Chapter 20 – The Heiress Unveiled
The morning of the party arrived with a golden haze spilling into my room.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up, heart pounding. It was happening. Tonight.
I pulled on a coat and made my way to see my father. The nurses greeted me with smiles and nods as I reached his room.
Alaric looked better–less pale, a little stronger. The tubes were still in, but his smile warmed my chest.
“Moming, Papa,” I said softly, stepping inside.\
“My darling girl,” Alaric said, his voice still hoarse but steadier. “You look radiant. Nervous?”
“A little,” I admitted. “What if I mess this up? What if I make you regret introducing me?“>
He reached for my hand. “You won’t. You’re not Williams Bentley’s daughter. You’re mine. You carry my blood and your mother’s fire. You were born for this.”
A tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it. I hugged him tightly. “Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself.“}
The doctor stepped in then, clipboard in hand. “He’s showing remarkable improvement. Might be the daughter he just discovered,” he said with a knowing smile.
Alaric chuckled. “She’s the reason I want to stay alive.”
I looked at the doctor. “Please keep him safe for me. Do whatever it takes. I can’t lose him too.”>
He nodded solemnly. “We’ll do our best.”
Back home, the house was already buzzing. Stylists filed in one after another.”
Hair, makeup, wardrobe. I was passed between chairs like a porcelain doll, each touch transforming me into someone new. When I finally saw myself in the mirror, I blinked.
A soft gasp escaped my lips. The girl in the mirror looked like a queen.
“You look like sin wrapped in elegance,” Kian’s voice sounded from the doorway.}
I turned.
He stood there in a black tuxedo, sharp as a blade and ten times more dangerous. His eyes raked over me.} “You clean up nice,” I teased.§
He walked up and kissed my knuckles. “You look like every man’s dream and every woman’s nightmare.“>
My cheeks flushed. I looked away, smiling.
****
We arrived at the venue just as the sky began to darken. Lights flared, cameras flashed. The crowd turned when we stepped out of the car. “Who is she?“}
“She’s stunning…”
“Is that the girl with Kian Foster?“}
Kian guided me into the ballroom, fingers resting lightly on the small of my back. The chandeliers above glowed like constellations. Every eye was on us.
He leaned close. “Smile, Mrs. Foster.”
I smiled.
Kian stepped away to greet some business associates. I found my way to the drinks table, needing a moment to steady myself. That’s when I saw her.
Mira.
She looked like she’d seen a ghost. Her face was drained of color.
“Well, well,” I said, lifting a glass. “Didn’t expect to see me tonight, Mira?”
She blinked. “You… What are you doing here?“!
“Didn’t your plan fail? The drugging, the cameras, the thugs? I expected a better setup from someone as calculated as you.“! She scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And if I did, maybe you shouldn’t have trusted me in the first place.”
“Maybe. But your karma is right on time.“)
Before Mira could respond, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
“So this is where you ended up?”
Williams Bentley.
He looked me up and down with contempt.
“Where did you steal that dress from, you ungrateful little slut?” he sneered. “Left your husband just to whore around now? You’re just like your mother.”A
My blood ran hot. I grabbed the nearest glass of red wine and tossed it in his face.
Gasps echoed around us.
12:04 AM
Gasps echoed a US.
“Don’t you dare speak about my mother again!“}
Williams snarled. In a flash, his hand gripped my hair and yanked hard, undoing hours of styling. “You little whore! I should’ve left you in the gutter!“}
I struggled against his grip, clawing at his wrist. “Let go of me!“>
“You were never worth the Bentley name!”
“Good thing I’m not a Bentley then!” I screamed.
His grip faltered. “What the hell are you talking about?”
stared him in the eye. “I’m not your daughter.“>
His face turned red. “What?!“}
Before he could react further, a voice rang out behind us–cold, thunderous, and deadly.”
“Get your hands off my wife before you lose all your bloody fingers.”
