The mother and daughter left the lounge and headed straight for the banquet hall.
Inside, the energy was buzzing. Ableson and Fiona made their way downstairs, smiling for the cameras, cutting the cake, and accepting toast after toast.
Garrison gave a quick speech, then handed the spotlight over to Belinda.
Belinda was absolutely radiant in a deep red dress, her smile bright and confident. “We have double the reason to celebrate tonight,” she announced. “Along with my father-in-law’s birthday, I’m thrilled to share more good news. Lance and Adelina’s wedding is set for August twenty-sixth. We hope you’ll all join us to celebrate.”
The crowd burst into excited chatter. Congratulations echoed around the room.
People surrounded Lance, raising their glasses to him.
“Congrats, Lance!”
“All the best!”
Lance held his wine glass, a polite smile on his face. But that smile never quite made it to his eyes.
“Thank you,” he replied.
Adelina watched all this from the doorway, tugging at Sarah’s sleeve.
“Mom, don’t ask about it,” she whispered.
Sarah bristled. “What do you mean, don’t ask? Those two old fools treat Catherine like she’s some kind of prize. They don’t care about you at all. And what about the baby? We need answers before you marry him!”
She started to march Adelina into the hall.
Adelina clung to her, desperate. “Mom, nothing matters more than me marrying Lance. Look at all these people. If we embarrass the James family, we’ll lose everything.”
Sarah hesitated, her anger cooling. She glanced at Belinda on stage, soaking up the praise. “You’re right. Belinda’s all about keeping up appearances. I’ll talk to her after the party.”
Adelina nodded, fixing her hair. “Quick, is my makeup okay?”
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