Emma gracefully turned, her gaze sweeping across the crowd before landing on Ricard. "Ricard, it's a pity not to see your fiancée here with you. I've always admired the two of you together at such grand events."
Inside, Emma felt a sharp sense of irony. That woman, she would never forget for the rest of her life! She truly wanted to see where their political marriage would end up.
A man standing nearby burst into laughter, his voice filled with surprise. "Miss Emma, you know about Ricard's fiancée too?"
Emma turned to the man, her refined smile still in place. "Of course," she replied, her gaze shifting to Ricard with a meaningful look. "A wonderful woman like her is hard to overlook. I've always heard about her both intelligent and beautiful. You two truly make a perfect couple."
Emma's words were like a needle piercing through the tense air, drawing more attention from those around. Ricard, though maintaining his cold exterior, couldn't ignore the challenge embedded in Emma's words. She knew this might provoke him, but she was determined to make Ricard speak to her.
"I'm certain that with such an extraordinary woman by his side, Ricard would never feel lonely at these crowded events," Emma continued, her tone sweet yet tinged with sarcasm. Her eyes remained fixed on Ricard, as if waiting for a reaction from him.
Ricard stared directly at Emma, his eyes cold, though deep down he was restraining emotions that were not easily expressed.
Sweet? Understanding? Those were never words he would use to describe Anna. After all, their marriage was only for convenience. Anna was the last topic he wanted to discuss at gatherings like this.
"Indeed, the fiancée of Mr. Anderson is very beautiful, but compared to Miss Emma here, she still falls short!" A middle-aged man chimed in, glancing at Emma with a lustful gaze.
"That's enough," Ricard finally spoke, his voice low and decisive. He turned to look at the men around him, his serious tone immediately silencing them. "We're here to discuss business, not to indulge in frivolous entertainment."
Ricard stood tall, his cold gaze sweeping over the men surrounding Emma. A tense silence began to envelop the room as Ricard's deep and authoritative voice filled the space, each word cutting through the air like a knife.
"Do you even realize what you're doing?" Ricard asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Each of you has a wife and children at home, families waiting for you to return. Yet here you are, acting like men with no responsibilities whatsoever."
The men who had been laughing and joking just moments before now fell silent. They lowered their heads, avoiding Ricard's piercing gaze. He continued, mercilessly: "Have you thought about how your wives would feel seeing this? While you're here, flirting with other women, are they aware? And if they knew, what would they think of you?"
Ricard paused for a moment, his gaze growing sharper as he looked each man in the eye. "You consider yourselves successful men, but your actions are no different from those who have no sense of responsibility or morality. Do you think you deserve respect by behaving this way?"
Ricard's words made the atmosphere in the room heavier than ever. A few men began to fidget, glancing at each other in search of solidarity but finding none. The shame was clear on their faces, and the fear that Ricard's words might come true kept them from maintaining their composure.
But Ricard wasn't finished. "This is a business event, not a place for you to satisfy personal desires," he continued, his voice losing none of its sternness. "You're not only damaging your own image but also bringing disgrace to your families. Such actions don't just hurt others; they also degrade yourselves."
Just then, the women in the room, who had been observing from a distance, began to approach. They said nothing, but their eyes spoke volumes. Anger, disappointment, and shame were evident on every face. They moved toward their husbands, without hesitation, and pulled them away.
One woman, her face filled with fury, made no effort to hide her disappointment as she tugged her husband's arm. "Do you even know what you're doing? Do you think I'll just overlook this?" Her voice, though not loud, was full of authority, like a warning that couldn't be ignored.
The man could only bow his head, his face flushed with embarrassment, unable to meet his wife's eyes. The other men weren't faring much better, awkwardly trying to salvage a shred of dignity, but clearly feeling humiliated. None of them dared to protest because they understood that any excuse at this point would be meaningless.
"Let's go," another woman said decisively, not waiting for her husband to react as she pulled him out of the room, leaving the remaining guests in stunned silence. Her face was a mix of shame and anger, but also a resolve to protect her family's honor.
Ricard stood there, watching it all with calm yet sharp eyes. He knew his words had a profound impact. As the men gradually left with their wives, the atmosphere in the room lightened, though it carried an undeniable weight.
Emma watched from a distance, unable to suppress her admiration for how Ricard handled the situation. He wasn't just a successful businessman; he was someone who knew how to command respect and responsibility from those around him. To Emma, Ricard became even more intriguing, not just because of his cold exterior but because of the strength and decisiveness in his every word and action.
Ricard's words were like a direct blow to the previously lively atmosphere. The men, who had been cheerfully drinking and laughing, suddenly became uncomfortable, with some not even daring to look him in the eye. "Your behavior here, drinking and cheering is no different from those who seek only temporary pleasure. If you want entertainment, find it elsewhere. This is not the place for such behavior."
Emma kept her smile in place, but inwardly she found the situation amusing. Ha, just as she thought, the relationship between Ricard and Anna was far from ideal.
"Ricard, you're right, it was my mistake," Emma said softly, her eyes still sparkling as if challenging him. "Indeed, business is the most important thing."
For some reason, Ricard detected a hint of sarcasm in Emma's words. Was it just his imagination?
Ricard stared at Emma for a long moment, his eyes revealing no emotion, but there was an underlying tension between them that the entire crowd could sense. Finally, Ricard gave a slight nod, acknowledging her words, but he did not respond further.