Chapter 7 - Epilogue — The New DynastySix months later.
The spring gala for the Chicago Art Institute was the premier social event of the season. Photographers lined the red carpet outside the grand entrance, flashing cameras blinding every high-society figure stepping out of luxury town cars.
I stood at the top of the grand marble staircase, wearing a stunning, custom-tailored midnight-blue silk gown that caught the light with every movement. My hair was styled in sleek, elegant waves, and resting on my left ring finger was a brilliant, custom-cut diamond that made every piece of old-money heirloom jewelry in the room look outdated.
Noah stood beside me, his arm securely locked around my waist, looking devastatingly handsome in his tailored tuxedo.
Down below, making their way through the crowd, were Adrian and Vanessa.
They looked thoroughly diminished. Adrian’s posture was permanently slumped, the youthful arrogance that had defined him completely hollowed out after his grandfather stripped him of his executive title and demoted him to regional logistics manager as punishment for his catastrophic corporate blunders. Beside him, Vanessa looked tense and exhausted, her forced smile looking more like a grimace under the harsh glare of the flashbulbs.
As they reached the base of the staircase, Adrian looked up.
His eyes locked onto mine. For a fraction of a second, I saw the exact moment recognition hit him—not as the quiet, submissive fiancée he had taken for granted for four years, but as the independent, powerful woman who now held equal footing in the city's highest financial circles.
I didn't look away. I didn't shrink back.
I simply raised my glass of champagne in a silent, mocking toast, let my platinum band catch the overhead light, and turned my back on him.
Noah leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. “Ready to make an entrance, Mrs. Grant?”
May you like
I smiled, slipping my hand smoothly into his.
“Always,” I said, and together, we walked forward into the light.
