Chapter 904

Pivoting, she made her way toward the lounge, hoping to steal a few minutes of quiet.

But someone staggered toward her, their drink sloshing dangerously in their glass. It was Briley.

There wasn’t enough time to dodge. Sadie barely moved an inch before it happened.

With a sharp splash, an entire glass of rich crimson liquid tumbled across the soft apricot gown she had so thoughtfully selected for the day. The deep stain bled fast, standing out harshly against the delicate, light fabric.

For a heartbeat, silence swept through the room. Every eye in the crowd locked onto her at once.

Briley looked startled, her face a picture of panic. In a rush, she placed her glass aside and, clearly shaken, snatched a napkin from the tray of a passing waiter.

“Oh no! Sadie! I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that, I swear!” Her words tumbled out as she dabbed furiously at the ruined gown, only making things worse. The stain spread like wildfire under her hands.

The outcome was exactly what one might expect. What began as a minor spill rapidly spread, the stain growing darker until the dress was utterly ruined.

Briley looked down at the mess she’d made, her expression carefully balanced with just enough distress to appear genuine—almost as if she had practiced it in front of a mirror. Her eyes glistened with tears that hadn’t quite fallen.

“Sadie, you… you’re not upset with me, are you? I swear I didn’t mean to.”

With her sorrowful look and flawless features, she played the perfect image of a helpless, distressed beauty.

Sadie glanced at the reporters, their cameras raised like vultures circling overhead. Internally, she rolled her eyes. Briley’s performance was nothing short of award-worthy—she could easily walk away with an Oscar for that level of acting.noveldrama

Fresh chapters uploaded on gα?ησvls?c?m

But Sadie had witnessed ploys like this more times than she could count and saw right through them. Instead of revealing her true feelings, she offered the crowd a soft, polished smile. Measured. Completely unfazed.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a minor spill. I’ll head upstairs and change.”

The more she brushed it off, the tighter Briley’s expression became. Of course Briley hated this. She had expected a meltdown, or at least a dramatic exit. But Sadie wasn’t giving her either.

Before the awkwardness could settle any deeper, a lazy drawl cut through the tension.

“Why does it feel like I walked into a soap opera?”

Nathan had at last slipped away from a pack of relentless drinking buddies. As he made his way over, he noticed the cluster of people forming and pushed through them, arriving just in time to catch sight of the sprawling wine stain on Sadie’s dress and the carefully crafted guilt on Briley’s face.

Catching on immediately, Nathan let out a sharp scoff.

Briley, the spoiled little princess, clearly hadn’t come for the celebration—she came to cause chaos.

.

.

.