Sorry, You Can't Have Me Now

Chapter 8 Party Queen

People around the entrance were starting to murmur, recognizing the man by the car as Marcus Davis. In less than a decade, he'd taken his company to the top, now only second to Joseph in net worth and status as a giant in IT.

However, he rarely appeared in photos, let alone in any gossip with society ladies.

There was even a story about someone trying to set him up with their famously beautiful daughter during a business meeting—only for her to get tossed out of his hotel room.

Since then, rumors floated around that maybe Marcus wasn't into women, but no one dared to ask.

Now, seeing him waiting, people craned their necks to see who he was here for.

Anna stood by the entrance, watching impatiently as she waited for Joseph to pick her up. She'd run late after finishing her look and had just called him to come get her.

But when she followed the crowd's gaze, she saw none other than Emily stepping gracefully out of the luxury car.

Emily was stunning in a red gown, and the perfect cut hugged her curves, while a multi-million-dollar pearl necklace rested on her neck, the very one recently auctioned off to a mystery buyer. The pearls glinted, adding to her aura of regal elegance.

A delicate fringe swayed with her steps, flowing from her thigh down to her ankle, and her silver heels contrasted perfectly with the red dress.

Under the lights, she looked captivating and commanding, drawing every eye her way.

Standing beside Marcus, Emily wasn't overshadowed in the least; if anything, she appeared even more refined and mysterious.

A gasp rippled through the crowd. "Who is she? She looks perfect with Marcus. Such a gorgeous pair!"

Anna bit her lip, and a fit of shock and anger flashed across her face.

That necklace around Emily's neck was the same one she'd seen at the auction and assumed it went to someone wealthy and obscure. She'd never have guessed it would show up on Emily.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be; Emily wasn't supposed to shine brighter after leaving Joseph.

Anna thought Emily should've been crushed, stuck in her shadow. How was it fair for her to look this radiant?

Joseph walked out just then and saw Anna's pale expression. Concerned, he asked, "Are you feeling alright? Do you need to rest?"

He hadn't noticed the crowd's attention was fixed elsewhere.

Anna shook her head and whispered, "Joseph, do you think Emily would ever come to an event like this?"

"Not a chance," he replied with complete confidence.

This event might not impress him, but he knew it was packed with high-society figures and A-listers.

For three years, Emily had only ever focused on him, never mingling with the social elite, nor did she have any connections with the other wealthy families.

Patrick wasn't even on the guest list here.

Joseph was sure that there was no way Emily would be able to attend an event like this without him.

"But..." Anna hesitated to say, "I just saw Emily getting out of someone else's car—with a necklace worth millions around her neck."

As she finished, Emily walked up toward them.

Joseph's gaze settled on Emily, who looked entirely different, and a strange feeling stirred inside him.

But when he saw her on Marcus's arm, anger flared in his chest. "Emily, you're that desperate to break into high society?"

In his mind, Emily wasn't savvy enough to have the money for that necklace.

There was only one possible explanation: someone had given it to her.

And who gifted a woman something worth millions? Joseph's eyes narrowed as he sized them both up.

Not long ago, Emily had been begging him to stay, and now here she was, flaunting her new arm candy right in front of him.

This felt like a slap to his face.

Hearing the insult in his voice, Emily shot back, "You think I'm pining after the title of Mrs. Robinson? You seriously think you're that important?"

She couldn't help but question how she'd ever had feelings for a man like this.

She could accept that he didn't love her, but the way he was trying to slander her was totally unacceptable!

With her back straight and her eyes cold, Emily looked him dead in the eye. "Joseph, you're truly disgusting!"

Then, turning her gaze to Anna, whose eyes flashed with fury, she added, "Better keep a leash on your man instead of letting him drool everywhere."

And then, remembering the unfinished business of their divorce, she said to Joseph, "Don't forget, we'll settle the divorce details in two days."

"I'm busy." He scoffed, clearly irked by the hit to his pride.

Emily wasn't having it and retorted, "Fine by me. Just know your little lover will stay in the shadows forever." Ignoring the look on their faces, she strode past them with Marcus by her side.

Marcus leaned in and whispered, "Aren't you worried he really won't go through with it?"

"Not in the least," she muttered, annoyance bubbling up.

She knew Joseph well enough. If she didn't finalize things, Anna would be even more anxious than her.

And sure enough, as she walked away, Anna sidled up to Joseph, putting on a sweet voice. "Joseph, maybe Emily still can't bear to let you go. She's probably just saying all that to trick you into not going through with it, so she can keep her title as your wife."

Joseph's face relaxed a little at that, a cold smile tugging at his lips. "Let's see if she still gets to live so freely without the title of Mrs. Robinson."

With that, the group made their way into the grand hall, each with their own agenda.

Emily sat idly in the lounge area and watched as several men who seemed interested in approaching were scared off by a single look from Marcus.

Meanwhile, a woman who'd been eyeing Marcus made her way over with a glass of wine, her gaze flickering toward Emily. "Marcus, who is this lady?"

"My dream girl," he replied, offering no further explanation.

The woman's face fell, and after lingering a moment, she finally left, clearly disappointed.

Emily raised her eyebrows and asked, "Using me as an excuse? I heard she's been after you for ages. Why not give her a chance? She's pretty, and her family isn't half bad."

With Joseph gone most of the time before, Emily would occasionally keep up with the latest society gossip.

Stories of Carlia David's relentless pursuit of Marcus had definitely reached her ears.

Carlia had not only made her feelings public but even shown up at his home a few times.

Everywhere Marcus went, Carlia seemed to follow.

People had been wondering for ages if she'd finally win him over, but clearly, it hadn't worked out.

Marcus sighed, looking a bit exasperated. "So what? You know I'm not interested in dating for now. But hey, if you ever finalize that divorce, maybe we could give it a shot."

Emily just shook her head, taking it as a joke.

To her, Marcus was like a little brother. Helping him back then had just been a favor to a friend.

And besides, the thought of jumping into another relationship hadn't even crossed her mind.

From across the room, Joseph watched Emily and Marcus chatting, an odd feeling of irritation creeping up on him.

Noticing how fixated Joseph was on Emily, Anna felt a twinge of unease.

Joseph had never paid this much attention to Emily before.

"Joseph, I'm not feeling well," Anna murmured, resting her head on his shoulder and watching Emily's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

When Emily glanced their way, she saw them cozying up, and a pang of something sharp flickered within her, though it quickly faded.

Anyway, Joseph was the man she had loved for so many years; letting the feeling go overnight wasn't easy.

But each little scene like this only made Emily realize the stark difference between being loved and being just tolerated.

She turned away and looked up at Paul, who had appeared on stage and was about to speak.