Sienna followed his gaze and saw two familiar figures at the ballroom entrance.
One was Arthur.
Tonight, Arthur wore a formal dark three-piece suit. He no longer needed his wheelchair and was walking with a cane. His steps were slow, but his posture remained straight and commanding.
Beside him was Olivia, elegant yet businesslike in a midnight-blue evening gown, her shoulder-length hair styled in soft curls.
Their arrival immediately drew another wave of astonished whispers.
"That's Ms. Whitmore. She's here too? Is the gentleman beside her Arthur? The Hawthornes really are something if they managed to invite him."
"It is Arthur! But I wouldn't assume he came for the Hawthornes. At the last reception, he arrived in a wheelchair specifically to support Mrs. Hawthorne."
"Seriously? Mrs
