Chapter 560
A playful gust caught a few strands of her carefully arranged hair, sweeping them back to reveal the sculpted lines of her face and the elegant curve of her neck. Beneath the glow of the champagne-colored gown, her skin seemed almost luminous, as though the lights themselves bent closer just to touch her. Each step she took carried an effortless authority, her eyes steady as they skimmed the path ahead. In an instant, the crowd’s energy shifted.
She was the center now, a rare gem dropped into the room without warning, pulling every gaze toward her.
“She’s… unreal,” murmured someone in the crowd, their voice heavy with awe.
“Who is she? I don’t recognize her at all.”
“That kind of presence? She’s on a different level,” another whispered.
From her place farther back, Beatrice froze mid-breath. And then, as if the answer had been waiting to strike her, it clicked — this had to be Zaylee. Brad must have orchestrated this entire show for his girlfriend. Who else could arrive so late and still have a convoy waiting to collect her?
Beatrice’s chest swelled with satisfaction, certain she had uncovered the truth. She didn’t notice the woman’s quiet composure or the way her elegance was stripped of Zaylee’s trademark flash. Nor did she register the cool distance in the woman’s eyes, which cut through the lights like shards of ice.
“Zaylee! Over here!” Beatrice’s voice rang out sharp and high, her arms flailing above the heads around her as she stumbled forward on her heels. The smile on her face was so wide it looked almost rehearsed. “I knew you wouldn’t forget about us! This convoy—wow! Mr. Morgan must really know how to treat you right!”
Beatrice’s voice shattered the uneasy stillness, and the rest of the waiting parents seemed to wake all at once.
“Zaylee! You finally made it!” one of them called out, brimming with relief. “Zaylee, did you bring the invitations? We’ve been stuck here forever!” another chimed in, their tone half-pleading, half-accusing.
The small crowd surged forward like thirsty travelers spotting an oasis, each smile stretched wide and expectant, every gaze locked on her as though she held the golden tickets in her hand.
But the advance was cut short. The security team moved in first — broad-shouldered men in black suits stepping in like a single wall of muscle, stopping them several paces away.
“Maintain your distance!” shouted one of the guards, his voice sharp enough to slice through the commotion.
Rylie slowed, caught in the sudden rush of attention. Her eyes found familiar faces — people who had stirred chaos back at the hospital — and at the front, a woman in a…
The woman in the blinding red dress wore a grin so forced it almost twitched. Surprise flickered briefly in Rylie’s gaze, but it melted into recognition, and then into quiet amusement.
She had personally told Felix to strike these people from the guest list. Seeing them here meant they either refused to believe they’d been cut, or Zaylee had tried to pull strings again — maybe leaning on Sean to slip those invitations back into their hands.
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