At that moment, Oralia was struck by a wild thought—the three of them in front of her looked like the perfect family. The picture was almost too good to be true. Well, except for one small detail. A thin trickle of blood was starting to well up again from the cut on Chloe's cheek. "Chloe, your face—it's bleeding." Oralia pointed out suddenly. Chloe snapped back to the present and instinctively raised her fingers toward the wound. "There's a first-aid kit in the car. You should clean that up," Lawrence suggested softly, turning from the passenger seat. "The banquet is already underway, and we're running late." "Here, let me help," Oralia offered, already leaning forward. "I have my makeup kit with me. I can patch you up and do a quick touch-up. Whoever caused that accident is probably at the banquet right now, waiting to see us show up looking like a mess. We can't give them that satisfaction." A shadow passed over Chloe's eyes, and her voice cooled. "You're right. Why let them have the last laugh?" Whoever was behind this, striking at such a critical moment, was going to regret it today. She was done wasting energy on them. It was time to clear out the trash for good. ***** Over at the banquet hall, grand music swelled as Scott stepped up to the podium, a spotlight finally settling on him. "I'm truly honored to see so many distinguished guests here tonight for the Lewis Group's anniversary gala," Scott began, then gestured warmly toward one side of the room. "I'm especially pleased that, upon his recovery, Mr. Charles Myers chose our event for his first public reappearance." The spotlight shifted to Charles. A murmur rippled through the crowd at the sight of Charles. Just as Scott had said, Charles had been out of the public eye for so long that rumors of his passing had swirled for months. Yet here he was, in the flesh. Charles offered a faint, dignified smile, every bit the imposing patriarch in front of the assembled elite. The light also fell on Arthur, who stood nearby. His presence immediately called to mind the recent flurry of gossip circulating online. The young heir of the Myers family had certainly been making headlines. And the woman clinging to his arm—who was she again? Nobody could quite remember her name, and frankly, few cared. What everyone did know was that Arthur had once been married to Chloe. Talk about awkward. Showing up at his ex-wife's major corporate event with his new girlfriend in tow? That sent a message. The personal dramas of these wealthy families were always full of twists. It was hard to tell what was real and what was just for show. When news had broken that Lewis Group secured a landmark partnership and a 50-billion-dollar investment from Cosmos Group, it had rocked the business world. The buzz had included another juicy tidbit: that Arthur had approached Lewis Group earlier, offering to raise a proposed 500-million-dollar deal with the Myers family to two billion—a fourfold increase. For a company reportedly in a tight spot and under public scrutiny at the time, that kind of money would have been a lifeline. Yet Chloe had famously turned him down flat. Some had thought it was pure stubbornness, or maybe the sting of dealing with an ex. The whole business community had watched, half-expecting Lewis Group to stumble and for Chloe to come crawling back to Arthur for a financial rescue. Then, out of nowhere, the top brass from Cosmos Group had stepped in. Just like that, a 50-billion-dollar contract landed on the table. It was the ultimate power move. Going from 500 million to 50 billion wasn't just an upgrade; it made the Myers family's earlier offer look like pocket change. The fact that Arthur even had the nerve to show up tonight—and with his rumored new flame, no less—was almost laughable. And judging by how close they were standing, it seemed the rumors were more than just talk. The Lewis family had invited a select number of media outlets to the gala. Spotting the scene, reporters discreetly raised their cameras, eager to capture the moment. This was front-page material, whether for the business section or the society pages. Noticing the lenses pointed their way, Jennifer leaned her head lightly against Arthur's shoulder. In a whisper only he could hear, she said, "Arthur, look at all these people. Everyone can see us together now. It makes me so happy."