She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 984

However, Clarice paled in comparison to Melanie.

If the secretary in her black gown was the night sky, then Melanie, draped in The Cerulean Gradient Gown, was the dazzling, luminous Milky Way cutting across it.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight, Ms. Royce," Sebastian said, not holding back his admiration.

Melanie offered a polite smile. "I have to thank myself for not taking your word for it, Director York."

There was a playful edge to her tone. Sebastian had explicitly told her earlier that the banquet was just a small gathering. If she had taken him seriously and dressed down, she would have been the laughingstock of the room. Melanie wasn't sure if his misinformation was intentional or an honest mistake, but she wasn't ruling out sabotage.

Before Sebastian could reply, Clarice chimed in sharply, "Are you implying that Director York deliberately set you up, Ms. Royce?"

Sebastian raised a hand, silencing his secretary. "Someone as brilliant as Ms. Royce could never be set up."

His gaze then drifted down to the curve of Melanie's neck. "An excellent choice of gown, and the necklace pairs perfectly."

At the compliment, Melanie instinctively touched the cool stones against her collarbone. Preston had picked it out for her. It wasn't gaudy or overly ostentatious, nor was it plain. The Astral Sapphire Necklace featured a delicate array of sapphires tightly set into a constellation of stars, complementing the icy blue of her dress flawlessly.

Melanie had already picked up on the fact that Sebastian appreciated women who were both intelligent and impeccably styled.

"My assistant bought it for me. He has excellent taste."

"Oh?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze to Preston. "An assistant can afford such exquisite jewelry?"

"Just goes to show the Royce Group offers highly competitive compensation packages," Preston replied seamlessly.

But while they didn't care about her company, they were thoroughly fascinated by Melanie herself. It wasn't every day you met a CEO who possessed such effortless grace and jaw-dropping beauty.

While Melanie, Preston, and Sebastian were surrounded by the crowd, someone else stood a short distance away, her eyes burning with pure, unadulterated venom.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Valerie Vaughn gritted her teeth.

She had spotted Melanie the second she walked into the hall in that cerulean gradient dress. It was impossible to miss.

Talk about bad luck! The more Valerie stared, the angrier she got. Not only had Melanie stolen her dress, but that sapphire star necklace was exactly the one Valerie had been eyeing for months. She hadn't been able to afford it, nor had she found a wealthy enough sucker to buy it for her.

"Honey..." Valerie quickly hurried over to her aesthetically challenged boyfriend, latching onto his arm. "That's her! That's the bitch who humiliated me today!"