Chapter 3 - The Shattered Illusion

The sound of shattering crystal echoed sharply through the cavernous hall, drawing a dozen startled glances toward the corner where Dominic stood. But Dominic didn't notice the stares. His gaze was locked onto me, wide-eyed and frozen, as if he were looking at a ghost returned from the grave.

Beside him, Vanessa blinked rapidly, her smile faltering as she tracked Dominic’s line of sight. "Dominic? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He didn't answer her. He couldn't. His breath hitched in his throat as Richard Mercer guided me further into the room, his hand firmly at my elbow, treating me with a deference and respect that Dominic had never offered in eight years of marriage.

The whispers began instantly, rippling through the rows of tables like wildfire.

Isn't that Evelyn Vale?

With Richard Mercer? I thought Mercer never attended these society functions unless he was buying the building.

Look at Dominic's face—he looks like he's about to be audited by the IRS.

I kept my chin high, my posture immaculate. I caught Dominic’s eye across the room. For the first time since I had known him, the unflappable corporate titan looked entirely unhinged. The sheer audacity of my presence—on the arm of the man he feared most—was a public dismantling of his ego that no PR firm could ever spin away.

Richard leaned down slightly, his voice a low, gravelly baritone meant only for me. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Evelyn?"

"I'm merely appreciating the view, Richard," I replied smoothly, a faint smirk playing at the corners of my lips. "The acoustics in here are wonderful when people stop talking."

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"Let's go say hello to your husband," Richard suggested, his eyes flashing with a dangerous amusement. "After all, it would be rude not to introduce old acquaintances."

As we began walking toward them, the sea of high-society figures parted instinctively. No one dared block Richard Mercer’s path. And trailing right behind him, stepping into the light of absolute exposure, was the woman Dominic had tried to throw away like yesterday's trash.