Chapter 19 What Is She Doing Here
On the evening of the charity gala, Anne slipped into her carefully prepared dress. She had transformed the original white cocktail dress by adding black striped accents and embellishing the collarbone area with silk flowers. These simple modifications struck a perfect balance between understated elegance and luxury. Most importantly, her unique design. choices stood confidently alongside mainstream fashion trends, making the dress impossible to ignore.
Grace couldn’t help but marvel at Anne’s appearance. “You’re going to be the belle of the ball tonight,” she smiled. “With those natural good looks, if you’d been born in ancient times, kings would have gone to war over you!”
“Oh Grace, darling, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Anne replied with a pleased smile.
“It absolutely is a compliment! You’re my little princess, and I’m going to invest everything I have in your success,” Grace declared with complete sincerity.
“Yes, yes, I know you are the best,” Anne said as she pulled out the Starry Night pendant she had carefully selected for Grace.
“What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?”
Grace stared at the pendant in Anne’s hand, momentarily stunned before her eyes widened in recognition. “That’s the
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Starry Night pendant–the limited global edition! Oh my goodness, when did you get this? Let me see!” Grace excitedly reached for the pendant and turned it over in her hands, admiring its craftsmanship. “This is absolutely stunning–even more beautiful than in the promotional photos. Darling, this will look amazing on you!”
“Yes, darling, it would look beautiful on you,” Anne echoed Grace’s earlier words with a playful tone.
Grace froze for a moment and furrowed her brow as she looked at Anne. “Anne, what are you…”
“Grace, this pendant is for you,” Anne said with a warm smile.
“For me?” Grace pointed to herself in disbelief.
“Yes, this is a special gift I picked out just for you. Remember how we planned to steal the show together?” Anne stepped forward and took the necklace from Grace’s hands. “Let me help you put it on.”
Grace remained still as Anne fastened the necklace around her neck.
The elegant pendant perfectly complemented Grace’s classic little black dress, instantly elevating her entire appearance to another level.
Anne observed the scene with deep satisfaction.
“You’re so generous, boss. I’m truly touched.” Grace gently
Chapter 19 What Is She Doing Here
touched the pendant at her throat. “From now on, my life belongs to you.” The necklace felt warm against her skin, radiating comfort.
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As Anne watched Grace’s delighted expression, her mind drifted back to that crucial moment when Grace had risked everything to protect her from Hugh and Alicia’s scheme. The image of Grace’s leap to save her flashed through Anne’s mind, causing her heart to clench. She silently vowed never to let such danger touch Grace again.
Now, it was time for them to put those troublemakers in their place.
“Shall we? Tonight’s going to be quite a show,” Anne said with a subtle smile. She took Grace’s hand and led her to the car as they headed to the evening’s gala.
Before the event, Anne had specifically approached James to inform him that she would be participating in the auction on behalf of Chastain Holdings.
While James couldn’t quite understand Anne’s sudden request, he had been observing her recent actions carefully. Without hesitation, he agreed and personally handed her his bank card, explaining that it contained their retirement savings of 100 million dollars. If this matter was important to Anne, he wanted her to use it freely.
Anne’s eyes grew more determined as she recalled James‘
instructions.
Chapter 19 What Is She Doing Here Tonight, Hugh would be the only one left disappointed.
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Thirty minutes later, Anne and Grace arrived at the gala venue. This official event had drawn all of Celestine’s elite society members. Reporters, drawn by news of the gathering, were kept at the perimeter while only guests with formal invitations could enter the main venue.
As their car pulled up, a valet stepped forward respectfully to open Anne’s door.
She took a deep breath, put on her most graceful smile, and elegantly placed her hand on the valet’s offered arm as she stepped out.
In the past, Anne had always avoided these social functions. Even during her years with Hugh, she had never accompanied him to public events. Initially, she had stayed away to protect Hugh’s interests–they hadn’t officially announced their relationship, and appearing together would have sparked unnecessary gossip.
Then came her scandal, after which Hugh had married her despite the public pressure. But as someone despised by the masses, Hugh never brought her to public events.
He said it was to protect her, but in reality, he had been ashamed of her. Tonight’s charity gala would be different. Hugh would be here, undoubtedly with Alicia as his date.
Anne wondered what expression Hugh would wear when he saw her.
Chapter 19 What Is She Doing Here
They certainly weren’t expecting her to show up at tonight’s event.
Her eyes darkened with determination as she and Grace stepped onto the red carpet. Her perfect figure, enhanced by her evening gown, commanded attention. She moved with the grace of an ethereal being, her beauty captivating everyone around her.
The other guests couldn’t help but stare at this enchanting figure, wondering about her identity. Although everyone present belonged to Celestine’s elite circles, none of them could recall ever seeing such a striking beauty at their social gatherings before.
Everyone wondered who this mysterious beauty was, and whether she had finally brought a date tonight.
Whispers rippled through the crowd as a sleek black luxury car pulled up just as the gala’s arrival window was drawing to a close.
XXXXX
The grand ballroom was already buzzing with activity. As typical of high society events, the real networking had begun well before the official start of the gala. Business deals and strategic alliances were being formed over cocktails and casual conversation.
Hugh cut a striking figure in his white tuxedo as he stood chatting with the CEO of an emerging tech company, an
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Chapter 19 What Is She Doing Here expensive glass of wine in his hand.
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Alicia and Tina made quite an entrance in their glamorous evening gowns, making a beeline for Hugh’s location across the
room.
Hugh noticed Alicia’s approach and quickly wrapped up his conversation, raising his glass in greeting as he walked over to meet her.
Alicia had chosen a stunning strapless blue gown for the evening. To emphasize their connection, she had convinced Hugh to wear a matching blue bow tie. The coordinated outfits sent a clear message to everyone in the room–these two were definitely an item.
Tina leaned in close to whisper in Alicia’s ear, “Honey, you’re going to be the star of the show tonight. You should have seen how many men couldn’t take their eyes off you when you
arrived. The disappointment on their faces when they saw you with Mr. Carter was priceless.”
A subtle smile played across Alicia’s lips as she glanced sideways at Hugh, who had certainly overheard Tina’s comments. The attention Alicia was receiving from other men at the charity gala gave Hugh a sense of pride. Having such a beautiful woman by his side while others could only look on with envy stroked his ego. Without hesitation, Hugh stepped forward and slipped his arm around Alicia’s waist, drawing her closer to him.
“Your place or mine tonight?” Hugh asked softly.
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“Whatever you prefer, Hugh. I’m happy either way,” Alicia responded with a gentle laugh, nestling into his embrace.
“I’ll make sure you have a night to remember after the gala,” Hugh whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. His eyes wandered over the curves accentuated by her strapless evening gown. The dress perfectly highlighted her figure, and her décolletage was driving him to distraction.
If they weren’t in the middle of a charity gala, Hugh would have whisked her away to a private room right then and there.
“That girl is gorgeous!”
“Beautiful!”
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Hugh and Alicia, who had been cuddling moments before, looked up to see what had captured everyone’s attention. When they caught sight of the stunning figure, both of them froze in astonishment.
The woman commanded attention with just one glance. Under the banquet hall’s spotlights, her presence was absolutely breathtaking.
Alicia stood rooted to the spot, unable to believe that she was seeing her nemesis at the evening gala.
“Anne? What is she doing here?” Alicia thought to herself.
