Audrey regained her senses as she felt the questioning gazes on her from all sides. She nearly failed to maintain her facade. By then. she was sure that Isabella had deliberately made those embarrassing remarks just to mess with her. She felt wronged. Why was Isabella always making things hard for her? Given Alexander's relationship with the group of friends, Isabella should be closer to them. How could she side with outsiders to undermine her? Huh? What's with Audrey's look? Is she blaming me? My goodness. She is so full of herself. Is she actually blaming me for not joining her in bullying others? Isabella felt her goosebumps coming. As the volume of the discussion suddenly escalated, Caleb came over to handle it. He asked what had happened with a smile. “It's nothing much, just introducing a makeup artist to the girls,” Audrey managed to say with a forced smile. “Perhaps because Isabella is a celebrity, her rates are higher than ours. We were just discussing that.” With a smile, Caleb said to Dakota, “Ms. Meadows, you've worked hard today. Feel free to sample the wines here. If there's one you like, let us know and we'll send it to you.” Caleb was open and polite, yet Dakota's gaze toward him was rather peculiar. Dakota could only feel a slight hint of shared misery, yet when she thought of Caleb's status and power, she realized she was hardly in a position to sympathize with others. “You're too kind, thank you.” Dakota responded politely, taking the opportunity offered by Caleb to ease the tension and return the atmosphere to a more normal state. She didn’t want to let a few sc*ms ruin someone else's important event and create potential problems for herself. She had no plans to stick around any longer. She was well aware that these people bore ill intentions toward her. She was not about to let herself continue to be the victim, so she decided to head straight back to the makeup room and wait until the banquet was over. However, Dakota was extremely grateful toward Isabella. Her eyes silently conveyed her thanks. Even though her boyfriend, Josiah, was just two persons away from her, she didn't even glance in his direction. The feeling of being utterly ignored was driving Josiah to the brink of madness. After all, the old Dakota used to revolve around him, her heart and eyes filled only with him. How could she just ignore him like this? He felt suffocated as if his heart was being tightly grasped. Seeing Dakota about to leave, Josiah finally lost his patience. “Where do you think you're going? Come sit down.” As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around turned their gaze toward him. Is this starting already? The mindless, raging, domineering behavior is showing. I’m so awkward that I’m digging my toes into the ground. Come on, haven’t you noticed that you didn’t even name anyone specifically? The Quirks, who originally didn't think there was any issue, almost burst into laughter upon hearing Isabella's sarcastic commentary. The person sharing the table naturally knew who Josiah was speaking to, but the group of girls who just arrived were clueless. Upon hearing his words, they exchanged glances. Who is he talking to? Dakota probably wanted to pretend she hadn't heard. She was about to walk away when Josiah yelled, “Stop right there, Dakota. Didn't you hear me calling you over?” It has started! Josiah has clearly intended to introduce his girlfriend to everyone, hence he doesn't mind making their relationship public now. However, judging from Dakota's behavior, she doesn't want anyone to know about her involvement with Josiah. That's why she keeps avoiding him. Unfortunately, she can't escape that lunatic anymore. Indeed, Dakota had no choice but to reluctantly turn around. She stiffly said, “Mr. Josiah, I still have unfinished work over here. If there's any business you need to discuss, we can talk about it privately later.” Although the excuse was rather stiff, it was barely sufficient to sweep things under the rug. It prevented the crowd from further speculating about their relationship. However, feeling as if he had been rejected, Josiah began seething with humiliation and anger. His girlfriend had disrespected him especially in front of so many people that it felt like she was slapping him in the face. And bringing up her job? Was her job to do makeup for the women in his family? Josiah felt utterly humiliated. It was one thing for Dakota to work as a makeup artist outside, but how could she stoop to working right at his doorstep? She was his girlfriend, the woman he intended to marry in the future. In Josiah's initial plan, he would marry Dakota and make her a wealthy lady after she had passed his tests. Even if she wanted to do something in the future, she would become a boss and invest. It would be inconceivable for her to work in service of others. Now that she appeared in front of so many acquaintances as a makeup artist, wouldn't she become a subject of others' gossip in the future? “What job? Don't embarrass yourself, come here,” Josiah blurted in a moment of heated impulse. Has he... finally lost his mind? Alexander also furrowed his brows as he looked at Josiah with an expression akin to seeing someone with an intellectual disability. The expression on Dakota's face froze in an instant. She looked at Josiah with an incredibly unfamiliar gaze as if she didn't know him. Upon seeing Dakota's expression, Josiah instantly regretted his words. However, as a man who valued his pride, there was no way he could take back what he had said. All he could do was to maintain a stiff expression, habitually waiting for Dakota to soften and agree with him. In any case, Dakota was deeply in love with him. She couldn't live without him and was willing to indulge him in everything. Even when Josiah sometimes felt that he might be in the wrong, Dakota would always let him have his way. So, it didn't matter.“Embarrassing, isn't it? What gives you the right to say such things, Mr. Josiah?” Dakota suddenly murmured. What? Dakota finally can't bear it anymore, can she? Well, it's about time. If she continues to endure, she is going to end up as a punching bag. Josiah froze and looked at Dakota in astonishment. It was unclear whether it was panic or fear that had taken hold. Suddenly, he blurted, “I'm your boyfriend! How do I not have the right?” As soon as he said that, the group of ladies who hadn't left instantly gasped. One by one, they widened their eyes, first looking at Josiah, then at Dakota, and finally Camila. They had all heard that Audrey intended to matchmake Camila with Josiah, but they didn't expect Josiah to have a girlfriend, not to mention that she was their makeup artist. Wow, what a gossip! Even the people around the table hadn't expected that their relationship would be revealed under such circumstances. Dakota froze. She became uneasy as she found herself amidst a sea of varying gazes. She had imagined the day when she would be introduced with pride by Josiah within his circle of friends, but when this scene actually happened, she found it utterly absurd. Dakota gave a dismissive chuckle and replied, “If you're my boyfriend, you have even less right to do so. After all, it's this craft of mine that's been supporting you for two years. Others can call it shameful, but you certainly can't.” What the f*ck? That's brave! Props to Dakota. This remark left everyone at the table as well as the group of ladies standing nearby utterly dumbstruck. The three Quirk siblings, who had joined in for the gossip, nearly lost their grip on their wine glasses. Is this situation about to escalate into an argument?The volume of the conversation was kept low, so nothing was overheard from elsewhere. However, this was already enough to thoroughly humiliate Josiah. Isabella and Alexander assumed that Josiah would erupt in anger given his temperament. However, contrary to their expectations, he merely stared blankly at Dakota.