Chapter 9 Trapped with the press.

CHAPTER 9: Trapped with the press.

The Huxley-Hawthorne Partnership Gala was an event that oozed opulence. It was held in one of the most prestigious hotels in the city, and it was a spectacle of wealth, power, and carefully orchestrated appearances.

The elite of the corporate world mingled under dazzling chandeliers, the clink of champagne glasses underscoring hushed conversations about business and strategy.

Sarah entered the grand ballroom with effortless grace, her red evening gown hugging her body in a way that complimented and flattered her beautiful figure,while commanding attention without asking for it. The slit at the side gave her just enough movement to stride across the room with confidence, though her heels still reminded her of her sprained ankle.

She had taken better care of it, so it didn't hurt much anymore.

As she moved through the hall, she ignored the curious glances, the murmurs.

She was here for business. Not for news os speculations. Sarah suddenly missed Benicio. He was always with her whenever she had attended any of these functions. He was always there to make her feel comfortable, and soothe her anxiety should it arise.

Edward was across the room, talking to a group of executives. His tailored black tuxedo was a statement of power, but his gaze flickered toward her, sharp, assessing, unreadable.

He noticed her immediately she stepped into the hall. It was difficult not to notice her. She was easily the most beautiful woman in the room, and every pair of eyes was on her. The men with desire, and interest-and the women, with jealousy or curiosity.

Sarah's eyes flickered to him, to meet his intense gaze on her already, and she looked away, ignoring him too.

But one person she couldn't ignore was Veronica, who was already making her way over, her eyes glittering with malicious delight.

Sarah braced herself. She had anticipated that Veronica might be up to something,and she was very ready for her.

"Sarah," Veronica drawled, her voice loud enough for the nearby journalists–press to hear. "I'm so glad you could make it."

Sarah offered a polite but cold smile. "It was a work event, Veronica. Of course, I'd be here. I'm after all a representative of the partnering company, and a shareholder. And what are you here for?" She asked with false innocence.

Veronica's expression faltered but she quickly recovered. Sarah's intention jab had poked close to home, but it was okay. She had a lot prepared for her.

Veronica tilted her head. "I'm here as a supportive girlfriend," she replied, trying to laugh off the insult. "Oh, but I wasn't sure you were going to come. You know, given the history between you and Edward, I thought you might prefer to keep a low profile."

A hush spread through the reporters who had gathered. Immediately, cameras subtly adjusted their angles, microphones tilted in her direction.

At that moment, Sarah knew-this was Veronica's game plan. This was her plan all along. To humiliate and shame her in front of the press.

One of the journalists, no doubt paid off by Veronica, seized the bait.

"Miss Tanner, you and Mr. Huxley; did you two have a past together?"

Sarah didn't flinch, or fidget. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, as if considering the question like a business proposal.

When Veronica had personally tried to find out if she was going to attend the launch party, she knew she would plan something, but she had not exactly known she would use the media. But she was well, and ready for any eventualities.

Sarah smiled. Cool. Poised. Unshaken.

"A past?" she repeated, her voice carrying through the air. "I believe Mr. Huxley and I have the same past that any two professionals might share–one of working in the same circles, perhaps meeting at events, and now, of course, collaborating on this project."

The answer was masterfully neutral, not confirming nor denying, yet it was skillfully controlling the narrative.

Veronica's smile faltered just slightly. This was not going the way she had planned it. She had expected to see a crack in Sarah's new found persona, and bravado at the public mention of her past with Edward.

"But rumors say there was something more-" another reporter pressed.

Now we get to the best part, Sarah thought.

Sarah let out a soft laugh, as if the idea was absurd. "Rumors are just that. I find it fascinating how quickly people assume that a successful woman must have some romantic history with a powerful man just to be relevant. Whether it be a colleague or an acquintance. I think it's quite outdated, don't you think? But anyways, if there was truly anything between me and Mr Huxley in the past, don't you think that that is where it should be left. In the past. I don't see how a seemingly private matter can be relevant in a formal work environment. It's not necessary, right?"

A few reporters chuckled.

Edward, still watching from across the room, felt something stir in him that was strange to him, something he wasn't quite ready to name.

The woman he was looking at was not the same girl from years ago- timid, scared and almost fragile.

She was a force.

Veronica clenched her jaw. She wouldn't let Sarah turn everything around in her own favour.

"Still, it must be difficult working so closely with an ex-lover."

Sarah met her gaze head-on, her eyes gleaming with something sharp and knowing. She hated the prick of anger that flared in her at the mention of the past.

A past that nearly broke, and shattered her beyond repair.

"I wouldn't know. Edward Huxley and I were never lovers. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

A perfectly executed checkmate.

The press, satisfied but slightly disappointed by the lack of scandal, moved on to less interesting questions. They didn't question Sarah about Edward anymore, but went on to ask her about herself.

Veronica, however, was seething. Sarah had managed to foil her plot to humiliate, and strip her of her newfound courage and dignity.

She hated that she could no longer affect, and walk all over her much hated half sister.

After some questions, Sarah excused herself and left the reporters, who quickly moved on to someone else.

She headed to the bar, and calmly asked the bartender for a drink. Sarah seldom drank, unless she was with Benicio, but tonight she needed a drink to calm her frayed nerves.

Not that Veronica's plan had worked before the reporters, but it had opened up a tiny window that she thought could never be opened.

After sipping a little bit of her glass, Sarah abandoned the glass and walked away from the bar.

Edward, still watching from across the room, took a slow sip of his whiskey, before trailing behind her.