Raising his ss, he took a deep breath and said, "I''ll start us off with three drinks as my apology to you." With that, he knocked back three drinks in quick session. Seeing him take the lead, the others followed suit, raising their sses to Flora and offering their apologies one by one. Flora kept her cool throughout, not saying much. She absentmindedly swirled her drink and nced at them with mild interest. Everyone was on edge, worried that Flora might hold a grudge and refuse to forgive them. It was understandable, given how they hadn''t exactly been kind to her before. Flora had shown remarkable restraint, not letting their past actions get under her skin.


    "Flora," called Felene after the others had finished toasting. She lifted her ss towards Flora with a slight nod. Flora turned to look at her, and for the first time, a hint of emotion flickered across her usually stoic face. She reached for her ss andzily lifted it in Felene''s direction. This was her first real acknowledgment of anyone''s toast.


    Eventually, even Mr. Tanner shared a drink with Flora. The only ones left were Joy and Debra, who hadn''t toasted her yet. They were practically eating their hearts out with envy, wishing they could tear Flora apart; the thought of toasting her seemed impossible. But with everyone else having done it, they couldn''t avoid it any longer.


    Joy stood up, trying to keep her voice steady. "Flora, I want to toast to you too. We''ve had our share of misunderstandings, and I hope you won''t hold them against me." Flora''s dark eyes locked onto her, a hint of amusement in their depths. Seeing no reaction, Joy gritted her teeth and added, "You epted Felene''s drink; surely you won''t refuse mine, right?" She said with a forced smile, banking on the old saying that you don''t hit someone who''s smiling, hoping Flora would y along.


    If Flora embarrassed her in front of


    everyone, it would seem really petty. But Joy had misread the situation; what worked on others didn''t fly with Flora. "Do you think I''m obliged to drink with just anyone?" Flora leaned back, her demeanor carefree. "I''m a bit more selective than that." Her words left Joy with no dignity. None at all.


    "You!" Joy was fuming with rage! "Cough, cough, alright, let''s get back to eating," MTanner chimed in, trying to smooth things over. Everyone quickly returned to their meals, and even Debra, who usually stood up for Joy, kept quiet. With Flora being the star of the evening, everyone was eager to get on her good side, and even Mr. Tanner was unusually polite, so Joy knew better than to push her luck.


    Joy sat down, her grip on the fork turning her knuckles white, her lowered gaze seething with icy malice. Halfway through the meal, Joy excused herself from the table. Once she was alone, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Ms. Abbey, it''s me. We''re dining with Flora at..."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After the meal, Mr. Tanner insisted on picking up the tab. With someone as connected and capable as Flora on his side, he didn''t mind. As the team leader, it was his responsibility to treat them, not the other way around. Besides, the expenses would be covered by the organization, he thought with a chuckle.


    Outside, Mr. Tanner asked Flora,


    "We''re heading back to the hotel now. Do you want to join us, or do you have other ns?" "You all go ahead," Flóra replied. "Someone''sing to pick me upter." "We can wait with you," he offered. "No need," Flora shook her head, "I''ll be fine. You guys go on." "Alright then, take care and keep in touch," Mr. Tanner said as they left.