Third Person's POV
Melinda's heart skipped a beat. "But..." she began.
"You're a student. This mature and glamorous makeup isn't suitable for you," Cliff said, making Melinda feel even worse.
She had spent so much time perfecting her lookâcould it really be that unattractive?
Elliot walked ahead. Melinda quietly asked, "Elliot, do I look bad in this dress?"
Elliot glanced back with a cold look. "This dress was prepared for Luna Vanya."
Hearing this, Melinda's face drained of color.
The dress... was meant for Vanya!
"But the doorman downstairs said you sent it to me," she protested.
"Then the security guard got his message wrong. You aren't supposed to be here today," Elliot replied, his tone distant and cold.
Melinda felt a wave of humiliation wash over her.
At that moment, Vanya was in her apartment, working on her resume. Grace said, "Cliff asked you to accompany him to the gala. Why didn't you go? You might have been able to gather some information."
"I don't want to," Vanya replied, not wanting to see Cliff's face, which always seemed like it was about to kill her.
"If you didn't want to go, why give the opportunity to Melinda? Aren't you just making it easy for her?" Grace pointed out.
The gala, though open to major companies, was essentially a gathering of all the important businesses in Los Angeles.
Melinda, a college student, sticking out like a sore thumb at such an event.
"Cliff likes Melinda. I'm just going along with his wishes," Vanya said.
Lately, Cliff had been very public about having Melinda as his date for every event, almost as if he wanted the whole world to know the woman by his side was Melinda.
Vanya had no idea what he was thinking this time, inviting her.
She wasn't a woman he could summon or dismiss at will. If he wanted her there, forget it.
Just then, Vanya's phone rang. The caller ID showed Wilmot.
She had been on medical leave for the past few months and hadn't been to school, but Wilmot would check in every few days. However, a late-night call was unusual.
Vanya heard Wilmot's furious voice, "Vanya, have you lost your mind? You were the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack, and now you're being bullied by a rogue like this?"
"What are you talking about?" Vanya was taken aback.
"It's bad enough that Cliff has been parading Melinda around these past few months, but what kind of event is today? He actually brought Melinda!"
Vanya realized that Wilmot, being from the Hammond family in Los Angeles, must have been at the Todd gala. Such events were hard to avoid.
Vanya was worried that Wilmot's hot-headed nature would cause trouble and quickly said, "Don't get upset. Actually..."
"I don't care. I'm going to teach Cliff a lesson today!"
With that, Wilmot hung up.
Vanya stood there, staring at the disconnected call, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
"What's wrong? Who called?" Grace, who had been lying on the bed playing with her phone, sat up as Vanya got to her feet. "What's going on? Are you going out?"
"I need to go to the Four Seasons Hotel," Vanya said.
"You're going to Cliff's gala?" Grace looked puzzled. "Didn't you just say you didn't want to go?"
"Wilmot said he's going to teach Cliff a lesson. I'm afraid he'll cause trouble," Vanya replied, frowning.
She knew Edwin had been unwell lately, and Wilmot must have been attending the event in his place.
Without Edwin to keep him in check, she was worried Wilmot would end up punching Cliff at the gala.
"That kid, has he lost his mind? He's old enough to know better than to start fights!" Grace put down her snacks, grabbed her bag, and pulled Vanya out the door.
Grace sped to the Four Seasons Hotel. At the entrance, two security guards blocked their way.
"Please show us your invitation," one of them said.
Grace angrily retorted, "Are you blind? Don't you recognize Mrs. Todd?"
The guard looked Vanya up and down, then said doubtfully, "Mrs. Todd? Didn't she go in already?"
Vanya's brow furrowed. She knew the guard was referring to Melinda.
It seemed that in these three months, Cliff's favoritism toward Melinda had led everyone to assume Melinda was his wife.
This worked in her favor. At least she wouldn't be mistaken for Mrs. Todd after her divorce.
Grace pulled out her business card, which read "Grace," and the guard's face turned pale as he quickly let them through.
Grace and Vanya rushed into the hotel.
As soon as they entered the lobby, they saw that everyone on the first floor was looking upstairs, which meant something was happening on the second floor.
Vanya scanned the crowd but couldn't spot Wilmot or Cliff.