Chapter 5---Stealing the Spotlight
1206 Words
In the hall.
Alice Casey's phone rang.
She glanced at the caller and answered, "Natalie."
"By the way, there's a charity gala tomorrow—will you go?" Natalie had forgotten to ask earlier and only just remembered.
Alice paused, mentally retracing the timeline of her past life.
That night, Kaldryn hosted its annual charity gala, attended by nearly all the city's elite. Normally, she never attended such events and always declined. Zachary Hawkins, ever considerate, never demanded she accompany him to social obligations.
Back then, she truly believed Zachary cared for her. Now she knew the truth—he had simply kept her isolated, cutting her off from all social ties, so that when she had nothing left, she'd be powerless to fight back.
"I'll go," Alice said.
"Did I hear that right? I was just asking casually," Natalie replied. She adored attending events of all kinds and always wished she had someone to go with.
But she hadn't truly expected a yes.
"Let's go pick out gowns tomorrow," Alice suggested.
"You're not joking, are you?" Natalie still couldn't believe it. No matter how often she'd urged Alice before, she'd always refused these galas.
"See you tomorrow," Alice said, hanging up without further explanation.
William Casey, overhearing his daughter, was surprised. "Alice, you're attending tomorrow's charity gala? I thought you disliked such events."
Alice felt deep regret for her past self.
She had poured all her energy into one man, never giving anything back to her family—ultimately leading to their ruin.
Suddenly, she declared, "Dad, from now on, I will protect the Casey family. I'll help you manage Casey Group. I'll ensure our family's legacy continues, brighter than ever. No one will take it from me—not even Uncle Walter's family!"
William looked at his daughter with newfound respect.
In the past, Alice had never shown such ambition.
He had considered letting her take over the family business but never forced her, knowing her heart belonged entirely to Zachary Hawkins. He had even thought of merging the two families through marriage and handing Casey Group to Zachary.
But of course, it would be better if his own daughter took over. William couldn't help but feel delighted. "Good. Dad believes in you!"
A faint smile touched Alice's lips.
This time, she would keep Casey Group firmly in her hands—never again would she foolishly hand it over to Zachary!
…
The next day.
In the afternoon.
Alice and Natalie went to the luxury couture district to select custom evening gowns.
Each picked a dress they liked and changed into them.
Then they sat in the dressing room, doing their makeup and styling their hair.
"Are you back to normal?" Natalie asked Alice.
Alice froze. "What do you mean?"
"Yesterday… with Raymond Landry…"
"Natalie." Alice's expression changed slightly as she cut her off.
Natalie bit her lip, muttering, "I don't get what you see in him!"
She was, of course, referring to Raymond Landry.
"I heard Nathan Jensen is coming back," Alice said, shifting the topic. She feared Natalie, with her loose tongue, might blurt something out.
This was a high-end boutique frequented by the uppermost echelons of society. Walls had ears—any slip could ruin her carefully laid plans.
"What does that have to do with me?" Natalie scoffed. "And why haven't I heard about it? Isn't he doing fine abroad? Why come back?"
Her tone was clearly hostile.
"I thought he'd return after graduation," Alice said evasively.
"Better not come back," Natalie grumbled, full of disdain.
Alice nearly said more but swallowed the words.
They chatted about other trivial matters for a while.
After an entire afternoon, they finally finished getting ready.
Just as Alice stood up from the mirror, Natalie suddenly let out a piercing scream—
It nearly deafened her!
"Alice Alice!" Whenever Natalie got excited, she added a reduplicated syllable to her name. "Can you stop being so stunning? Are you trying to bury me in the dirt or what?!"
Alice gave her a look of utter exasperation.
"Every time you look good, it's beyond my tolerance!" Natalie complained.
"Let's go," Alice said, refusing to engage.
Natalie wasn't unattractive—she had delicate, Western-style features. But constantly being compared to Alice made her seem ordinary by contrast.
As for Alice—
She was truly beautiful.
Words failed to capture her features. Every part was perfect; together, they formed absolute perfection.
It wasn't just a rumor that every man in Kaldryn wanted to marry Alice Casey.
And the reason wasn't her talent or intelligence—it was simply her beauty.
So breathtaking that no man could resist.
All the way there, Natalie kept "attacking" Alice's looks with endless chatter.
Finally, they arrived at the venue.
The doorman respectfully opened the car door for them.
Alice took a deep breath.
She hadn't attended such an event in a long time—naturally, she felt a little nervous.
She maintained her composure. Her slender legs stepped out of the car and gently touched the ground.
In that instant, countless camera flashes erupted. The reporters waiting outside were nearly stunned.
The Casey heiress, who never attended galas, had just stepped out—beauty that could topple kingdoms—yet gave no chance for interviews. They could only capture her exquisite image as she walked in with Natalie, entering the ballroom.
Inside the hall, every pair of eyes instantly turned to Alice.
She wore a silver, tight-fitting, long-tailed gown that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. Under the lights, the dress shimmered like stardust. Paired with her flawless face and porcelain skin, she resembled a celestial spirit who had mistakenly wandered into the mortal world—breathtakingly beautiful.
"Alice."
Zachary Hawkins quickly approached her.
His face was clearly annoyed, though he tried to hide it.
"Why are you here? I thought you hated these kinds of events," he asked.
"I just realized I can't keep being a canary in a gilded cage," Alice replied calmly. In that moment, the image of him stabbing her overlapped with the present.
She forced herself to remain composed.
Her eyes flickered slightly, landing on Cecilia Mitchell—the woman clinging to Zachary's arm. His exclusive companion. One of his lovers.
How could she have ever believed they were merely superior and subordinate?
"Ms. Casey," Cecilia said respectfully upon noticing Alice's gaze.
"I've heard Ms. Mitchell is exceptionally capable and always exercises great discretion. Zachary often speaks highly of you—praises you all the time," Alice said with a smile.
"It's an honor to be appreciated by Mr. Hawkins," Cecilia replied gracefully, her words humble and polished.
Yet inwardly, she sneered at Alice.
If Alice only knew that Zachary praised her for her bedroom skills, wouldn't she die of rage?
Everyone said Alice Casey was virtuous, refined, the epitome of a noble lady. But in Cecilia's eyes, she was a complete fool. She had never taken Alice seriously—this was just empty politeness.
"But I wonder—what exactly is the nature of your relationship that allows you to so improperly cling to my fiancé? Is it part of your job, or do you have ulterior motives?" Alice's tone turned icy.
In that instant, Cecilia's composure shattered.
- Writer
