Jefferson nodded. "Thank you. Jenny, you can chat with Irene first. I'll go and talk to James," he said to his wife.
The man immediately vanished into the crowd without waiting for his wife's reply. Jenny could only sigh as she watched her husband's back move away.
"My husband has been barely able to eat or sleep after receiving the news of Mr. Hans's death last night," Jenny said, shaking her head. "He's very worried about James."
"Then I have to thank Brother Jeff for worrying about James later." Irene said with a smile.
"Anyway, speaking of Uncle Hans, I remember meeting him a few years ago. At that time, he was still very healthy! How long has it been since I last saw him huh?" Jenny continued her chatter.
Irene followed Jenny's gaze and saw James, who was being surrounded by the other guests. But the woman didn't seem worried at all. She just sighed as she said, "To be honest, Uncle Hans' passing didn't really surprise us. He was very old and we'd done everything we could. This isn't something we can avoid, right?"
After saying that, Irene pulled Lilia forward. "Jenny, let me introduce her to you. This is my sister-in-law and Jean's wife, Lilia Pangestu," she introduced her to Jenny.
Then Irene turned to Lilia.
"Lilia, you can call her Aunt Jenny. She is the wife of the head of the Hartanto Family." Irene explained. "You've met Chris, one of Jean's best friends, haven't you? Jenny is Chris's aunt."
Lilia silently frowned when she heard Irene's introduction. As far as she was concerned, the Hartanto family had yet to resolve their internal dispute over the distribution of inheritance. Jefferson was currently running the family as the eldest son, but the man's position had not been officially recognized. Lilia glanced from side to side, hoping that no one would hear Irene's words just now.
Meanwhile, Jenny turned to Lilia after hearing Irene's introduction. The woman's eyes widened in shock when she saw Lilia's face.
Even though Jenny looked as elegant as Irene's, her personality was not as gentle as her best friend. Jenny had a cold air around her and was difficult to approach. Although a sweet smile always adorned her lips, her eyes were sharp as an eagle.
Jenny's real name was Jenny Irwan. She was a member of the Irwan family who later married into the Hartanto family. After her marriage to Jefferson, Jenny supported her husband in various ways until he got to where he was today.
That woman almost never showed her true feelings in front of other people. Coupled with the internal conflicts of the Hartanto family, Jenny's ability to strategize and hide her power was not inferior to that of men in general. Irene was one of the few people Jenny truly trusted.
Jefferson's wife had always controlled her expression with ease, but this time she was so shaken that her mask slipped. Jenny looked at Lilia with an expression of disbelief, as if she had just seen a ghost.
Irene had been good friends with Jenny over the years, so she immediately knew that something was off with her best friend. Irene walked over to Jenny and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Jenny? What's wrong? Are you alright?" Irene asked worriedly.
When Jenny didn't respond, Irene turned to call one of the servants to help Jenny rest. But right at that moment, Jenny immediately grabbed Irene's arm.
"No, I'm fine, Irene." Jenny said, smiling broadly to reassure the woman. "Did you say earlier that she was your sister-in-law?"
In just the blink of an eye, Jenny had regained her composure. The change was so fast that Irene began to doubt whether she had actually seen Jenny's annoyed expression.
"Yes, she just married Jean. Lilia, introduce yourself to Jenny." Irene pressed gently on the model.
"Nice to meet you, Aunt Jenny. I'm Lilia Pangestu, Jean's wife." Lilia bowed her head politely when greeting that woman.
"Pangestu... right?" Jenny muttered as if she was talking to herself. Her gaze never left Lilia's figure.
Irene took turns staring at Jenny and Lilia, then she realized that they had been chatting near the living room's door. The woman cleared her throat before saying, "Jenny, how about we sit down first and continue our chat later? You must be tired if you stand like this."
Lilia glanced at Jean anxiously, but decided not to go over to the man. Jenny's strange attitude and the way she looked at Lilia made it uncomfortable for the model to just walk away. Besides, she was worried that if something happened to Jenny, Irene wouldn't be able to handle it alone.
She finally helped Irene to lead Jenny to one of the empty couches. Then they both sat across from the woman. They were just taking their seat when Jenny started massaging her forehead.
"Jenny, are you sure that you're okay?" Irene asked worriedly.
"Irene… sorry, but actually my head feels a little dizzy. Do you have eucalyptus oil or something?" Jenny asked with a weak smile.
Irene didn't doubt Jenny's words at all. At their age, who were no longer young, they often experienced headaches from time to time. Irene looked around, looking for a servant she could turn to for help. However, more and more guests were entering this room at this time so that the servants were busy serving them.
Finally, Irene got up from her chair. "Okay, let me get my medicine box for a moment. Lilia, can you accompany Jenny until I get back?" she asked.
"Of course, Sister Irene." Lilia smiled and nodded.
Irene looked relieved to hear Lilia's answer. She promised to come back soon before rushing out of the living room.
Lilia watched Irene leave, then she stole a glance at Jenny. Her hunch was that the woman was purposely keeping Irene away so that she had a chance to talk privately with Lilia. However, this was their first meeting. Why did Jenny go this far just to talk to Lilia?
The model shook her head. It seemed that she had gone too far in reading this situation. Maybe Jenny really had a headache and needed the medicine. It could be that her strange attitude was because the woman had a sudden headache.
Even though Lilia tried to convince herself, she still couldn't shake her vigilance towards Jenny. That woman could not be trusted.
While Lilia was deep in thought, Jenny studied Lilia's face silently. Her sharp gaze was full of nostalgia. It'd been five years since the girl was killed in a car accident. Jenny never thought that she would meet another woman who looked so much like that wild girl from the Irwan Family!
Although Jenny had no interest in entertainment, she had heard of the name Lilia Pangestu before. The famous model appeared in the news for several days while she was appearing at Milan Fashion Week. Jenny even saw a short video showing Lilia's catwalk while walking on the runway. But the model's face was covered in heavy makeup so Jenny didn't recognize her.
Now, as Jenny took a closer look at Lilia's face, her suspicions turned to conviction. Lilia's eyes and face were almost the same as that of that wild girl, as if they were separated twins.
How could they look so much alike?
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