Chapter 5: The Banquet Invitation

The news of the Mevoy boutique incident spread through Banyan City’s elite circles like a fever. By dinner time, everyone was talking about the woman who had walked into a high-end store in a plain polo shirt and bought out the entire inventory with a King’s Black Card. The Pierce family tried to spin the story as a misunderstanding, but the damage was done.

Arthur Sterling was in a much worse position. While the city gossiped, he was drowning in legal notices. The lawyers from the King Empire were ruthless. They didn’t just ask for the ten million dollars; they demanded it within a twenty-four-hour window, backed by a pile of breach-of-contract penalties. For a man whose assets were tied up in stalled developments, it was a death sentence.

That evening, I was in Alexander’s study. The room was large, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that held volumes older than the Pierce family’s entire lineage. I sat on a leather sofa with a glass of dark red wine, reading a report on the Sterling Group’s recent losses.

The heavy doors opened. Alexander walked in, looking tired but sharp. He pulled his tie loose and tossed his jacket onto a chair. He didn't say hello. He just walked to the sideboard and poured himself a drink.

"You’ve been busy," he said. His voice was low, vibrating through the quiet room. He sat in the armchair opposite me, his long legs stretching out.

"I assumed you’d hear about it," I replied, not looking up from the page. "Are you angry? I bought a boutique because a manager was rude."

Alexander took a sip of his drink and leaned back. "I gave you that card because I expected you to use it. If you hadn't spent anything, I would have thought I picked the wrong person for this arrangement. Buy ten more boutiques if it helps you sleep better."

There was a strange, brief warmth in my chest at his words. I ignored it. I wasn't here for validation. I was here for results.

A soft knock came at the door. Thomas, the assistant I had seen in the car, stepped into the room. He was carrying two thick, gold-embossed envelopes. He looked at Alexander, then gave me a polite, professional nod.

"Mr. King, these just arrived via courier," Thomas said. He placed the envelopes on the low table between us.

"What are they?" I asked. I didn't want to act like I knew everything. In this house, information was the only currency that mattered.

Thomas cleared his throat. "It’s for the Banyan City Annual Charity Banquet tomorrow night, Madam. It’s the biggest event of the season. Every major family in the region attends. The Sterling family and the Pierces are on the guest list. Arthur Sterling is actually one of the honorary committee members this year."

Alexander picked up one of the invitations, spinning the heavy cardstock between his fingers. He looked at me, his gray eyes dark and unreadable. "It’s a dull event. Usually, I send a donation and stay home. But this year feels different."

"Different how?" I asked.

"This year, I have a wife," Alexander said. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. It wasn't a smile of kindness; it was the look of a man about to launch an offensive. "Do you want to go, Scarlett? It’s a public stage. Everyone who laughed at you yesterday will be in that room."

I looked at the gold invitation. I could almost see the expressions on Victoria’s and Penelope’s faces when I walked in on Alexander King’s arm.

"I don't care about the charity," I said, setting my wine glass down. "But I do care about seeing the look on Arthur’s face when he realizes he’s no longer the most important person in the room. I want to ruin them, Alexander. To the roots."

Alexander let out a short, dark laugh. "Good. I like your ambition." He turned to Thomas. "Thomas, tell the stylists to prepare the best they have. I want my wife to look like the woman who owns this city."

"Consider it done, sir," Thomas replied before stepping out.

Alexander stood up and walked toward the door. He stopped and looked back at me. "Wear something that stands out. I want those people to understand exactly who you are now. I want them to know that an attack on you is an attack on me."