Chapter 5
In the days before the gala, Leonard was a man drunk on his own success.
He paraded his new prize, Maggie, at every high-profile cocktail party and charity auction.
He never let go of her hand, wearing a permanent smile with doting affection to broadcast his coveted new status as the man who had married into the Quinn family.
Maggie, for her part, played the role with desperate eagerness. Draped in increasingly expensive gowns and flashing that gaudy diamond ring, she tried to mimic the gestures and speech of the elite.
But her performance was always stilted. An awkward imitation never quite rang true.
The media, of course, ate it up. They breathlessly followed the newest power couple with endless gushing praise.
ShawTech Solutions' stock remained impressively high, and Leonard's personal reputation soared to unprecedented heights.
He even started dropping casual insights about Quinn Group's business at informal gatherings, as if he were already a member of the board.
He was utterly full of himself.
During this time, he made a few half-hearted attempts to find Ava.
My old number was a dead end. So he sent people to our old apartment, but it was empty.
Although he also probed a few former colleagues who had been friendly with me, he got nothing but blank stares.
"Ava? Haven't heard a peep since she quit."
"Still thinking about her, Mr. Shaw? She's probably too ashamed to face you, hiding somewhere."
When Michael relayed this to him, Leonard had simply scoffed, "Just a little tantrum. Once she sees where I am now, she'll come crawling back with regrets. I can find her whenever I want."
He was still convinced I couldn't live without him.
Even after I had aborted his children and vanished from his life, he saw it as nothing more than a childish fit.
He truly believed that with a snap of his fingers, I would run back to his side, ready to be his shadow plaything.
He was laughably arrogant.
The day before the gala, Richard personally delivered the gold-embossed invitation to Leonard and Maggie.
The card was a masterpiece of understated luxury.
Its elegant script read: [You are cordially invited to the 40th Anniversary Gala of the Quinn Group and the formal debut of Richard Quinn's daughter.]
When Leonard received the invitation, his hands reportedly trembled with excitement.
He had been waiting for this moment forever!
This was the moment he would be formally welcomed into the Quinn family's inner circle, cementing his bond with the family in front of all high society. This would bring immeasurable resources and opportunities for him and his company.
He immediately went into overdrive, commissioning the most expensive gown for Maggie, hiring the city's top styling team, and drilling her relentlessly on etiquette and conversation topics.
He even had his legal team draft several major partnership proposals, planning to "casually" get Richard's signature during the festivities.
He was a gambler who had pushed all his chips to the center of the table. With desperate anticipation, he was absolutely certain he was about to win it all.
On the night of the gala, Quinn Manor blazed with lights. Luxury cars lined the drive. Socialites filled every corner.
Nearly every influential figure in the city had received an invitation. Media cameras lined both sides of the red carpet early, waiting to capture every detail of this elite event.
Leonard and Maggie arrived in a stretch limousine.
Dressed in a black velvet tuxedo, he stepped out first. He owned the moment, wearing a perfectly calibrated smile with maximum charm and confidence.
Then, he turned and extended a gallant hand to help a lavishly dressed Maggie from the car.
She wore an ivory-white gown that trailed behind her, her neck dripping with top-tier jewels Leonard had rented specifically for the occasion. Her makeup was a flawless mask, but it couldn't hide the terror in her eyes or the stiff set of her shoulders.
She clung to his arm like a drowning woman.
The flashbulbs erupted, turning night into day. The questions came in a rapid-fire torrent.
"Mr. Shaw, this is your first official appearance as part of the Quinn family! How does it feel?"
"Mrs. Shaw, any words for the public as you make your official debut tonight?"
"Are there any plans to bless the Quinn family with a new heir soon?"
Leonard handled it all with the polished ease of a seasoned celebrity. "I'm honored and deeply grateful to Richard and my dear Maggie for this moment. Tonight is truly special," he said, turning to give Maggie a lovingly intense look.
Maggie, reciting her lines, stumbled through her response. "I'm... I'm so happy. Thank you... for all the good wishes."
They swept into the grand ballroom on a wave of admiring glances and shutter clicks.
Inside, crystal chandeliers dripped light onto a sea of couture and champagne flutes.
Leonard, with Maggie in tow, moved through the crowd like a conquering hero, accepting congratulations and fawning compliments from the city's elite.
He responded to each with practiced humility, but the triumphant ambition in his eyes was blazing.
Maggie, meanwhile, was visibly anxious, constantly fidgeting with her dress. "Is my makeup okay?" she whispered. "Am I doing this right?"
"You look wonderful," Leonard murmured, patting her hand. "Just keep smiling."
But his voice held a faint edge of impatience.
His mind was completely focused on the upcoming bond with the whole Quinn family.
As the night wore on, the energy in the room built to a fever pitch.
Finally, the stage lights brightened, and the emcee stepped up to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Thank you for joining us to celebrate forty incredible years of Quinn Group. And tonight, we have a very special announcement."
The ballroom fell silent. All eyes turned to the stage.
I watched from the shadows as Leonard instinctively straightened his spine, his grip tightening on his glass. His smile coiled with triumph.
He even angled his body slightly, ensuring the spotlight would catch his best profile.
Beside him, Maggie held her breath.
The emcee's voice boomed through the hall.
"For many years, Mr. Quinn's beloved daughter has lived a private life, away from the public eye. Tonight, on this momentous occasion, Mr. Quinn has decided to formally introduce the world to his pride and joy, the heir of Quinn Group."
A single spotlight shot up, illuminating the top of the curving staircase on the second floor.
Everyone looked up.
Leonard's smile froze.
Maggie gaped in horror, the blood draining from her face.
Descending the staircase on Richard's arm, I was dressed in a custom scarlet off-shoulder gown, the skirt flaring behind me like flame. At my neck rested the Quinn family's ancestral emerald necklace, the undeniable symbol of the heiress.
Each step I took was slow, deliberate, and unshakable.
The spotlight followed my descent. I could feel hundreds of shocked and probing gazes lock onto me.
But I didn't flinch. My own gaze was fixed on only one person. It cut through the crowd and locked onto the man standing frozen in the middle of the room.