Semua Bab ONE NIGHT STAND WITH MY STEPFATHER : Bab 31 - Bab 40

I stood near the back of the hall, keeping my head down. The scarf covered the lower half of my face. My cap sat low enough to hide most of the swollen cheek. Anyone who glanced my way would think I was just another member of the Aurora Event Agency team. That was exactly what I wanted. Nobody needed to know I was there. The hall looked alive. Golden lights reflected beautifully from the crystal chandeliers. Fresh flowers covered every table in perfect arrangements. White and gold ribbons flowed elegantly from the ceiling. Soft instrumental music played through the speakers as more guests arrived. Expensive cars had filled the parking lot long before the event officially started. Politicians, business executives, tech company owners, government representatives, celebrities, and influential families filled the room. This birthday celebration had become one of the biggest social events of the year. Everyone wanted to be seen here. The master of ceremonies walked onto the stage with a

I didn’t go back to my apartment. There was no point. If the authorities wanted answers, that would be the first place they looked. Besides, I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting alone after everything that had happened.Without thinking twice, I took a cab to my mother’s house instead. The ride felt endless. My eyes stayed fixed on the window while the city passed by in a blur. Every traffic light reminded me of the flashing cameras at the event. Every loud sound made me jump. The stage. The screams. The crash. They wouldn’t leave my head.The cab finally stopped outside the familiar house. I paid the driver with shaky hands before stepping out. The front curtains moved like someone was watching outside. A second later, the front door flew open.“Evie!”Mom rushed outside before I could even reach the gate. She wrapped both arms around me so tightly I almost lost my balance. “Oh, thank God.” She pulled back just enough to look at me. “I’ve been calling you all day. Your phone keeps

I couldn’t take my eyes off the television. The words at the bottom of the screen kept repeating. Aurora Event Agency Temporarily Shut Down Pending Investigation. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. Years of hard work. Years of building trust. Years of making impossible events come to life. All of it had stopped in a single day. I lowered my head. “So… this is really happening.” No one answered. Mom quietly picked up the remote and switched off the television. The room became painfully silent. I couldn’t stop thinking about Aurora. The awards we’d won. The clients who trusted us. The weddings. Corporate launches. Charity galas. Birthday celebrations. Every successful event flashed through my mind. Now people only remembered one thing. The collapse. I buried my face in my hands. “What do I do now?” Mark looked at me. “We’ll figure something out.” I shook my head. “No. You don’t understand. My career is gone.” Mom moved closer. “Don’t say that.”

The envelope felt heavier the longer I held it. I stood outside the hospital gate, unable to move. People walked past me, cars came and went, but everything around me sounded distant.My eyes stayed on the words printed across the front. LEGAL NOTICE. My fingers shook as I slowly opened it. Several sheets of paper slipped into my hands. I swallowed hard and started reading.The first page listed the names of the people filing the lawsuit. There were businessmen. Their wives. A retired judge. A foreign investor. Two security officers who had been injured while helping guests escape. The senator wasn’t among them.I turned the page. My heart dropped. The document listed medical expenses, damaged property, emotional distress, and compensation claims. Some guests had suffered broken bones. Others had lost expensive watches, phones, handbags and jewellery during the panic. The numbers blurred before my eyes. I couldn’t even finish reading.“There… there’s no way,” I whispered. My knees sud

The room stayed completely silent. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The thick file sat in front of me like it weighed a hundred kilos. My fingers trembled as I reached for it. I looked around the table one last time. The chairman. The lawyers. The financial advisers. The board members. Every face was serious. No one looked surprised. Whatever was inside this file… they already knew. I swallowed hard and opened it.The first page came into view. I frowned. This wasn’t an investigation report. It wasn’t a list of witnesses. It wasn’t evidence against Aurora. It was a contract. I blinked and read the bold words again. ACQUISITION POSITION FOR AURORA EVENT AGENCY. My eyes widened. I looked up so quickly that my chair creaked. “You… want to buy Aurora?”The chairman folded his hands calmly. “Read the first page.” My heartbeat grew louder. I lowered my eyes and continued reading. Global Planning Corporation Worldwide. Purchase proposal. Transfer of ownership. Company assets. Employee transitio