The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 27

27 The Widow’s Gown

The day of the Valdris Gala dawned clear and cold. A perfect, brittle day for a performance.

Elera woke up feeling strangely calm, a deep, still center in the middle of the coming storm. Today, the many threads of her life would be pulled tight, and she would either be strangled by them or weave them into something new. There was no more planning to do. Only acting.

Her father was a nervous wreck, which was almost funny. He kept checking his tie in the hallway mirror, his hands shaking. He wasn’t worried about her. He was worried about his deal. She was just the prized cow being walked into the auction ring.

“Remember,” he said for the tenth time over breakfast, “smile, be gracious, stay by Xan’s side. This is the most important night of our lives.”

Our lives. He really believed that.

“Of course, Daddy,” she said, pushing eggs around her plate. Her stomach was a tight knot.

The afternoon was a blur of preparation. Hairdressers and makeup artists transformed her into a masterpiece of artifice. They curled her hair into soft, innocent waves, applied makeup that made her look dewy and young. They were creating the perfect doll for Xan to display.

When they were done, she dismissed them. “I need a moment to myself. To breathe.”

Alone in her room, she locked the door. Then she went to her closet and opened the hidden panel. She took out the garment bag that had been delivered secretly days ago.

She unzipped it.

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