Contract Marriage with the Cold CEO

Chapter 14: The Gala

Su Nian stepped through the gilded archway and the charity gala swallowed her whole.

Crystal chandeliers dripped light across two hundred guests in silk and bespoke wool. Champagne flutes caught the glow like scattered stars. A string quartet played something soft and forgettable from the corner alcove. The air smelled of expensive perfume and fresh-cut lilies.

None of it mattered.

Her eyes cut through the crowd like blades, scanning every face, every profile, every turning head. Men in charcoal suits. Men in midnight blue. Men laughing with cigars near the terrace doors. Men huddling over deal talk by the marble columns.

No amber eyes.

She tightened her grip on the clutch bag. The phone inside still displayed the encrypted message, though she'd memorized it hours ago: *Come alone. I'll find you.*

Shen Liangchen's security detail had already noted her arrival. Two men in earpieces near the east entrance glanced her way, then looked down at their wrist-comm units. She ignored them.

Let them report. She wasn't here for him.

"The adopted daughter graces us with her presence."

The voice came from her left, smooth as poisoned honey. Su Nian turned.

Lin Yuxin materialized from behind a marble pillar, a champagne flute balanced between her manicured fingers. She wore a crimson gown that clung like a second skin, her dark hair swept to one side in a cascade of calculated perfection. The woman who had embraced Shen Liangchen on the driveway. The woman who knew exactly where to twist the knife.

"Lin Yuxin," Su Nian said. Flat. Unimpressed.

"Ah, you remember my name." Lin stepped closer, her smile never touching her eyes. "I'm flattered. Though I suppose a new arrival in the Shen household would make it her business to learn all the players."

"Something like that."

Lin's gaze traveled over Su Nian's gown. a simple midnight-blue dress, elegant but not extravagant. The assessment took half a second, and the conclusion showed in the slight curl of her lip.

"Standing alone at the edge of the room," Lin observed. "Tell me, did Shen Liangchen abandon you at the door? Or did you wander off from your designated corner?"

Su Nian's smile was sharp enough to cut glass. "At least I have a designated corner to stand in. Some people can only maintain their presence through public embraces on driveways."

A flicker passed through Lin's eyes. Quick. Almost invisible. But Su Nian caught it.

"Bold words for someone whose footing is so precarious." Lin took a sip of champagne, letting the silence stretch. "You know the history of this gala, don't you? The Shen family foundation hosts it every year. Same venue. Same guest list. Same table by the fountain."

"I'm sure the canapés are consistent too."

Lin's smile sharpened. "The last Shen fiancée to sit at that table disappeared three months before her wedding. Vanished completely. No trace. Before her, there was another. a car accident on a clear road. And the first one?" She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "They say she walked into the garden one night and never came out."

Su Nian's pulse hammered against her ribs. *Three fiancées. Three deaths.* The curse Grandma Shen had only hinted at, now spoken aloud in a glittering ballroom.

"The curse," Su Nian said, keeping her voice level. "You mean the three fiancées."

Lin's eyebrows rose slightly. "So you've heard. Good. Then you know what position you're in."

"What I know is that you're very invested in a family you're not part of."

"I have my reasons."

"Madam Shen's reasons, you mean."

The words landed like a slap. Lin's composure cracked. a hairline fracture, visible only because Su Nian was watching for it. Her fingers tightened on the champagne flute.

"Careful, little orphan. You're playing games you don't understand."

"Then explain them to me." Su Nian stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "You mentioned the curse. You mentioned the amber-eyed man. You seem to know an awful lot about what's happening inside the Shen mansion for someone who only visits."

Lin's gaze flickered. Something calculating moved behind her eyes.

"What do you know about the amber-eyed man?" Su Nian pressed.

"Nothing I'd share with you."

"Then what's your relationship with Madam Shen?"

Lin laughed. a brittle sound that drew glances from nearby guests. She finished her champagne in one long swallow, then set the empty flute on a passing waiter's tray.

"An interesting question," she said. "What do you think?"

She didn't wait for an answer. She turned, her crimson gown swirling around her ankles, and walked back into the crowd without a backward glance. But her parting words drifted over her shoulder, soft and deliberate:

"The amber-eyed man isn't your savior. Be careful who you follow."

Su Nian stood frozen as Lin disappeared between the clusters of guests. Her mind raced, piecing together implications like shards of broken glass. Lin knew about the curse. Lin knew about the amber-eyed man. Lin was connected to Madam Shen.

And Lin had just confirmed that Su Nian's search was on the right track.

She turned toward the terrace, needing air, needing space to think.

And stopped.

A figure stood near the western terrace entrance, partially hidden by a marble column. Male. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in a charcoal suit that cost more than most people's cars. He was turned away, speaking to someone she couldn't see.

But his cuff caught the light.

An amber cufflink. Deep gold, almost orange, catching the chandeliers and throwing back a warm gleam.

Su Nian's breath caught.

The man ended his conversation and stepped toward the elevator bank at the end of the hall. His stride was unhurried, confident. He didn't look back.

She moved without deciding to. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she crossed the ballroom, weaving between servers and guests, keeping her eyes locked on that retreating back. The elevator doors slid open. He stepped inside.

"Wait. " The word escaped before she could stop it.

The doors began to close.

Su Nian broke into a run.