Chapter 8

Eira didn't pay much attention to the stares around her and made her way inside gracefully. It had been years since she attended something like this, but the vibe was still as lively as ever. The dance floor was absolutely packed-people moving along to the beat, regardless of whether they could actually dance. Everyone had a mask on, so nobody really cared who was who. Being invited to tonight's party was no small thing; only the real heavyweights of Oceanvein were on the guest list. As familiar music filled her ears, Eira felt her body itching to dance. After saying a quick word to John, she lifted up her gown slightly and stepped into the crowd, letting herself move freely with the rhythm, shaking off two years' worth of bottled-up frustration. Her fishtail dress hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her hourglass figure with every move. Each twirl, each subtle glance she cast, kept all eyes on her. And with that plain white dress in a sea of colorful gowns, Eira stood out even more. As the music picked up tempo, so did her dancing. There was more intensity now, almost like she was throwing all her heartache from those years of marriage out with every beat. Eira had always belonged in the spotlight like this. Yet for the past few years, she had completely lost herself in trying to please a man-abandoning her pride, chasing after his affection, even turning into someone who would just stay home and cook for him. But that chapter? Over, done, closed. With the music reaching its peak, she sped up again. The movement caused her mask to slip a little, revealing part of her face. People had already been watching her closely, and now, with that half-revealed face, even more eyes locked in, trying to figure out who she really was. They barely caught a glimpse of those captivating, upturned eyes when she adjusted her mask back in place, covering everything again. The crowd let out a collective sigh-disappointed but still intrigued, their minds now racing with guesses. If just one look at her eyes could be that mesmerizing, her whole face must be something else entirely. ***** In the upstairs room overlooking the ballroom, a few young heirs lounged by the window, casually sipping their drinks as they glanced down from time to time. Three guys sat there-two of them chatting away excitedly, the third sitting all stiff in his suit, clearly not blending in with the vibe. Alexander kept quiet, knocking back drinks like he was trying to lose count. Across from him, Edward Davis and Christopher Miller shared a long look, eyebrows raised. "Come on, Alex, why are you just drinking and not saying anything? Aren't you scared your grandma's gonna flip when she finds out about the divorce?" It was Edward who started, one of Alex's closest friends. He knew exactly how much Grandma Brooks adored Eira. If she heard what happened, she might actually fall sick from the shock. Edward just couldn't get it. "I mean... Eira was nothing but sweet and obedient to you. No matter how I look at it, I don't see why you'd dump her for someone like Sophia." As he spoke, he gave Christopher a nudge. "Back me up here, will you?" Christopher didn't say much, just gave a silent nod. He hadn't interacted with Eira more than a few times, but even he could tell-she wasn't like Sophia. She didn't have that calculating vibe. In fact, he still remembered how Sophia had ditched everything to chase her own interests overseas back in the day.Two years ago, when Alexander got married, Sophia came back crying about her so-called regrets. Everyone could tell she had an agenda. Everyone, except Alexander himself... Hearing his thoughts finally echoed, Edward got a little worked up. "So you agree, right? I keep saying Eira's actually not bad at all!" As they chatted, Alexander suddenly slammed his glass down on the table. "What's so great about a fake woman like her?" The two others exchanged a quick glance and shrugged. No one responded. The pulsing music from downstairs was starting to tick him off. He sounded more and more irritable. "How much longer are we staying here?" No one answered. Edward leaned on the railing, wine glass in hand, and simply ignored him. "Look over to the left. That girl's got something special." Christopher nodded slightly, swaying with the beat. He glanced back at Alexander and said, "Wanna come take a look?" Alexander pulled a slight smirk. "Watching women dance? Please." Just as he finished, both guys next to him froze, eyes locked on the scene below. Neither said a word. Alexander looked at them, puzzled, then lazily glanced down to see what the fuss was about. A woman in a fox mask twirled effortlessly with the rhythm. He barely looked before turning away. The moment he turned, Edward raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Admit it, Mr. Brooks-way more interesting than your boring ex, right?" Then, without missing a beat, he added, "But seriously, doesn't she kind of look like-Eira?" He had to swallow the word "sis-in-law" before it slipped. With a playful glint in his eyes, he looked at Alexander, then turned to Christopher. "Take a proper look. You see it too, right?" The mask had slipped slightly moments ago-just enough for Christopher to catch a glimpse. He gave Alexander a quick glance, then looked down again, hiding whatever he just felt. "Didn't catch it," he mumbled. Alexander shot another glance toward the dance floor, then gave the two of them a pointed look. "You guys are seeing things. No way she'd be here." Edward plopped himself across from him, chin rested on his hand. "So the divorce is real then, huh? Didn't think she'd actually go through with it." "I mean, back then, no matter what you did, she stuck around like glue. What on earth did you do this time to finally push her over the edge?" Even Christopher looked up at that, curiosity written all over his face. Alexander's brows furrowed. Clearly out of patience. "She wanted it. That kind of gold-digger? Probably waited till she cashed in and dipped." Edward and Christopher shared a quick look; both clearly skeptical. To them, Eira had always been the definition of wifely perfection. Ever since the marriage, she'd brought him lunch every day like clockwork. And honestly, Alexander hadn't had any of his usual stomach problems since then... Claiming she was only in it for the money? That didn't track at all. Edward dropped the jokes and refocused on the woman in the fox mask. Just then, a young man leaned in, said something to her. She turned, walked off calmly-then reached up and took off her mask. That face. He knew it too well. Edward made a sound between a gasp and a laugh. "Hold on-that's Eira!"