Chapter 124 01

ELSIE

I stood at the edge of the ballroom holding a glass of champagne I hadn't touched, watching the bubbles rise and pop anything to avoid looking at him.

The Sterling Charity Gala with two hundred guests, crystal chandeliers, a string quartet playing something soft and there I was Elsie Vale the lucky wife of Adrian Cross.

Tonight was supposed to be our anniversary dinner.

Tonight was supposed to be our anniversary dinner. Seven years of marriage, seven years since Adrian and I have been married but three days ago he came home and cancelled saying the charity event was more important and I didn’t argue, cause I was being playing thr obedient wife just like I have.

"That dress is stunning Elsie." I turned Mrs. Ashford one of Adrian’s business partner’s wife.

"Thank you," I said.

"Adrian is so good to you." She squeezed my arm. "You're very fortunate we all say so."

We all say so I forced a smile I had gotten good at that.

"He's wonderful," I said.

Mrs. Ashford beamed and drifted away and I went back to watching my champagne.

The truth was simple everyone thought I was lucky the poor girl from nowhere who caught Adrian Cross the billionaire, philanthropist and the most eligible bachelor in the city until he wasn't anymore.

They thought I won something.

I knew better

At first it was roses and sunshine then his family and media decided he deserved better creating a rift but Adrian stood beside me reassured me. I loved my husband and I believed he loved me.

Then two years ago he started pulling away. Late nights he didn't explain. Shorter conversations. Rarer touches. The distance grew so slowly I didn't notice until I was standing on one side of a canyon, wondering how I'd gotten there.

Yet I stayed for our six-year-old daughter, Lily. For the man I married the one I kept hoping would come back because leaving felt like admitting defeat.

I sighed as my eyes fell on Adrian 

across the room he was dressed in a dark suit with his perfectposture. He was laughing at something a senator said and his laugh.

He caught my eye and smiled.

I smiled back making my way to him.

I made my way to him people parted for me which was strange because I never asked them to but that's what happens when you're married to Adrian Cross the world opens up like a flower.

"Honey." He put his hand on my lower back soft and possessive. "You look beautiful."

"You said that this morning."

"I meant it this morning too.” He responds.

"Having fun?" I asked.

"Always." He leaned down. "The Calloway Foundation just pledged two million."

"That's wonderful."

"Isn't it?"

A waiter passed with champagne Adrian handed me a fresh glass, I set the old one down.

"You should enjoy tonight," he said. "You've been working so hard on the planning committee."

"Have I?"

"Of course." He touched my cheek. "My wife always so dedicated."

I rested my hand over his.

He stiffened.

I noticed.

I always noticed things like that with Adrian.

His smile remained perfectly in place but his fingers moved away from mine.

Something cold settled in my stomach before I could ask what was wrong the master of ceremonies stepped onto the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please?”

The room slowly quieted Adrian straightened beside me.

I looked at him he wasn’t looking at me anymore his eyes were fixed on the stage.

“Tonight,” the host continued, “we are honored to celebrate not only the success of Cross Holdings but also a very special announcement from our CEO.”

My smile disappeared replaced with confusion cause I had no idea about the special announcement.

I looked at Adrian again he was calm too calm. “Adrian?”

He finally looked at me with his expression unreadable. “What is it?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead he gently removed my hand from his arm.

That was when I knew something was wrong.”What’s going on?”

He looked at me for several seconds before saying quietly, “You’ll find out.”

Then he walked toward the stage.

Around me people began whispering.

I heard a woman behind me say, “Is this about the engagement?”

Another voice answered, “I think so.”

My blood ran cold.

Engagement?

I stared at Adrian’s back as he climbed the small staircase onto the stage.

The man I had loved for seven years turned toward the crowd he looked confident, powerful and untouchable.

Adrian took the microphone. “Thank you all for coming tonight. The Cross Foundation has raised over eight million dollars this year for children's hospitals and that’s because of you and your generosity.

Applause filled the ballroom.

I barely heard it.

My eyes stayed on him.

He waited for the applause to fade before continuing.

"But tonight isn't just about charity."

The room shifted.

"There is something important I need to announce.” He paused. "For the past three years I've been married to Elsie Vale and I have made a difficult decision regarding our marriage.”

Heads turned I felt their eyes on me but I kept my face still.

My hands were shaking I set the champagne glass down on a nearby table before I dropped it.

"Tonight," Adrian said, "my marriage to Elsie Vale ends."

Silence.

Not the kind of silence that fills a room but the kind that empties it. Two hundred people stopped breathing at the same time.

I heard someone gasp while someone whispered.

Adrian didn't look at me.

"The marriage is over," he said. "The divorce is already filed and the papers are here with my lawyer." He says gesturing at his lawyer 

I felt as though the entire room had tilted beneath my feet. Adrian had just announced our divorce, my husband had just announced our divorce In front of everyone.

I stood frozen waiting for the punchline for him to laugh and say just kidding. Everyone would laugh. We'd go home and everything would be fine.

But it didn’t come. 

"Some of you may know my assistant Sienna Monroe," he said.

She rose from a table near the stage tall beautiful and elegant. She walked up and stood beside him with Lily.

Lilly? 

How? 

Adrian had sent Lily to summer school weeks ago. She wasn't supposed to return until tomorrow. How is she here?

"Sienna and I will be engaged," Adrian said. "Soon. We wanted you to hear it from us first."

The room exploded not with noise but with energy as people turned to each other, phones came out whispered questions… quiet outrage.

I just stood there before shaking my head. “No.”

Adrian Sienna and Lilly stepped off the stage as people crowded them congratulating them.

I stayed by my table with my heart beating somewhere in my throat and my hands feeling like they belonged to someone else but I didn't cry or scream cause my head was still trying to process everything while I waited because I needed to ask him something.

Adrian made his way through the crowd till he reached me, Sienna was still with him looking at me with something like pity 

"Elsie," Adrian said.

"Adrian."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"Were you going to tell me at all?"

He didn't answer.

Sienna shifted. "Maybe I should—"

"Stay," I said. "You're part of this now."

She stopped.

I looked at Adrian really looked at him like he’d grown two heads, like he wasn’t the man I fell in love with.

"Did you ever love me?" I asked.

He hesitated that was the worst part.

"I loved the woman I thought you were," he said.