Night had fallen, and the banquet was already in full swing.
Perched halfway up the mountain, the Farley estate blazed with light, a beacon of extravagance overlooking Seaview City. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with expensive perfume and old money. Guests brushed shoulders, their conversations a hum of calculated pleasantries and social maneuvering.
Everyone here was either wealthy or noble.
Amelia navigated the crowd, towing Eva behind her. She scanned the room for Hudson, but after a full lap of the ballroom, the Farley family remained conspicuously absent.
"Eva, I need to make a call." Amelia checked her phone. "Wait here. Don't wander off."
"Okay."
Eva retreated to a shadowed corner, away from prying eyes. She had no patience for these events. As a daughter of the Mason family, she knew the script—smile, nod, flatter—but tonight, she was exhausted. Silence was preferable to fake pleasantries.
She waited for what felt like an eternity. Amelia didn't return.
Instead, a man in a crisp uniform approached with a stiff bow. "Miss Sullivan? Mrs. Fletcher is with Madam Farley. I've been asked to escort you to the private villa."
Eva nodded and followed the butler through the manicured gardens to the residence at the back of the estate.
As the heavy oak doors swung open, a man's sneer drifted from the living room, dripping with contempt.
"Why did you settle on Eva Sullivan without asking me?"
The voice was young, petulant, loud. "Everyone in the circle knows she's Elliot's lapdog. I'm not marrying a woman who spent years chasing another man like a desperate shadow. Let whoever wants her take her!"
Lapdog.
Eva's fingers tightened against her palm, but her face remained a porcelain mask. She had learned long ago to armor herself against such words.
The butler cleared his throat loudly, stepping into the room. "Madam, Hudson... Miss Sullivan has arrived."
Hudson scoffed, his face twisted in disdain. He stood, clearly intending to storm out.
"Hudson."
The command cut through the air like a blade of ice.
"Apologize to Miss Sullivan."
From the shadows of the staircase, a tall figure descended. The man's features were carved from cold marble, his jawline sharp and uncompromising. He radiated a chilling authority that seemed to suck the oxygen from the room.
Hudson froze. His arrogance vanished, replaced by visible trembling. He straightened like a soldier facing a firing squad.
"Austin," Hudson murmured, bowing his head in instinctive submission.
Eva's brows lifted slightly. She didn't need an introduction.
Austin Farley. The true power behind the Farley empire. An existence that all of Seaview City feared and respected. The kind of man who dominated headlines just by stepping off a plane.
If he was here, it was undoubtedly to oversee Hudson's marriage.
Eva raised her eyes. Her gaze collided with Austin's.
His eyes were pitch-black, bottomless pools that offered no warmth. The sheer weight of his stare was suffocating. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she instinctively lowered her head to break the connection.
Austin sank onto the sofa, his silence louder than any shout.
Only then did Mrs. Farley dare to breathe. She rushed forward, taking Eva's hand with feigned warmth, desperate to smooth over the tension.
Hudson seized the opportunity to edge toward the door.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Austin's voice dropped an octave, carrying a terrifying weight.
Hudson's feet glued to the floor. Slowly, he turned back to face Eva.
He opened his mouth to mumble an insincere apology, but the words died in his throat. His eyes widened as he actually looked at her.
Damn. Who the hell said she was plain?
Because Elliot preferred gentle, modest women, Eva had spent years dimming her light. Drab clothes, no makeup—delicate but forgettable.
But she was done with Elliot. And she was done hiding.
Tonight, her features were striking. Eyes bright and sharp, her beauty aggressive and undeniable. She stood with a quiet dignity that made it impossible to look away.
A cold sensation prickled the back of Hudson's neck. His uncle was watching him with the intensity of a predator.
Hudson shivered, snapping back to reality. "I... I'm sorry, Miss Sullivan."
He swallowed hard. Suddenly, this arranged marriage didn't seem like such a burden after all.
