Chapter 7 - The Gala of Reckoning
Two weeks later, the annual Symphony Autumn Gala was held at the Chicago Cultural Center. It was the premier high-society event of the season, an evening where the city's power brokers mingled beneath the Tiffany stained-glass dome.
Adrian had purchased our table six months prior. He arrived alone, looking gaunt in a black-tie tuxedo, hoping against hope that I would show up to maintain public appearances.
Whispers rippled through the grand hall the moment he stepped inside. The rumors of his corporate reprimand and the audit scandal had spread like wildfire. He tried to speak with several shipping executives, but their conversations were brief, polite, and distinctly cold.
Then, the murmurs swelled into an audible wave of admiration.
I stepped through the arched marble entryway.
I wore the emerald-green silk faille evening gown I had originally purchased for Ethan's wedding. The neckline was elegant and sculpted; the skirt cascaded to the floor with sovereign grace. Around my neck was a simple strand of South Sea pearls, and on my right wrist, catching the golden illumination of the crystal chandeliers, was Eleanor Moretti’s emerald-and-diamond bracelet.
Beside me walked Vincenzo and Isabella Moretti.
They had chosen to escort me, publicly declaring their allegiance to the entire room. Isabella smiled with radiant pride, holding my arm, while Vincenzo nodded curtly to the city's elite.
Adrian stood paralyzed across the ballroom, watching us. He looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He took two steps forward, but Sophia Reynolds suddenly appeared from the perimeter of the crowd, blocking his path.
She looked desperate. Dressed in an overly dramatic red gown, her makeup heavy to conceal dark circles, Sophia grabbed Adrian’s arm.
"Adrian, you have to talk to the Walker family," she begged in a shrill whisper that turned heads nearby. "They canceled my foundation’s sponsorship. My landlord is threatening eviction. You promised you would take care of me!"
"Get your hands off me," Adrian said, his voice terrifyingly low.
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"You can't abandon me now!" she cried, raising her voice in hysterics, completely oblivious to the hundreds of eyes shifting toward them. "You told me you loved me before you married her! You told me she was just a business arrangement!"
The ballroom went dead silent.
