Mistake
Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Cynthia paused, caught off guard by Liam’s comment about a wedding dress. ‘Do we have a future like that?‘ she asked in her heart. Their marriage had been hasty, partly for her shares and partly to ease his grandparents‘ worries. Heck, they ended up sharing a bed by some crazy accident. There wasn’t much mushy stuff between

o one them. She wasn’t used to his recent acts of kindness–it all felt kinda dreamlike. The thought of splitting up

day made her chest tighten.

Liam noticed Cynthia’s mood do a 180 and raised an eyebrow. He let go a bit, tilted her chin up, and saw her dodging his eyes. “You’re freaking out,” he pointed out, plain and simple.

Cynthia turned away, trying to shake off his intense look..

Liam watched her, realizing the wedding dress talk had hit a nerve. He thought, ‘Haven’t I shown my feelings for she clearly? Does she still wanna leave?‘ This was way trickier than any business issue. Maybe he’d have to get some advice on this.

With their prep done, it was showtime at the charity event. Ziv had been clocking serious overtime, and just when he thought he could chill, he had to drive them. They cruised in a black Maybach, and Cynthia spent the ride gazing out the window, lost in thought, while Liam quietly studied her, brainstorming ways to win her trust.

They arrived at the Sullivan Group–sponsored fancy hotel for the charity auction. A lush red carpet welcomed them

at the entrance.

Liam got

out first to a rush of camera clicks. Known as Clusia’s main man, his public appearances were rare. Any pictures of him online were fuzzy at best; those who met him raved about his brains and looks. The event wasn’t meant for the press, but last minute, it opened up to some big–name outlets. The media were all over it, even though the invite switch–up confused everyone.

As Liam emerged, executives swarmed him with handshakes and hellos. Ziv stepped up to cut through, “Guys, let’s catch up after dinner, alright? No need to crowd and give the paparazzi a show.”

“He’s right. Let’s enter the hotle.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Then they backed off like the pros they

zu were.

After people left, Liam reached into the car and helped Cynthia out. Stepping onto the red carpet, she was a show- stopper in her sky–blue dress–a stunner that silenced the crowd. Whispers spread. “Who is this angel? Some elite’s daughter?” The crowd was still reeling when Liam took Cynthia’s hand and they walked in, looking picture–perfect.

But the real kicker was the fact that she came with Liam. Word on the street was that the head of the Sullivan family wasn’t into dating. Yolanda was pursuing him for several years but in vain. So the truth was–he was just waiting for someone out of this world, someone fairylike for Mr. High Standards Sullivan.

12:43 Sun, 21 Julti.

Chapter 38

By the time the press snapped to, all they got were shots of the couple drifting through the door.

The Wilde family’s sleek ride pulled up, the scene was set for some drama. Yolanda, one of Liam’s many fans, couldn’t get her hands on the killer blue dress she wanted and ended up in a look–alike from another label–a strapless number strikingly similar to Cynthia’s.

42%

Strutting out of her ride, Yolanda expected to stun the crowd. But nope, the reporters were too busy buzzing about something else. Confused, she craned her neck just in time to catch a glimpse of that same blue dress disappearing into the hotel. That dress should’ve been hers! Fired up, she scrambled to follow, but was too late;

the other blue dress lady was already ripping up in the elevator.

Inside, Liam and Cynthia were swamped with eager executives looking to chat up the big boss. Everyone here

wanted to make connections, not just write big checks.

Understanding the drill, Cynthia told Liam, “You’ve got your hands full, I’m gonna replace something to munch on.” Skipping lunch plus the afternoon glam–up had left her starved. She scooted over to the sweets, stacked some on her plate, snagged a drink from a server, and headed for a quieter corner to dig in. But since she entered the hall with Liam, the ladies who wanted to cotton up Liam all got close to Cynthia.“What’s your name, hon?” one

inquired.

“Cynthia,” she answered simply.

“And your thing with Mr. Sullivan?

“Is he your guy?”

+

The ladies fired question after question, turning Cynthia’s quiet snack time into an inquisition. She was no fan of these shindigs and was getting real fed up. “Looks like this is your turf, so I’ll buzz off,” she said, standing to leave the gossip squad. She was just dodging the chatter when she almost walked right into Yolanda on the prowl. Both of them froze. Cynthia glanced at Yolanda’s dress, a near carbon copy of her own. “Ms. Wilde,” she managed politely, though it was clear there was no love lost between them.

12:43 Sun, 21