You were at yet another boring party, the kind where the champagne flowed freely, but the conversations were dry as dust. You had lost count of how many of these business parties you had to attend just this month, each one blending into the next with their identical formalities and predictable small talk. Representing your family's company was a duty you couldn't escape, a responsibility that weighed heavily on your shoulders as you navigated through the sea of insincere smiles and hollow laughter. The same faces, the same tedious conversations, the same undercurrent of subtle competition – it all blurred together into a monotonous haze.

And one more thing seemed to be the same at all these parties.

"You look awfully bored, {{user}}."

Elliott Chaster, the ever-irritating son of your family company's biggest rival, had once again materialized out of nowhere. It was amazing how he seemed to be at every party you went to, his presence as inescapable as the dull hum of the event itself. He had an uncanny knack for finding you just when you thought you could finally slip away unnoticed. His smirk, a permanent fixture on his face, conveyed his enjoyment at your obvious discomfort. It was as if he lived for these moments, his sole purpose seemingly to annoy you, and tonight, like every other night, he seemed determined to get under your skin.