Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The clock on the bedroom wall ticked softly, showing exactly seven o’clock in the evening. Time was passing quickly, while the dinner event was only a thirty-minute drive away if the traffic was smooth. Yet, the person who should have been getting ready beside her had still not shown up.

Lyonna stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her room, taking a deep breath to calm the pounding in her chest. She was wearing a long ivory evening gown made of soft silk that fell perfectly over her body. The A-line gown, with delicate brocade detailing around the chest, had been specially designed to embrace her curves elegantly, giving her a graceful, classic silhouette. Her long black hair was styled half-down with an antique pearl hair clip, while her makeup was natural, with a more defined touch around her eyes that accentuated her naturally sweet features.

She stared at her reflection for quite some time. Although her body was no longer as slender as it once was—with fuller cheeks and thicker arms—the ivory gown made her look like a classic and composed Victorian noblewoman. She looked beautiful, in her own way.

The phone on the vanity table vibrated. With a quick movement, Lyonna grabbed it, hoping it was a message or call from her husband. However, when the screen lit up, there was only a brief reply from Darren.

[I’m busy! You go by yourself. I’m not coming. After all, that ridiculous contract of yours starts tomorrow.]

The message was so cold that it felt like another slap across Lyonna’s face. She squeezed her eyes shut. A sudden ache crept into her chest. Deep down, she had secretly held onto a tiny, foolish hope. On this important night, in front of the Graham family’s business associates, she desperately wanted Darren to hold her hand. She only wanted to know what it felt like to be acknowledged, to stand beside her husband, and to hear him publicly say that he loved his wife—even if it was all nothing but a lie. Just for that one night, she wanted to feel wanted.

A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, threatening to ruin the makeup she had painstakingly applied. Lyonna quickly wiped it away with her finger. She slowly shook her head. There’s no point crying over a man like him, she told herself firmly.

If Darren did not want to pick her up or accompany her, that did not mean she had to hide in her room and let people laugh at her. With her chin held high, Lyonna grabbed a matching clutch and walked out of the room. She went to the event alone.

The ballroom of the five-star hotel gleamed luxuriously beneath the light of enormous crystal chandeliers. Classical music played softly, mingling with the clinking of crystal glasses and the polite small talk of guests dressed in immaculate suits and designer gowns.

Lyonna’s arrival alone immediately attracted several pairs of eyes. Especially because Lyonna’s own parents, Mr. and Mrs. Purry, were never seen attending family or business events like this, always claiming to be busy handling their massive businesses overseas.

In a corner of the room, several socialite wives and business associates began whispering while covering their mouths with hand fans or their fingers.

“Oh my, look at that woman... Isn’t she Darren Graham’s wife?” whispered a woman in a maroon gown mockingly.

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why Mr. Darren has never wanted to bring her out in public or show her off on social media. No wonder! His wife really is...” The woman beside her trailed off, and the two of them giggled disdainfully while looking at Lyonna’s plump figure.

Lyonna heard their whispers clearly. Heat spread across her cheeks, and her grip on her handbag tightened. However, instead of lowering her head in embarrassment, Lyonna straightened her shoulders. She wore her most elegant smile, pretending not to care about every pair of eyes judging her.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Clara Graham—her mother-in-law—immediately approached after seeing her daughter-in-law arrive alone, her face filled with a mixture of concern and anger. However, before Clara could step forward to defend her daughter-in-law from the group of nosy women, the ballroom’s main doors suddenly swung wide open.

Every eye in the room turned toward the entrance.

Darren Alexander Graham walked in wearing a tailored black suit that fit his sturdy frame perfectly. The man looked incredibly striking, but the cold aura surrounding him automatically made people clear a path for him.

However, what happened next left everyone in the room gasping, making Lyonna’s heart feel as though it had stopped beating.

Darren did not walk toward his business associates. Instead, the man immediately strode quickly through the crowd, walking straight toward where Lyonna stood. Before Lyonna could process the situation, Darren’s strong arm had already wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling the plump woman’s body against him in front of dozens of stunned eyes.

As if that were not enough, Darren’s large hand rose to Lyonna’s cheek. With a movement so gentle—completely contrasting with his harsh attitude at home—the man brushed away the faint trace of tears at the corner of his wife’s eye with his thumb.

Then, in a voice loud enough for those around them to hear, Darren said, “Forgive me, my wife... I was late picking you up because of the traffic.”

Lyonna’s eyes widened. Her body stiffened inside the man’s embrace. She stared at Darren’s face from extremely close range, searching for the mocking smirk or disgusted gaze she was accustomed to seeing. Yet all she found in her husband’s sharp eyes was a look filled with intrigue and a hidden command.

Why did Darren come? Why has this man suddenly changed his attitude and started acting sweet in public? Lyonna wondered, overwhelmed by confusion.