Chapter 741:

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Beth materialized at her elbow and murmured discreetly, “We’ve completed all the required formalities. Regarding Mr. Nash… should we maintain distance or offer a polite greeting?”

Katherine’s fingers tightened around her empty glass until her knuckles whitened. She steadied her breathing and forced her voice to remain level. “Bring me another juice.”

When she finally shifted her attention toward Julian, she had reconstructed her composed façade completely.

Katherine glided toward Julian and Eleanor with practiced elegance. “Miss Vance, what a pleasant surprise. Your father mentioned you recently returned from abroad. Have you adjusted to our local rhythm?”

Eleanor hadn’t anticipated Katherine addressing her so directly and immediately. Katherine’s gentle approach unsettled her more than hostility would have, and she manufactured a bright smile. “The transition has been smooth. Thanks for asking. You look absolutely radiant tonight. Where did you discover such an exquisite dress?”

Katherine’s response carried genuine warmth. “I’ll share my designer’s contact information with you afterward.”

“That would be wonderful.”

Katherine raised her glass toward Eleanor, then pivoted gracefully to clink glasses with Julian. “Thank you for carving time from your schedule to support tonight’s celebration.”

Julian’s smile barely registered as genuine. “The pleasure is entirely mine.”

Their brief exchange remained stripped of unnecessary flourishes, and their eye contact lasted no longer than a heartbeat. Beneath their polished detachment, all kinds of feelings churned with unspoken tension.

Eleanor hadn’t forgotten Julian’s carefully orchestrated instructions. After steadying her nerves, she touched her throat and released a startled gasp. “Oh my goodness!”

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Katherine’s attention snapped to her immediately. “What’s troubling you?”

Eleanor slipped seamlessly into her rehearsed performance. “I completely forgot to wear my necklace tonight!”

The oversight seemed minor enough. Katherine gestured for her assistant to help Eleanor select replacement jewelry from the evening’s collection.

Eleanor shook her head with theatrical dismay. “Nothing else would feel right. That particular necklace holds such sentimental value—Julian gave it to me when we first met. The piece carried extraordinary significance. The jeweler initially refused to part with it, but Julian traded his limited-edition watch to secure it for me.”

Katherine’s smile cracked like thin ice over deep water. Her gaze dropped instinctively to Julian’s left wrist. The watch she had given him seemed to have gone unused for a long time.

It turned out he had bartered away her carefully selected gift to charm another woman with something supposedly more precious.

Eleanor became so absorbed in her performance that tears nearly spilled from her eyes.

Desperation clawed at her chest, and she considered playing coy with Julian, but when she lifted her gaze, his expression struck her like ice—cold and utterly unforgiving.

She dropped the theatrical mask immediately, alarm bells ringing in her mind. He was furious about her overacting. This spelled disaster.

Katherine maintained her gracious smile while extending assistance to Eleanor.

“Perhaps I could arrange for someone to retrieve the necklace for you?”

Eleanor’s neck stiffened awkwardly, her ability to smile completely deserting her.

“Oh… that’s really unnecessary. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

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