Chapter 90 The Debutante Ball
Veronica's POV:
I stepped into the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, and immediately felt the pressure of dozens of eyes turning toward me.
The Debutante Ball was everything I'd expected and worse... women were in designer gowns that cost more than cars, men in perfect tuxedos discussing mergers over champagne. Most were old money, and some of them new money.
All were gathered to be seen and validated by the elite society.
I felt uneasy in my skin as I felt their judgmental gazes on me.
Even though I was walking in with Theo beside me, who was looking impossibly handsome in his black tuxedo, I felt uneasy.
My recent success at the expo meant nothing here. These people didn't care about innovation or improvement.
They cared about reputation, lineage, and scandal.
And I was currently the biggest scandal in their world.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath to Theo. "These people are just draining."
"Just don't look them in the eyes," Theo said quietly, his hand was warm and steady on my lower back. "Follow my lead. Smile, be polite, and remember we're actually here for information."
He was my only source of comfort in this mess. The only thing keeping me from turning around and walking right back out.
"You know what," I said, "My intuition says your father sent this invitation just to get me humiliated. And my father wants this to happen. They're both probably watching from somewhere, enjoying this."
He groaned softly. "Veronica, don't jump to conclusions like that. Yes, our fathers are manipulative, but our real purpose here is to sort out the family mess. We need to find out what actually happened between them. Remember?"
I nodded, trying to center myself the way he'd taught me. Just breathe. Stay present. Don't let them get under my skin.
"You look very pretty," Theo said suddenly. "You are the prettiest woman here, actually."
I glanced at him skeptically. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"God, no," he smiled with honesty in his green eyes. "I despise comparison more than almost anything. People constantly judging, weighing, measuring against arbitrary standards. It's what gives you anxiety, isn't it? That feeling of never being enough, never measuring up?"
He understood. Of course, he understood... he'd spent his whole life being compared to Max, to his father's expectations, and his impossible standards.
"Don't worry," he continued, squeezing my hand gently. "I won't leave your side."
The tension in my chest eased slightly. Atleast I had him.
Theo scanned the room, then nodded toward a cluster of older couples near the champagne fountain. "See that group? Those are some of my father's oldest acquaintances. They are big sharks in finance and real estate. They've known both our families for decades."
"And you think they'll tell us something?"
"If we approach it right," Theo said. "We go together, make small talk, and carefully trigger them into revealing something. Don't ask direct questions... that'll make them shut down. Just... mention things casually and see what slips out."
I took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's do this."
We approached a posh-looking couple standing with their daughter, a woman probably in her twenties who was wearing expensive diamonds and was wearing an expression that meant she was bored and also was feeling superior compared to everyone else in the room. Typical rich mean girl!
The daughter's eyes lit up when she saw Theo... but when she looked at me, she got envious, seeing his hand on my back.
This was what I got for hanging out with the most eligible bachelor in elite society. Every girl in the room probably wanted to be where I was standing.
"Theodore!" the older gentleman said warmly, extending his hand. "Good to see you, my boy. Your father mentioned you'd be here."
"Mr. Richardson, Mrs. Richardson," Theo said with politeness, shaking hands with them. "Thank you for coming. The foundation is grateful for your continued support."
They spoke to Theo with genuine respect, but their eyes were passing over me like I was some useless furniture in comparison.
After a full minute of this, Theo cleared his throat pointedly.
"I'd like to introduce my date," he said. "This is Veronica Whitmore."
He stressed my last name purpose, watching for their reaction.
The effect was immediate.
Mrs. Richardson, who must have been in her sixties with perfectly coiffed silver hair and enough pearls to fund a small country, went very still hearing that.
"A Whitmore," she said with a hint of mockery. "I'm glad the old feud has been resolved between your families," she continued, her eyes were moving between Theo and me with careful assessment.
"Feud?" I blurted out loud before I could stop it, and my curiosity was completely overriding my awareness of the situation. "What feud? Please tell me everything about it..."
Mrs. Richardson's expression immediately shifted to disgust that I even spoke.
She glared at me, her eyes traveling up and down my body in a way that made me feel like I was nothing more than a insect that she could crush under her heels.
"Well," she said coldly. "It was nice meeting you both."
Then she turned and walked away with her husband and daughter following without a backward glance.
Perks of being old money... others can't even expect a drop of respect from them.
While I had no other option, expect to stand there, feeling like an idiot, my face burning with embarrassment.
"Veronica," Theo said quietly, once they left. "You know we can't just directly ask people outside about our families' feud, right? Especially not like that."
"I know," I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "I know, I completely messed that up. It just slipped out. She mentioned a feud and my brain just... stopped working. I immediately wanted to know the details of it..."
"It's okay," Theo said, though he himself sounded low now. "We'll try again with someone else. Just... more subtly this time?"