Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 43

Her stunning appearance instantly drew the gaze of the surrounding guests.

Madeline had already looked up the CEO of Sinclair Smart Systems, Sterling Sinclair, online and easily recognized him as the host of the evening.

Sterling was in his early thirties, highly successful, tall, and exuded an imposing authority.

Being an old friend of Silas's, Sterling spotted them and smiled, making his way over.

Just as he was about to greet them.

A sudden commotion rippled near the grand entrance as new arrivals stepped in.

When Sterling saw who it was, he paused, looking as though he couldn't believe his eyes.

The rest of the crowd mirrored his shock, breaking into hushed, surprised whispers.

Standing with their backs to the entrance, Madeline and Silas had no idea what was happening until they noticed the collective expressions of astonishment sweeping the room.

Curious, Madeline watched as Sterling offered them a polite, apologetic look before bypassing them entirely.

He headed straight for the doors.

"Mr. Whitman—"

The moment she heard the name, Madeline's heart skipped a beat, the sinking realization hitting her instantly.

She turned around, and her soft smile froze.

The new arrival was exactly who she thought it was: Lucius Whitman. And clinging to his side was Liliana Lansbury.

Lucius was dressed in a sharp, double-breasted charcoal suit with peaked lapels and a matching vest.

The fabric had been impeccably pressed, free of a single wrinkle.

In the past, Madeline had always loved seeing him in tailored suits. It perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs.

It fulfilled every fantasy she ever had about the perfect man.

Because of that, she used to dedicate hours to customizing his wardrobe, spending fortunes on bespoke tailoring, agonizing over every single button.

"That dress is insane! I saw the luxury boutique manager post about it earlier. Mr. Whitman custom-ordered it specifically for his girlfriend. It's worth over two million dollars. My god."

"What? Two million dollars?"

Madeline slowly lowered her gaze. The moment she saw the dress on Liliana, she had guessed Lucius was the one footing the bill.

While two million dollars was spare change to a man of his wealth.

It proved one undeniable fact: Lucius truly cared for Liliana.

When he and Madeline had gotten married, Lucius had completely half-assed the arrangements, putting absolutely no effort into it.

He had settled for a cheap wedding dress, yet, for a single gala, he was willing to drape Liliana in millions of dollars of haute couture.

Silas, fully aware of Lucius's notorious aversion to public events, was just as surprised by the coincidence.

Seeing Liliana on Lucius's arm only made it worse.

Silas looked at Madeline with deep concern. "Maddy..."