He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 771

After the awards ceremony came the celebratory banquet. Since Scarlett had taken home the gold on her very first try, she naturally drew the eyes of everyone in the room. Coupled with Julian's already stellar international reputation, the pair was undeniably the center of attention.

The incident where Sylvia framed Scarlett still had Yardley simmering with irritation. He had been terrified that Scarlett would embarrass herself at the event, only to realize that the true clown of the evening was the cousin he had always doted on.

As he stood in the banquet hall, his emotions were a tangled mess.

Melanie was frantic after seeing Sylvia taken away by the authorities. She pressured Yardley to find a way to bail her out.

He furrowed his brows and refused. This was Country A, not Bay City; even with his connections, pulling strings here would require a massive amount of effort. His team's constant, disastrous blunders had left him with a deep sense of exhaustion.

It felt like his life was stuck in a vicious cycle. As if he were perpetually at war with the police, constantly having to pull favors just to get someone out of jail.

Drained and unwilling to deal with it anymore, he pawned the entire mess off on Melanie and his local legal proxy.

"You look stressed, Yardley," a voice said.

Veronica gently placed a hand on his arm, studying his brooding expression. "I just went to the station with Melanie. The police said that under Country A's penal code regulations regarding public defamation, Sylvia is facing at least six months of jail time and a permanent criminal record... But Melanie just got off the phone with her biological father, Craig Schmidt. He said he’d pull some strings and handle the fines on his end."

She leaned in closer. "Sylvia can be impulsive, and she's always making a mess for you. But try not to let it get to you."

"Yeah, I know," he replied softly, though his eyes remained fixed on Scarlett, quietly observing the situation unfolding across the room.

Despite Scarlett’s repeated attempts to decline drinks, a steady stream of people kept approaching her to toast, many of them highly influential figures in the global architectural sphere.

She had just made her grand entrance onto the international stage; turning them down too frequently would be seen as a slight.

Julian was fiercely protective of her, standing by her side and taking the drinks in her place.

Finally free to leave, Scarlett steered her companion toward the exit.

Watching them walk away, Yardley immediately pushed off from his spot and strode rapidly in their direction.

By the time he caught up, Scarlett had already guided Julian to the elevator bank.

The man was noticeably intoxicated, his body weight unconsciously leaning against her. Left with no other choice, she draped his arm over her shoulders and wrapped her own arm around his waist to help him stand upright.

Julian's eyes were half-closed, and he couldn't help but turn his head to look at her.

In that moment, the physical distance between them was practically nonexistent. The intimacy of their posture made them look exactly like a pair of devoted lovers, holding each other up against the world.