Chapter 5 Painted Brinley As A Desperate Clinger

"Brinley!" Colin's voice broke through the commotion as he shoved past the curious onlookers, urgency sharpening his stride until he was standing right before her.

For a moment, his chest clenched with dread-afraid she might vanish again, slipping through his fingers the way she had before, leaving him to chase shadows in her absence.

But when their eyes met, her gaze was icy, stripped of any trace of warmth.

His breath hitched, the words he'd prepared dissolving on his tongue. The joy that had flared in his chest extinguished in an instant, like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. His expression hardened, and his tone became chilling. "What are you doing here? And why did you disappear back then without a single word? Do you know how much time and money I burned trying to find you?" His voice cracked with anger. "Tell me you didn't actually throw me away for someone else, like all those whispers claim."

The sharp demand pulled every head toward Brinley, curious eyes cutting into her like blades.

Milly hurried to Colin's side, clutching his arm with soft urgency. "Colin, please, calm down and talk it through. Miss Shaw must have had her reasons for vanishing without a word."

She faced Brinley then, her sympathetic tone laced with gentle reproach. "Miss Shaw, I understand if you still carry feelings for Colin, but you should move on. Disappearing and then suddenly showing up again like this-surely you know it only makes things harder for everyone."

Her words, disguised as soothing counsel, instead painted Brinley as a desperate clinger, a caricature of obsession. The judgment weighed heavy in the air, and the whispers around them grew sharper, more merciless.

"Exactly-what is Brinley after, hanging around here like this when Colin has already moved on?"

"Milly is being awfully generous-if it were me, I would've snapped by now."

"This is the Knight family's event. They don't just let anyone wander in. Did she slip past security? Where's the organizer? Someone needs to toss her out."

"Honestly, just sharing the same room with her drags down the class of this gathering."

The restlessness spread quickly, whispers swelling into a low tide of outrage until someone had already gone to fetch the organizer, demanding Brinley's removal.

Listening to Milly's so-called persuasion and the rising chorus of disdain around him, Colin exhaled softly, the sound heavy with weariness. "Brinley, I know you regret having left me. Why don't you apologize? Out of respect for our... history, I could even put in a word with Mrs. Knight and help you stay."

Brinley only let out a derisive laugh, her eyes sweeping over Colin with a cold detachment that silently warned him to keep his distance.

She lifted her glass and took an unhurried sip of wine, her face serene, untouched by the tension around her.

That effortless dismissal cut deeper than any sharp retort could have.

A flicker of wounded pride shadowed Colin's expression.

Before he could muster another word, a stocky middle-aged man bustled over, clearly the assistant to the organizer, his tone clipped and unfriendly. "Miss, this is a private event. If you don't have an invitation, I'll have to ask you to leave."

The crowd leaned forward with undisguised anticipation, hungry to see Brinley humiliated and dragged out.

Brinley arched a brow, a low, unreadable laugh slipping past her lips, offering no reply.

Colin, unsettled by her silence, stepped in close, his voice taut with urgency. "Brinley, you'd really rather be tossed out like this than give me an answer-or even an apology?"

Milly's fists tightened at her sides, though she plastered on a soft, understanding smile. "Miss Shaw, be sensible. Apologize to Colin. With all these eyes on you, why put yourself through more shame?"

Every gaze in the hall pinned itself to Brinley, waiting for her next move as if she were the evening's entertainment.

The air seemed to press in, heavy with suspense and the promise of mockery.

Brinley finally placed her dessert aside, dabbing her fingertips with a napkin before lifting her gaze past Colin and Milly to the figure striding toward them.

"Mathew!" A commanding voice rang out, laced with authority.

Mathew Patel, the middle-aged man, spun around, ready to report to his superior that Brinley didn't have an invitation, but the newcomer's cutting glare froze the words in his throat.

Without sparing Colin a glance, Ryan went directly to Brinley. He addressed her in a deferential tone. "Ms. Shaw, I deeply apologize for the disrespect you've endured. The fault lies entirely with me for failing to discipline my assistant. Please forgive this lapse."

All color drained from Mathew's face. "Ryan, I..."

His attempt at explanation was crushed beneath Ryan's glacial stare, sharp enough to silence him completely.

Ryan's voice dropped into a measured calm that carried more weight than if he had shouted. "Who gave you the right to disrespect our guest in front of everyone?" he asked, each word edged with quiet authority. "How could you just assume that she walked in without an invitation?"

The color drained from Mathew's face with every syllable.

The crowd held its breath, stunned by the unexpected turn.

Ryan was the Knight family's butler, a man who had faithfully served Thalia Knight for three decades, his voice carrying weight across Bleron's highest circles.

And yet here he was, treating Brinley with unmistakable deference.

Whispers rippled through the onlookers. Why did Ryan treat Brinley with such respect?

Hadn't the Shaw family already severed ties with her?

"Ms. Shaw, please forgive what happened just now," Ryan said once more, his voice respectful yet edged with nervous submission. "I know Mathew upset you, and I'll deal with him right away. Would you prefer to rest in the VIP lounge, or..." His words trailed, anxiety rising.

Thalia had instructed him to treat Brinley with care, yet in the few minutes he was gone, everything unraveled.

Brinley idly swirled the champagne in her glass, her expression composed. "I'll go along with whatever arrangements Mrs. Knight has made."

"Understood!" Ryan bowed his head as he gestured for her to follow. "The lounge has been set with refreshments. Mrs. Knight was just speaking of you."

Another gasp rippled through the crowd at his words.

Thalia was the undisputed queen of Bleron's real estate world-a woman even the mayor deferred to.

For crying out loud! She was personally hosting Brinley!

Colin's gaze locked on Brinley, his expression tangled with disbelief and unease. Words rose to his throat but died there as she moved past him, her poise unbroken, following Ryan toward the lounge.

Milly clutched Colin's arm, sensing the rigid tension running through him.

While Ryan guided Brinley toward the grand spiral staircase that led to the second-floor VIP lounge, Mathew went crashing to his knees in a desperate gesture. "Ms. Shaw, please accept my apologies for my earlier rudeness. Please... grant me mercy just this once!"

Brinley didn't so much as flinch, not even sparing him a glance.

Ryan, on the other hand, halted in his tracks and leveled Mathew with an icy stare. "You've broken the family rules. That's why you're fired-not because of Ms. Shaw."

He lifted a hand, signaling to the nearby guards before delivering his verdict with crisp authority. "Escort him out. Notify HR-his employment is terminated. Make it clear he will never be rehired."

"Wait! Ryan, please-don't do this!" Mathew's desperate cries echoed for a moment before being muffled as the guards dragged him away.

A heavy hush blanketed the banquet hall. Guests stood frozen, stunned by how swiftly judgment had been passed.

Those who had sneered at Brinley minutes earlier now felt a cold dread crawl down their spines, realizing just how dangerous it was to stand on the wrong side of her.