Chapter 9

Saturday came around, the twelfth.

I had been counting down to it all week.

At six-thirty that evening, I sat in the back seat of the Maybach as it headed for the Grand Meridian Hotel.

I had on the gown Vera had rushed to finish for me.

It was deep burgundy velvet, cut simply, with no decoration at all, and the fabric and the stitching made it obvious that this was no ordinary dress.

A custom Cartier necklace sat at my throat, sent over by Grandpa the day before.

"Ms. Sutton, are you sure you want to go?" Harold asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

"I'm sure," I replied.

"Your grandfather said he can have a few people waiting outside if you want," he said.

"No need," I replied.

The car pulled up at the hotel entrance.

There was a red carpet, a wall of flowers, and a champagne tower at the entrance.

They really went all out.

As I stepped out, the greeter at the door recognized me.

"Ms. Sutton? Is that really you?"

I ignored him and walked right in.

The hall was already mostly filled with people.

As soon as I walked in, the whole place fell silent.

Whispers spread through the crowd like waves.

"Is that Grace?"

"What's she doing here?"

"The ex-wife showing up at her ex-husband's engagement party? That takes nerve."

"Look at that dress she's wearing. That thing must've cost a ton. Didn't she walk away with nothing?"

I found a spot in the corner and sat down.

A waiter came over with a drink and gave me a funny look.

"Ms. Sutton, your seat is over there."

"This is fine," I said.

Less than two minutes later, a familiar figure walked over.

It was David's sister, Emily Langley.

She was 23, fresh back from school overseas, and she had never liked me.

"Grace? What are you doing here?" Emily said.

"Just grabbing a drink," I replied.

"You actually showed up? My brother and Olivia are getting engaged, and here comes the ex-wife."

"The invitation didn't say ex-wives were banned."

She was at a loss for words.

"You—"

"Emily, cut it out."

A voice came from behind.

David walked over in a black suit, with Olivia nowhere in sight.

He saw me and frowned slightly.

"Grace, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Congratulations on the wedding." I raised my glass. "My mistake. On the engagement."

He stared at me for a few seconds.

"You've changed," he said.

"Really?" I replied.

"You're dressed differently," he said.

His gaze landed on the necklace around my neck.

"Cartier? Is that real?"

"A gift from an elder," I said.

His expression shifted.

But before he could say anything, Olivia came down the stairs.

She was wearing a white gown, her hair elegantly pinned up, and she had her arm linked with Helen Langley.

For half a second, she froze when she saw me.

But she quickly recovered her composure and smiled again.

"Ms. Sutton? You came. How nice of you. Thank you for the good wishes," Olivia said.

She walked over and, without missing a beat, slipped her arm through David's.

"David, Ms. Sutton coming here shows she's got class. We shouldn't make her feel unwelcome," Olivia said.

"No need to fuss over me," I said, setting my glass down. "I'm just here to have a seat."

Helen walked over from behind, her expression sour.

"Grace, are you here just to see a spectacle?" she said.

"Helen, this is an engagement party, not a circus," I replied.

She was about to say something else when the hotel manager hurried over.

"Mr. Langley, Mrs. Langley, there's a VIP at the entrance!"

Everyone turned to look at the entrance.

A man strode in.

He wore a tailored dark gray suit and no tie.

Ethan Cooper had come after all.

The whole place suddenly erupted in excitement.

"Wait, is that Ethan Cooper from Prime Capital?"

"Why's he here? I thought he never even replied to the invite!"

"Ethan Cooper actually came. What does that mean for the Langleys?"

David's eyes widened in surprise, and he hurried over.

"Mr. Cooper! I didn't expect you to actually come!" he said.

Ethan shook his hand, but his gaze slid right past him, straight toward the corner of the hall.

His eyes locked onto mine.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to be here either," Ethan said.

He gave a small, knowing smile.

"I'm just here to see a friend," he said.