Chapter 5

"Quentin? Is that really you?" Eli stared at me in surprise. "What happened to you?"

"You mean how I ended up looking like this?" I finished for him with a faint smile. "Today, I want you to help me look like myself again."

Three hours later, the man staring back at me from the mirror felt almost unfamiliar.

My hair was neatly cut. My beard was gone. The sharp lines of my face had returned, and there was a focus in my eyes I hadn't seen in years.

The black velvet suit fit perfectly, tailored just enough to emphasize my frame without looking forced.

"You were always this handsome." Eli's eyes turned red. "These past few years... You've been through a lot."

"I haven't suffered." I held my own gaze in the mirror. "I've just been asleep for too long. It's time to wake up."

At 6 p.m., the Grand Monarch Hotel was already buzzing with activity.

Outside the Starlight Ballroom, employees gathered in formalwear, chatting and taking selfies.

"I heard the grand prize is a trip to Utonia for two!"

"Ms. Hemsley's really generous this year..."

"Well, of course. This year's different."

Amid the murmured conversations, I heard a familiar name.

"Owen's definitely going to be the center of attention tonight. That suit alone cost eight grand!"

"Ms. Hemsley spoils him. I heard she even changed the program for him..."

I adjusted the collar of my coat, subtly repositioned the tie clip, and checked my phone.

A message from Miles was waiting.

[Signal connected. Video feed is crystal clear. Let me know when I can start recording.]

I replied, [Wait for my signal.]

Taking a deep breath, I slipped through a heavy side curtain and entered the ballroom.

Inside was an entirely different world.

The champagne tower scattered shimmering reflections across the room. Crystal chandeliers poured light from above like cascading waterfalls. Everywhere I looked, there were elegant dresses, tailored suits, laughter, and conversation.

Hidden in the shadows near the curtain, I let my eyes travel across the crowd.

Then I saw them.

Adeline stood near the stage in a silver-gray evening gown, her posture straight and elegant. She was speaking to the man beside her, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth, her eyes warm and affectionate.

The man wore a charcoal-gray suit with impeccable tailoring. His short hair was neatly styled, and his profile was striking.

So that was what a six-thousand-dollar suit looked like.

My stomach twisted, but my face remained expressionless.

The host's voice echoed throughout the ballroom.

"Welcome to the tenth anniversary celebration of Luminex Technologies!"

Thunderous applause filled the room.

"For the past decade, we've weathered challenges, celebrated victories, and built something extraordinary together. None of it would have been possible without the leadership of one person."

A spotlight swung toward Adeline.

She walked onto the stage with effortless confidence and accepted the microphone.

"Thank you, everyone." She smiled. "Ten years is a long time. Long enough for dreams to take root and grow. But it's also surprisingly short. Sometimes, it feels like only yesterday we were celebrating our very first order."

Laughter rippled through the audience.

"And throughout that journey, there's one person I want to thank most of all. Someone who's been by my side every step of the way."

She paused and looked toward Owen.

The cameras immediately followed her gaze, and Owen's smiling face appeared on the giant screen behind them.

"Owen," she said softly. "Come up here."

The applause, cheers, and whistles nearly lifted the roof.

Owen rose gracefully from his seat, adjusted his jacket, and made his way to the stage.

Adeline reached for his hand and guided him to center stage. Under the spotlight, standing side by side, they looked like the perfect couple.

"Most of you know Owen as our Director of Administration."

Adeline slipped an arm around his shoulder.

"But what many of you don't know is that he's also the person who stood beside me through the hardest years of my life."

The giant screen switched to a tribute video.

Photos flashed by one after another. A cramped office. Late nights at work. Celebration dinners. Champagne toasts.

Owen appeared in every single picture.

And I didn't appear in any of them.

Every place where I should have been had been carefully erased.

The narrator's voice filled the ballroom.

"Thank you for standing by my side through every storm for five years."

So it was five years, not three.

While I was pouring everything I had into our family, sacrificing my days and nights for our home, the partner at Adeline's side had already become someone else.