CHAPTER 983
"Sweetheart!" KiKi wrapped her in a bear hug, "You finally came around. I'm over the moon seeing you here. Let's toast to this moment. You stick with water instead of booze, you haven't had a proper meal,
and don't drown yourself in that lemonade."
Rosemary's smile beamed. She knew Ms. Kiki truly cared for her, so she clinked glasses filled with water in place of wine.
"Rose, when are you going to have a drink with me?" Erlinda called out from another table, her laughter rich with the allure of a woman who had made it big.
After excusing herself from Ms. Kiki, Rosemary made her way over to Erlinda.
Once Rosemary left, the journalists swarmed Ms. Kiki.
"Ms. Kiki, can we ask you a few questions? You seem very close to Rosemary, are you two friends outside of work?"
"Rosemary's stunning. Do you think you can make her a superstar?"
"Is Summer planning to release any new music after the holidays?"
"Are Summer and David dating?"
"Are you here for Rosemary, or is it because of the McMillian family or the Collins family elders?"
Ms. Kiki offered a smile, "I'm here today on account of Summer."
"So, Summer asked you to come?"
"Why did Summer want you to be here?"
"Is it because she knows Rosemary but couldn't show up herself, worried it might cause a sensation?"
After letting them finish, Ms. Kiki revealed with a soft smile, "Today is Summer's comeback party. How could I not come?"
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
What?
Rosemary was also Summer?
My goodness.
What kind of gem of a girl was she?
The reporters were stunned, and even after Ms. Kiki set down her glass and left, they stood frozen,struggling to process the revelation.
If Rosemary was Summer, then her surprise appearance at David's concert wasn't out of friendship or business—it meant they were siblings!
The online world exploded with chatter.
[So, the mysterious superstar Summer's first guest appearance at a concert was to support her own brother?]
[At the concert, David sang a song he wrote for his sister. Was it for Rosemary?]
[No wonder their voices blended perfectly in a duet. They're siblings!]
The story was too hot to handle, and the system crashed once again.
All of David's fans went wild, shocked that Summer wasn't his girlfriend but his sister!
If the brother was that doting, the fans had to step up their game.
In a matter of minutes, Summer gained twenty million followers.
As the buzz around him intensified, fans unearthed a trending topic that had set the internet ablaze not so long ago.
There was a time when #DavidChangesProfilePic hit the top of the trending charts.
The new profile picture featured David standing on a picturesque balcony, gazing out into the night.
Although he appeared to be alone, some eagle-eyed fans spotted a girl's shadow in the photo!
It was clear that this girl must have been taking the picture for him, her silhouette stretched long across the ground by the light. You could only see a bit of it, but that was enough to not escape the sharp eyes
of his fans.
Subsequently, the topic #DavidMightBeInLove soared to the second spot on the trending list.
Now, upon closer inspection, fans have pieced together that the girl in the photo was none other than David's own sister, Rosemary!
Back then, Rosemary's identity wasn't meant to be public knowledge, so David didn't directly address the matter.
As long as David was still single, the fans clung to the hope of him being available!
Consequently, they showered Summer, his darling sister, with even more affection!
A deluge of fans flooded Summer's social media, complimenting her on her beauty and sweet voice.
Meanwhile,
After exchanging pleasantries with Erlinda, Rosemary heeded her advice and returned to her own table to dine.
Seeing Erlinda momentarily alone, reporters flocked to her, eager to interview the renowned iron lady of the business world, a rare opportunity indeed.
"Are you here as a friend of the Collins family for this homecoming feast?" one reporter asked.
"What is your relationship with Rosemary?" inquired another.
"You two seemed quite close earlier, did you know each other before, or did you meet through the Collins family connection?"
Erlinda, exuding an aura of female empowerment, faced the throng of reporters with ease and said,
"I'm primarily here as Rosemary's family."
"Family??" All the reporters were taken aback. What sort of familial connection was this?
"I've known Rosemary since before she returned to the Collins family. She's a smart and spirited girl, very lovable. I often pestered her to consider me her godmother, but she's not one to just acknowledge anyone as family. In the end, after much nagging from my part, she gave in and called me 'Aunt Erlinda' once."
It all made sense now!
Everyone was enlightened!
Erlinda was still unmarried, without siblings, so she doted on Rosemary as if she were her own niece.
"Do you plan on bringing Rosemary into your corporation in the future?" the journalists pressed.
"It's up to Rosemary herself. I'd be more than happy to hand over the reins of my enterprise to her when I retire. But as you've seen earlier, there are many esteemed gentlemen vying to name her their heir. I guess as her aunt, I might not make the cut."
The crowd was astounded once again.
What kind of celestial treasure was this girl. So young, yet so popular.
With so many influential figures eager to leave their fortunes to her.
[I'm tired of using the word 'envy.]
[If Rosemary can't manage it all, she could consider me! I'd settle for just 1% of the shares!]
[Aunt Erlinda, it's me, your long-lost niece!]
"Don't worry, kiddo, take your time eating. I've got your back," Sampson said, his eyes twinkling with the indulgent affection of an elder for a younger family member.
Meanwhile, in her personal live stream, a user named "CreamPuff" spilled the beans. [I knew it was them! I saw Sampson and that girl at Lidaria a while back. They went shopping at LY together. There was this bombshell who came up to Sampson, saying she had learned his language just for him and wanted his contact info. Who would've thought Louisa would shoo her away.]
"CreamPuff" continued, [Back then, everyone thought Sampson was dating Rosemary since he was carrying loads of shopping bags. People online were slandering her, accusing her of maxing out
Sampson's credit cards on luxury goods. But now it seems likely that those LY bags Sampson was holding were gifts from Rosemary for her beloved uncle, right?]
This speculation won a lot of people over.
Reporters rushed to verify the story with Sampson, who confirmed, "Yeah, those gifts were indeed from Rose to me. I didn't spend a dime."