Flashbulbs ignited the night like lightning as Julia stepped onto the gala’s entrance carpet, her silver gown catching the glow and throwing it back in soft defiance. The roar of reporters pressed in, questions slicing the air—“Gold digger!” “Victim or mastermind?” “Is the Hughes name cursed?”—yet she walked as though she were untouchable. And tonight, she had to be.
Behind her, Brandon straightened his jacket, scanning the crowd with sharpened eyes. “Everyone’s here,” he murmured. “Even the ones who shouldn’t be.”
“Good,” Julia replied, voice steady. “Let them see what real truth looks like.”
Inside the venue, chandeliers shimmered above tables dressed in white and gold, the air humming with elegance and tension. Guests whispered behind champagne glasses, watching the newlyweds glide t
