Just before they got in the car, Luna handed Natalie a file detailing Joanna''s movements over the past few days.


    As Natalie read it, her expression darkened. Joanna loved to spring her traps in public, and when she struck, she was always vicious.


    "Who from the Scott family is going tonight?" she asked Luna.


    "Everyone except Jerome. I heard Mr. Wilson''s personal assistant delivered the invitations himself. They''re being treated as guests of honor."


    A thoughtful look crossed Natalie''s face. This was Joanna''s ssic move. She would use Mr. Wilson''s influence tonight to crush her. The kind of scandal that would not only destroy her reputation but also force Sebastian to divorce her could only be one thing...


    Right now, only Marshall could help her.


    Natalie mulled it over, then sent Marshall a video call to exin her n. After hanging up, she ryed the same strategy to Luna.


    She pulled up a photo on her phone. "Luna, if what I suspect is going to happen actually happens, you need to find this woman first. Understand? Get our people to pose as waiters at the g tonight. If I''m right, every security camera on the property will be conveniently disabled."


    "I''m on it," Luna confirmed. "I''ve already made the arrangements."


    "Good." Natalie felt a sense of relief.


    The Wilsons were another one of Yaro''s powerful dynasties, on par with the Spencers. The city''s elite families were a tangled web of alliances, often solidifying their power and fortunes by marrying their children to one another. Natalie had grown up in that world but had been lucky; her grandfather never would have forced her into an arranged marriage. In her family, you earned your ce through merit.


    But for the daughters of other prominent families, love was a luxury they couldn''t afford. A good match meant a stable life; a bad one meant a lifetime of misery.


    Sebastian''s parents were a perfect example of such a tragedy. Timothy an old bastard with


    Griffith was


    illegitimate children scattered all over. Natalie had heard he was back in town, and she knew he despised her for one simple reason she couldn''t be controlled. He had always wanted Joanna to marry Sebastian because she was utterly pliable, obeying his everymand. He treated her like his own daughter because through her, he could control his son.


    Sebastian was the true victim of that marriage, which had molded him into a guarded somber man. Iot for his grandfathers protection, he might not have survived at all.


    A sudden thought struck Natalie. Did Timothy know about Joanna''s affair?


    Lost in thought, she didn''t snap back to reality until they pulled up to the Wilson estate.


    "We''re here," Luna said gently.


    Natalie gathered herself, stepped out of the car holding her gown, and presented her invitation to the butler. She waited for Luna to park, who returned a momentter.


    "Natalie!" Marshall spotted her from a distance and jogged over.


    He was dressed formally tonight in a sharp ck suit that made his


    handsome, almost beautiful,


    features stand out even more plis


    slightly long bangs were styled, adding to his devil-may-care charm.


    Natalie gave him a slight nod.


    Marshall shot her a roguish grin and a reassuring look. She trusted him; when it


    came to important matters, he was surprisingly reliable.


    "Luna, let''s go in."


    Just as they were about to head inside, Natalie''s eyes narrowed at the sight of two figures approaching.