"Before I leave," Alie added, slipping her hand into her purse, "Mr. Stark ntioned that you’re supposed to return ho soon."
Anna nodded, though she was still unsure exactly when that "soon" would be.
"Three weeks from now," Alie continued, her tone casual but freindly. "My foundation is organizing another charity event. As you know, I sponsor several ballet schools that offer free lessons to orphaned children. This year, I’d like to host a ballroom dance event, where attendees can make donations by purchasing tickets."
Anna’s brow furrowed slightly as she listened. Alie’s words were layered with aning. An open event ant anyone could attend, and that included the Hydes.
Colette and Susanne had always coveted the opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Alie Bennett, even when Alie was still married to her ex-husband Richard.
And with news of Susanne’s arrest likely spreading soon, Anna could already picture Robert’s next move—a grand gesture designed to distract from the scandal. He would undoubtedly attend. But it also ant... Marienne would be there as well.
Alie’s voice cut through her thoughts. "It’s an open event, aning anyone willing to pay more than a thousand dollars for a seat can attend. I truly hope you’ll consider coming."
Anna was still processing when Alie added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and one more thing." She placed a white business card on the table next to her coffee cup, the sleek surface gleaming under the light. "My friend Elizabeth Radcliffe owns several dia outlets. If you want Susanne’s arrest to be widely reported, just reach out to her."
Alie’s lips curled into another knowing smile as she stood, her deanor effortlessly confident. "I wish you all the best, Anna. Until next ti."
Anna watched as Alie made her way through the garden, greeted by her assistant who quickly helped her into the waiting car. A strange sense of elation surged within her. To think that soone as dignified and authoritative as Alie Bennett was now on her side—it was a feeling she could hardly believe.
She used to feel so isolated, so disconnected from the world around her. But now, bit by bit, the pieces of the life she had once thought unattainable were beginning to fall into place. It was as though hope was slowly making its way back into her heart, one step at a ti.
***
"No man will go to such lengths simply because he needs sothing from a woman," Alie’s words echoed in Anna’s mind, replaying over and over like a lody she couldn’t shake.
Her relationship with William Stark was a perplexing one, to say the least. They had t only once before, at Robert’s birthday party almost eleven years ago. It was shortly after his mother’s death, and Anna recalled how William had been in a foul mood, barely speaking to anyone, retreating to a quiet corner like a shadow of himself.
She had felt pity for him at the ti and decided to approach him, not wanting him to feel like a complete outcast at his friend’s party.
But when she tried to speak to him, William hadn’t responded. Anna couldn’t even rember what she had said to him—if she had said anything at all.
What she did know for certain was that it had been their only interaction, and she couldn’t imagine it had been enough for him to feel any kind of attachnt to her.
Surely that couldn’t be the reason for him to act so friendly toward now, Anna thought, her mind racing with confusion. But then again, it’s strange that he offered to help the mont I ntioned Robert and Marienne. Could it be that he’s holding so kind of grudge against Robert?
Anna tried to piece together her ex-husband’s relationship with William Stark, but the bottle of wine she had consud over the past hour clouded her thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly.
They were never exactly friends, but there had been so sort of collaboration between them on a major project just before they were about to graduate from university. Anna struggled to recall the details, her mind spinning as she concentrated with all the effort she could muster in her intoxicated state.
Were they on the sa team? Or were they rivals back then? she wondered. But it was also around that ti that William’s mother passed away... Her thoughts blurred, frustration mounting. Ugh, I can’t rember! And I can’t ask Robert, or anyone else from that ti, either. This is driving mad!
In a fit of frustration, she slumped over the desk in her room, the smooth wooden surface offering a cool, soothing sensation against her skin.
It had been a long ti since Anna had drunk so much. But today, she simply couldn’t help herself. Her mind was a whirlwind, thoughts rushing at her in a chaotic storm, and at one point, she had genuinely feared that her head might implode under the weight of it all.
"I hate that I resorted to drinking again," she muttered, lifting her head from the desk with a heavy sigh. "I thought once I broke free from Robert and his family, I’d stop seeking peace at the bottom of a wine bottle. I guess I just need more ti."
"Or constant supervision," a deep voice rumbled through the room, sending a shock of surprise through Anna’s body. The sound instantly cleared the fog in her mind, and she shot upright, wide-eyed.
"Will—William?!"
Anna hadn’t expected to see him in her room tonight, but what startled her even more was how effortlessly he had slipped inside without her noticing. It was beginning to feel as if sneaking up on her was so sort of ga for him, a source of amusent.
William stood in the doorway, his brows furrowed in a deep frown, his arms crossed over his chest. He wore loose black pajama pants and a simple white t-shirt—an unusually casual look for him, yet one that seed to suit him in a way Anna hadn’t expected.
As she continued to watch him, William silently closed the door behind him and moved slowly across the room, his dark eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.
The weight of his gaze was almost suffocating. When he reached her desk, Anna found herself holding her breath, her heart skipping a beat as William gently caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her head up to force her to et his gaze.
"What could have happened today to upset you so much?"
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