"How have you been, all these years abroad?"


    "Can''tin." Cynthia Scott shrugged, affecting an air of indifference. "Professionally, things have been great. Personally, a total mess. I caught my fiancé cheating on me red-handed, but the silver lining is that I walked away with a hefty settlement. You know me, I don''t like to lose."


    Noah Thompson listened and nodded, unsure of what to say.


    "I''ve been tied up with family matterstely," Cynthia added. "How about we get some of the old gang together for a drink sometime soon?"


    "Yeah, okay," Noah agreed.


    "Well, I should get going. See you next time." With that, Cynthia turned and started walking away in her high heels.


    As she passed Noah, one of her heels suddenly gave way, and she nearly stumbled to the ground.


    Noah instinctively reached out and caught her, and Cynthia leaned against him to keep from falling.


    “Did I just make a fool of myself again? I can''t believe thesembskin heels are so flimsy." Cynthia steadied herself and looked down at her feet. The heel waspletely broken.


    Without thinking, Noah bent down to check her ankle and the shoe.


    The heel was ruined, and Cynthia had twisted her ankle.


    "You''ve hurt your foot. Don''t move around too much or you''ll make it worse," Noah said with a frown, then asked, "Where''s your driver?"


    "I''ll call him and have him bring the car to the hotel entrance." Cynthia took her phone out of her purse and dialed her driver''s number.


    Because Cynthia couldn''t stand steadily on her injured ankle, Noah kept his arm around her while she made the call.


    Karina White had been waiting for Noah at the entrance to the banquet hall. When he didn''t show up after a long while, she went looking for him.


    She immediately spotted Noah and Cynthia standing together, looking far too close forfort.


    Fury red in Karina. She stormed over and gave Cynthia a hard shove.


    Already unsteady from her sprained ankle, Cynthia lost her bncepletely and fell to the floor.


    "Cynthia!" Noah instinctively moved to help her up.


    Seeing Noah rush to Cynthia''s side was thest straw for Karina.


    “Noah, what do you think you''re doing, getting handsy with your ex-girlfriend in public? Are you trying to rekindle an old me?!"


    ????


    Cynthia staggered to her feet and instinctively put some distance between herself and Noah. Though her fall had been clumsy, she maintained her elegance and dignity.


    "Mrs. Thompson, you''ve misunderstood. I just identally


    twisted my ankle, and Mr.


    Thompson was only helping me Cynthia exined in a soft, gentle voice.


    "You can spare me the fake excuses. Who knows if you did it on purpose? I''ve heard the Scotts are a prominent family. The heiress of the Scott family wouldn''t stoop so low as to be a homewrecker, would she...?"


    "Karina, that''s enough," Noah cut in sharply, stopping her before she could say anything more venomous.


    "I''m sorry to have caused you trouble. My driver is here, so I''ll be leaving now." As Cynthia spoke, her driver appeared at the end of the hallway.


    He hurried over, took Cynthia''s bag, and helped her leave.


    From her entrance to her exit, Cynthia remained perfectlyposed and dignified, which only made Karina look like a raving lunatic.


    Not wanting to argue with Karina in public, Noah strode toward the hotel exit.


    Karina rushed after him, still not ready to let it go.