance before following Amelia.

Watching Amelia's retreating figure, Samuel asked,"Jason, who do you think will win tonight?" Jason gave it some thought, then looked at him,"Who do you want to win? I'll go with that."

Samuel rubbed his chin. "Then I hope Amelia takes the crown."

Jason raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "You and that royal blue suit of yours do make a good match with her getup tonight. Please, stay a bit further from me-we're clearly not on the same wavelength."

With that, he turned and headed toward the exhibition hall.

The convention center held a massive runway with the judges' panel up front. Rows of seats flanked both sides, neatly lined.

The front seats on either side were for VIP guests.The further back, the cheaper the ticket-just supply and demand.

Even so, tonight's competition, while not on the scale of an international event, was still a major show in Verduria. Scalpers were pushing regular seats to 200k, and tickets were practically impossible to get.

Jason and Samuel stepped into the hall, scanning for their spots.

Following the seat numbers, they soon noticed a tall,commanding figure had already taken his seat.

Tristan looked up with a pleasant expression. "Mr.Lewis, Samuel. Small world,huh?"

Jason and Samuel gave a polite nod before sitting down.

Jason glanced sideways at Tristan, seated right beside him. "I just want to make one thing clear-l've got zero intentions toward your wife. Don't let the rumors mess with your head."

Samuel chimed in, "Yeah, we just. felt kind of a connection with her. That's all."

There was a hint of amusement in Tristan's eyes."Don't worry. Even if there were, you wouldn't stand a chance." Just then, Cameron approached.

Tristan reached out, catching an envelope which he handed to Jason. "A little something to thank you for saving my wife."

Jason opened it. Inside was a stack of photos.

He pulled one out, his brows instantly furrowed. "You were trailing her?"

Tristan leaned back, totally unfazed. "I only track two kinds of people-my wife, and anyone looking to hurt her."

Jason's mind immediately jumped-Tristan must've found out they tested Megan's hair.

Samuel grabbed the photos and skimmed through them quickly.

The woman in the pictures was unmistakably Amelia.The date matched the day Mlegan was hit with eggs,and the location was the Capital Hospital. In one photo,Amelia was wearing a nurse uniform, holding something as she exited the lab. In another, she was leaning against a wall, looking almost terrified.

Tristan let out a soft chuckle. "The Lewis family's tested all kinds of people before. Might be time for another run-you never know, maybe your beloved heiress is still in the mix."

Jason felt sure of one thing now: Tristan didn't know they'd tested Megan.

If he didn't know, then there was no reason to give it away.

Jason looked puzzled. "So you followed her. are you saying she tried to hurt Mrs.-your wife?"

Noticing his change in phrasing, Tristan's face eased slightly. "Whether she did or not, let's keep watching and see."

Jason and Samuel exchanged a glance.

Samuel took out his phone and shot off a text:[Amelia tampered with the test results.]

Not long after, a message came back from Oliver: [So that's why she came to my room that day-she was after my hair.]

Holding the phone tightly, Samuel fumed in silence.

Then he leaned toward Jason's ear and whispered,"Later tonight, maybe you should try pulling another hair from Megan."

Jason shot him a side-eye like he was looking at a total idiot. "You've got a death wish for both of us or just me?"