Chapter 243

Chapter 243

Charles had never liked the man who harbored feelings for Emily, let alone wanting to waste time attending his party.

Right now, all his energy was focused on tracking down whoever had been pulling Roy's strings. Social gatherings with irrelevant people were the last thing on his mind.

But Mike hesitated, then carefully added another detail.

"Mr. Howard, Mr. Patel's invitation was also sent to Ms. Windsor. He specifically noted that he hopes you'll both attend together."

The moment those words landed, Charles's fingers froze mid-tap on the desk.

A faint ripple crossed his otherwise cold eyes. His refusal died on his lips. After a beat, he changed his answer.

"Fine. We'll go."

Mike exhaled in relief and left to make the arrangements.

Just as he'd suspected—Charles only agreed because he wanted to stay by Emily's side and eliminate any chance of her being alone with Drew.

Meanwhile, Emily received Drew's invitation via phone call. His voice on the other end was warm and polite.

Emily's fingers tightened slightly around her phone, a pang of guilt stirring in her chest.

She'd promised to visit him at the hospital but had been swamped with work. Even her well-wishes had been delivered secondhand through Erica.

Now that Drew had personally invited her—and specifically mentioned her by name—turning him down would be downright callous.

"Mr. Patel, I'm so sorry I didn't come see you. Things got... hectic," Emily said softly, her tone laced with genuine regret. "But since you've sent the invitation, I'll definitely be there. I owe you a proper thank-you in person."

"No need to thank me. I'm just glad you can come," Drew replied with a light laugh. "It's just a small gathering—nothing formal. I only invited a few close friends."

They chatted a bit longer about his recovery before hanging up.

Emily stared at the address Drew had sent, her fingertip hovering over the screen. She made a mental note to prepare a thoughtful gift. It was the least she could do.

 

When Emily got home, she told Charles about the party right away, half-expecting him to sulk or protest.

To her surprise, he agreed without hesitation—and even pulled out an invitation of his own from the Patel family.

Emily's jaw dropped.

Charles pinched her cheek lightly, his lips curving into a faint smile.

"If you want to go, we'll go. Together."

Emily swatted his hand away, mumbling through squished cheeks, "I don't want to go. It's just... polite. But how do you have an invitation? I didn't even get one."

She snatched the card from his hand to inspect it.

Charles's expression darkened slightly. Businessmen like the Patels never did anything without ulterior motives.

This invitation had clearly come from Drew's parents.

Drew's real invitation had been meant for Emily alone.

The thought gnawed at him, stirring a flicker of irritation. Still, his face remained calm as he smiled at her.

"Doesn't matter who got what. We're going together anyway."

Emily considered this, nodded, and let it drop.

They moved on to discussing what kind of recovery gift to bring.

Charles predictably put zero thought into it. He had Mike order generic health supplements and told him to bundle Emily's gift in with his.

 

Three days passed in a blur.

By the time they arrived at Patel Manor, the sun was setting, casting the estate in warm amber light.

Emily wore a champagne-colored silk gown embroidered with delicate silver threads along the hem. The fabric clung to her graceful figure, highlighting her porcelain skin.

Charles paired his look with a tailored charcoal-gray suit and matching tie, his broad shoulders and sharp features exuding quiet authority.

He offered his arm. Emily slipped hers through it without thinking.

But when they reached the venue, she froze.

She'd expected a casual dinner with a handful of close friends.

What greeted her instead was a full-blown gala.

Patel Manor blazed with light. A red carpet stretched from the grand entrance all the way to the street, flanked by elaborate floral arrangements. Uniformed servers glided through the crowd with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

The guests were all dressed to the nines—silk, satin, diamonds, and designer labels everywhere she looked.

She counted at least thirty people mingling near the entrance alone.

This wasn't a "small gathering." It was a high-society networking event.

Emily glanced at Charles, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

This was the first time they'd appeared together so publicly, so intimately, at an event like this.

The sudden visibility made her stomach twist.

Charles's hand settled on her waist, his thumb brushing soothing circles against her side.

"Relax. Let's just see how it goes," he murmured.

Honestly, Charles felt fine about it. Better than fine, even. The more people who knew Emily was his wife, the fewer men would dare approach her.

Already, several guests were eyeing them, clearly itching to come over and strike up conversation.

The hosts—Drew's parents—beat them to it.

Ernest and Selene Patel were both impeccably maintained, the kind of couple that looked effortlessly elegant in every photo.

But Ernest's overly ingratiating tone grated on Emily almost immediately. His wife, Selene, however, was a different story. She was warm and gracious, asking Emily thoughtful questions about her well-being after the attack.

Everything about Selene put Emily at ease.

Drew takes after his mother, Emily thought absently.

Then she remembered why they were here.

"How's Drew's arm?" Emily asked. "I'm so sorry I couldn't visit him in person—I was buried in work. I brought a gift this time, though. I hope he recovers quickly."

Selene covered her mouth with a light laugh and gestured toward a corner of the garden.

"He's over there. Almost fully healed, so don't worry. Drew's a bit shy, though. With all these people around, he's been hiding."

Emily followed her gaze—and locked eyes with Drew.

He flinched slightly, then seemed to collect himself and offered her a hesitant smile.

The truth was, Drew had only wanted a quiet dinner with a few close friends to thank Emily properly. But once his parents found out about her connection to Charles, they'd hijacked the entire plan.

They'd turned it into a spectacle—invited half the city's elite, spared no expense on décor, and framed it as a celebration of Drew's recovery.

In reality, the whole thing was a calculated move to cozy up to the Howard family.