Chapter 3 An Invitation For The Burgess Family's Daughter

Cathy let out a low, mocking laugh. No hint of respect softened her words.

"Funny - I heard from Grandma that your own affair had you crawling to her for mercy. She broke your leg, didn't she? And she also said you begged my mother for forgiveness for three days straight."

Her lips curved in a smile, but there was nothing warm in her eyes.

Josh's face turned red, his fury nearly boiling over. "You dare talk to me like that?"

Never before had he seen such icy defiance from her.

He'd expected that after living in the countryside for so long, she would be timid, easy to control. Instead, Cathy showed the same stubbornness that used to drive him mad about her mother.

"Get on your knees!" Losing all patience, Josh raised his cane, voice shaking with anger. "I'll teach you how to show some respect."

But Cathy moved fast, her hand closing around the cane before he could bring it down.

"Careful, Dad," she said calmly. "Your leg's not what it used to be."

Josh struggled, shocked to realize that he couldn't yank the cane free.

Rage twisted his features. "Let go of me!"

With a light laugh, Cathy replied, "If you insist."

She released her grip without warning, sending Josh sprawling to the floor with a heavy thud.

A bright, almost innocent laugh slipped from Cathy. "I warned you to be careful, didn't I?"

Josh winced, his face slick with pain as he struggled to recover.

"Guards! Where are you? This rudeness ends now!" he shouted, hands shaking as he tried to lunge for Cathy.

Suddenly, footsteps thundered in the hallway, interrupting the chaos.

A housekeeper burst in with urgent news. "Mr. Burgess, someone from the Curtis family is here. They've brought an invitation for your daughter - she's expected at tomorrow's banquet at Curtis Mansion."

Josh's anger froze mid-motion.

The Curtis family?

He'd heard whispers that the head of Umbra Expanse, who was from the Curtis family, had returned to host an extravagant event, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect the Burgess name on the guest list.

This was a family whose parties made the front page - Curtis Mansion's halls glittered with real diamonds, the kind most could only see in museums.

"Wait, I'll go greet them myself."

Abandoning his anger, Josh scrambled upright, his priorities shifting in an instant. "Get Justine on the phone right now! She needs to be here to welcome them."

Josh had two daughters.

Cathy, his late wife's child, had grown up far from home, banished to the countryside before she could even walk. The other, Justine Burgess, came from his second marriage - a woman who could always get everything she wanted, pampered and treasured beyond measure.

It seemed obvious to Josh that the prestigious Curtis invitation couldn't possibly be meant for Cathy. Surely, it was destined for his precious, well-groomed youngest.

Once her father disappeared down the hall, Cathy quietly made her way outside, determined to find what her mother had left behind.

She remembered her grandmother's final instructions before her death and knelt beneath the old tree, fingers digging at the tangled roots. There, hidden away, she uncovered a small black box.

"No key," Cathy murmured, weighing it in her hand.

The box fit neatly in her palm, but the material was tough, nearly impossible to pry open without the right tool.

With a shrug, Cathy tucked it away and made her way back inside, only to cross paths with Justine and Josh as they laughed together in the corridor.

Justine looked every inch the heiress, wrapped in a designer dress and sparkling with expensive jewelry. "Oh, Cathy. I'm shocked you're still hanging around."

She shot Cathy a condescending glance, chin tilted high.

"Let's be honest - you probably haven't even set foot in an event like this. The Curtis invitation is obviously for me. Watch closely, Cathy, and maybe you'll learn how real high society lives," Justine added, her words dripping with scorn.

Cathy leaned back, eyes full of calm amusement. "Well, then maybe it will be an unpleasant banquet for every guest if you attend. Because they'll have to stay in the same hall with an ugly and revolting woman."

The insult hit home. Justine's face twisted in outrage. "You absolute-"

"That's enough!" Josh cut Justine off with a sharp gesture. "Keep it together. The Curtis family will arrive any minute now."

Hardly had the words left his mouth when a man in a tailored suit entered the foyer.

Recognition lit up Justine's face - she knew instantly that he was the Curtis family's top secretary.

"Ma'am-" The secretary barely got a word out.

Justine quickly stepped ahead of Cathy. "I'm right here!"

Justine looked at the secretary with a smile and continued, "It's an honor to welcome the leader of Umbra Expanse back. Please let him know I'm delighted to receive his invitation."

A smirk tugged at her lips as she shot Cathy a dismissive glance.

Being the favorite all her life, Justine couldn't imagine the invitation was meant for anyone else.

Josh quickly chimed in, grinning from ear to ear, "Justine will bring gifts on behalf of our family, of course."

He was already calculating the possibilities. With the Curtis family's reach, their blessing would make the Burgess fortune untouchable - even without Jayden's backing.

To their shock, the secretary strode right past them, stopping directly in front of Cathy.

He gave a respectful bow. "Miss Fowler," he called, offering the envelope with both hands. "Mr. Curtis asked me to personally deliver this invitation to you. He looks forward to speaking with you about a potential partnership."

For a moment, Cathy blinked in disbelief before she reached out and accepted the invitation, her fingers brushing over the embossed crest.

She'd heard rumors about Kellan Curtis - the elusive head of Umbra Expanse, shrouded in mystery and newly returned to Frahmont.

Still, none of it explained why someone like him would seek her out.

Whatever the reason, Cathy recognized a rare chance when she saw it. Getting inside the Curtis estate had just landed in her lap.

Josh stood frozen, shock giving way to suspicion as he scanned the invitation.

"Is this some kind of mistake? You're sure you meant to invite her?"

The envelope left no doubt - Cathy's full name was written in bold, unmistakable script.

Justine, livid and off-guard, couldn't help but snap. "Seriously? Why would the Curtis family bother with someone the Burgess family threw away - someone who can't even hold her marriage together?"