Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Saturday became a whirlwind of last-minute table seating arrangements as confirmations poured in. Kaya’s knowledge of Motan’s elite was impressively scary.
“How could you possibly know that Henry slept with Evmond? They’re both married. To women,” Balak said, not doubting his wife as much as impressed by her.
“I have eyes and ears and use them. People who sneak around think they’re discreet, but they’re always obvious if you know what to look for.”
“And you do?” he asked.
“Of course. How else do you think I’ve managed to keep opportunistic poachers out of our bed?
Why do you think I like sending you away so often?
It gives me time to thin the herd so I can take you out and show you off for a while before you start attracting attention again. Why did you have to be born so pretty?”
Balak’s eyes filled with gold, and he looked at his wife like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder.
“None of that now,” Becky said with a laugh. “We have work to do.”
By dinner, we received Mrs. Hildcrask’s promised welcome gift—the proof we needed to press charges against Charlotte for arson, solicitation, fraud, and conspiracy—along with an actual gift for me.
A stunning ruby necklace with a note that she hoped I would consider wearing the Hildcrask heirloom to the Steeles’ welcome event on Saturday to show everyone I had Hildcrask support.
“She’s a clever one,” Kaya said. “I do like her.”
Mom chuckled as I petted the jewelry.
I wasn’t a fool and understood her purpose. Wearing it would announce the Steele-Hildcrask alliance, denying Charlotte the chance to hide behind her family name before her crimes made headlines.
“It’s so pretty, but we already bought the custom Zellon piece for me to wear.”
Kaya didn’t say anything and I sighed.
“At least it will look good with my dress,” I said finally.
Kaya patted my arm. “Wear the custom piece to work this week. It’s not meant to be worn once and forgotten anyway.”
That was all the permission I needed to wake up Monday and dress to slay at work. And it was the perfect time to dress the part of a business leader, too.
Over the weekend, the Stonestocks made headlines for funding redevelopment in Motan’s poorer districts before announcing their plans to leave the city and join their daughter in the countryside.
The office gossips speculated why they’d left the city.
Some wondered if it had to do with my kidnapping since it happened so soon afterward.
I neither confirmed nor denied anything, which had Lianna’s supporters quickly changing sides.
Suddenly, I was getting emails with design corrections instead of lists of problems that needed to be overcome.
Within days, Steele’s stocks were soaring, and the stockholders who’d wanted me out were asked to leave instead.
Through it all, my father texted daily—dinner invitations, requests for quality time, and hints about revisiting TAS shares. I ignored them all and focused on work and party prep.
Saturday would force the truth. We knew my stepmom had pulled the trigger, but that didn’t mean that my father was unaware or innocent.
Friday at lunch, Konni stole my phone and answered the last text for me.
Me: Busy getting ready for tomorrow. Let’s talk after.
“Why did you do that?” I asked. “It’s going to look suspicious.”
“Not answering is going to look more suspicious after Mom went out of her way to personally hand him an invitation.”
Making a face, I didn’t argue his logic and resumed his allotted five-minute post-lunch cuddle session, payment for agreeing to play his part on Saturday.
As the meet and mingle portion of Saturday’s welcome event progressed, I struggled with patience.
Everyone wanted to talk to Konni. And since he refused to leave my side until it was time, that meant everyone talked to me too.
I met more people than I would ever remember before Mom came to fetch me.
Konni’s fingers brushed mine, but he didn’t try to stop me from leaving him.
The Steele men had meticulously planned today’s security. I wasn’t worried. Much.
They knew each staff member, had installed additional cameras inside and outside of the building, and had men on the surrounding buildings just in case.
“Everything is set and waiting for you,” Mom said, walking past Dad and Charlotte. “Nervous?”
From my peripheral, I saw Dad’s eyes light with anticipation. Why though? At having a daughter officially marrying into the Steeles or something else?
“A little,” I admitted.
We reached the hallway and kept walking. The few people out there were either heading to or coming from the bathrooms.
Mom led me to a private sitting room not far from the main banquet hall.
Inside, a dressing rack held a garment bag and two boxes.
Mom and I looked at the camera in the corner. A green light on it blinked twice.
“Thank you for doing this, Miranda,” I said. “Try not to rub it in that you watched me undress the next time you see Konni.”
My phone buzzed.
Miranda: Next time? I promised him a live, detailed play-by-play, including pictures, in exchange for earrings. Your man is a perv.
I snorted and turned so Mom could unzip me.
“Do you think she’ll actually try something?” I asked Mom softly as I switched from the less formal cocktail dress to the formal evening gown that Kaya had specially designed for me the minute she met me. It was a true work of art and not easy to get into without help.
My phone buzzed. I glanced at it as I braced one palm against the wall while holding a very low neckline in place so Mom could tug the skin colored sheath down my body.
Miranda: Stay like that for an extra second after your mom steps out of the frame. I want to ask for an upgrade to Zellon.
“Everything okay?” Mom asked.
“Yeah. Just Miranda demanding her due. When you’re done, can you move away for a second so she can take a picture?”
Mom chuckled, finished, and went to get the sheer organza overskirt.
“What is she trying for this time?” Mom asked.
I looked over my shoulder at the camera, arched my butt a little, and gave it my best “Spank me, Daddy” look.
“Earrings. She wants to upgrade to Zellon.”
“Ah, well, I think that pose you just had should do it. That sheath looks like you’re not wearing anything with the tinting they added to it.”
The designer had added shading for details that weren’t my own—the sexy start of a crack, and a hint of shadow from the apex of my legs down—to create the illusion that I was naked under the dress without being crass.
The sheer overskirt further obscured the shading so that the hints were only glimpsed when I moved. Otherwise, I looked respectably dressed in a low-cut, really pretty organza ball gown.
“Did they give any dressing tape for this?” I asked Mom. “I feel like I’m going to nip-slip if I step on the skirt.”
Mom gave the front a glance. “Don’t step on the skirt.”
I rolled my eyes at her, and she hugged me.
“Be safe, baby,” she said softly.
“I will be, or Konni would have never agreed.”
She nodded and headed toward the door.
Once it was opened, she paused.
Her gaze looked with mine.
This was it. The bait for the big catch.
I smiled reassuringly at her.
“I’ll check with Kaya and be right back,” she said.
“Hurry.”
She closed the door. I stayed put, barefoot just in case I needed to run, and watched the door. Less than a minute later, a man walked in. His surprise at seeing me calmly facing him didn’t last.
“I was sent by Mrs. Steele,” he said, crossing the space.
He only made it two steps before three men stormed in. Two from behind him and one from a side door.
They had him pinned to the floor in seconds. It almost felt anticlimactic.
“You have two choices,” I said. “Take the fall for Charlotte or tell us why she paid you three million dollars. And please don’t say it was to rape me. That won’t end well for you.
“Oh, before you try to deny anything, we already have the transfer records. We just need you as the witness. So, are you in or taking the fall?”
The man, who’d barely made a sound during the scuffle, exhaled heavily.
“I’m in.”
“Good.”
Turning away, I slipped on my shoes and clasped the Hildcrask necklace around my neck.
I looked up at the camera. “Are they ready?”
The green light blinked twice. Then my phone buzzed with a voice message from Miranda.
“Use your muscle after you make them cry for what they did to you.”
“I will,” I promised before leaving the room. Harlow was waiting in the hallway and walked me to the banquet hall’s main doors which were shut.
“You look lovely, Sophia,” he said.
“Thank you. Are you interested in my mom?”
He chuckled but didn’t answer as the doors swung open.
“Please welcome our future daughter-in-law, Sophia Elmantas,” Balak announced from the stage.
All heads turned toward me, including Dad’s and Charlotte’s, both of them standing near the front of the room. Dad was enthusiastically clapping and beaming like a proud father. Charlotte’s polite clap faltered at the sight of me and slowed further as she saw my necklace.
Our gazes met.
I smiled and nodded slightly in acknowledgment as I had last week. Then I focused on the crowd, smiling and thanking the people who congratulated me as I passed them.
Konni, too impatient to wait next to his parents, met me halfway and took my hand. The clapping grew louder when he kissed my knuckles and led me onto the stage.
Balak handed Kaya the microphone. The room quieted.
“We are overjoyed to welcome Sophia and her mother into the Steele family and have prepared a special gift for them.
“For those of you who might not know, Sophia and Abbye Elmantas have been facing hardships for years, unexpected job losses and, more recently, false accusations of industrial spying, a car accident that almost took Abbye’s life, a house fire that took their home, and a kidnapping.”