Chapter 818 Unwilling to Cooperate

Valentino and Hank were positioned in the prominent seats at the center of the table, each occupying one side. Jade found her place on Valentino's right, with Albert and Cynthia seated to his left. Hank had Kristen and Yudel flanking him, with Yudel seated across from Jade and Kristen opposite Albert. Once everyone was comfortably seated, a well-coordinated crew of chefs took their positions at the table's end, placed their tools aside, and began preparing the food immediately. Yudel was the first to raise his glass, offering a toast to Valentino. "A toast to you." His gesture was simple, without lengthy speeches or explicit reasons, catching everyone off-guard. Instead of acknowledging Kristen, the hostess, or Hank, whom he'd spoken to initially, Yudel chose to honor Valentino, who had largely remained aloof. However, only Yudel knew that his toast was in gratitude to Valentino for rescuing Jade and for his consistent ca