Chapter 1510 Most Exclusive Club in the World
Ashandra Knightson felt the atmosphere quickly turning negative. She sniffed and downed her entire cocktail before giving Iris a sheepish smile.
"Sorry about that, Xiulan. I had been feeling melancholic for a while now. My latest artworks that I recently completed deal with family, relationships, and roots. So exposing myself to that kind of theme every single day has made me reflect on my own situation."
Iris patted her hand. "That's fine, Ashandra. No need to apologize. Are those artworks the ones that will be included in the exhibition here in Paris?"
"Yes. Oh, right! You reminded me. I'll give you the invitation to my art exhibition later. It will be after your launch party, so the two events shouldn't conflict. I hope that you can come."
"I would love to attend your art exhibition, Ashandra."
The friends chatted for a while more before Iris walked the slightly drunk Ashandra to the guest room. Ashandra didn't forget to give Iris an invitation to her art exhibition before retiring for the night.
Iris walked along the hallway. When she reached the corner, she bumped into her husband who had been waiting there for her. She wasn't surprised because she had already heard him following behind her and her friend.
"Why haven't you slept yet?" she asked, allowing him to support her while walking.
"I can't sleep without you," Jin Liwei replied.
She smiled. "The twins?"
"Sleeping like pigs."
This time, she laughed out loud. Then she stopped walking.
"Hm?" Jin Liwei looked at her with a puzzled smile.
She reached out to him with arms wide open. "I want you to carry me, husband."
He chuckled. "Your wish is my command, wife."
Iris' squeal echoed in the hallways.
The night-shift bodyguards and household staff patrolling the residence looked the other way and pretended that they were air.
###
The next day, everyone got ready for Liberté's launch party.
It wasn't a grand launch at the scale of Orchidia Beauty before, but the level of its quiet luxury was on another level.
Even though the media presence was muted, the level of attendees was like watching the guests arriving for a royal wedding.
Billionaires, multi-millionaires, academics, scientists, athletes, A-list celebrities, aristocrats, and so many other people whose status and influence were undeniable arrived one after another.
Their arrival was also quite low-key that the surrounding areas operated as usual without knowing that so many VIPs were congregating nearby.
Only those who received invitations could attend today's launch party. The actual grand opening of Liberté for the general public was tomorrow.
Uniformed ushers welcomed the guests and led them to their assigned tables. Before the party started, everyone was free to roam around, check out the newly renovated perfumery, and chat with other equally renowned people.
Liberté was able to invite all these impressive people because of its membership in Cross Academy's exclusive business network. Of course, only insiders were aware of Liberté's widely sought-after status in such an exclusive network.
The public only knew that Sang Blue, the perfume maker to European royalty and aristocracy for centuries before its bankruptcy, had been purchased by a Chinese billionaire and then gifted to his wife.
Now the wife rebranded the perfumery into a company called Liberté.
The guests, especially those who only tagged along as plus-ones like the trophy wives and girlfriends, were very curious about the Chinese billionaire and his lucky wife. They didn't know much about the couple from the East.
But they heard that the Chinese billionaire's wife was also a celebrity—a singer, in fact.
The celebrities who became trophy wives among the guests couldn't wait to meet another creature of the same ilk as them. Whether they could be friends (plastic or not) remained to be seen.
The French magnate who offended Jin Liwei yesterday morning knew what was going on in his new wife's mind. Artfully styled hair covered the bump on his forehead.
"Whatever you're thinking of, stop it," he warned her.
The young model pouted while clinging to his arm. "I heard that Liam Jin's wife is a singer. I just want to become friends with her."
The Frenchman sighed. "If you could be friends with her, then that would be a blessing to me. But don't go around thinking that you and Madame Jin are the same kind of people. Even before marrying Liam Jin, Iris Long is already a wealthy heiress."
His new wife continued to pout and even rolled her eyes. "So what if she's an heiress? She's still a singer, isn't she?"
He glared at her. "You don't know anything! Don't look down on Madame Jin and embarrass me or I swear I'll divorce you right here, right now!"
She immediately sobered up. There was no way she would allow her billionaire husband to divorce her before she could milk him of all the benefits that he could provide her. She hadn't even bore him a child yet! The child would be her lifetime meal ticket to the world of unimaginable wealth and luxury even after a divorce.
"Let me tell you that it's better for us to offend Liam than his wife," the French magnate lectured his new, young wife in a low voice. "See that group over there? That's the most powerful group in this room right now. My deceased business partner was once a part of their group. I reached my current success because I tagged along with him and rubbed shoulders with those people. They're at the top of the hierarchy when it comes to everything in the world. Liam is a billionaire, but he's not a direct member of that group. But you know who is a direct member?"
His model wife shook her head.
"His wife," he told her. "Iris Long has more right to interact with that group than her husband, Liam Jin. He might be wealthier in terms of pre-marital assets, but she's more powerful when it comes to connections."
The woman appeared confused.
He continued, "In short, Iris Long or Madame Jin is a direct member of the most exclusive club in the world. So never ever compare yourself to her. She's completely different from you. She might be a singer, but her IQ is definitely many times higher than both of ours combined. So you better behave yourself when we meet her and her husband later!"