Chapter 209

Not long after, it was time for Alice Sterling's birthday dinner. Edward Hawthorne sent out invites to a few close friends from their circle and booked a table at Zenith Restaurant for the celebration. Still half-asleep, Alice leaned against Edward as he led her into the walk-in closet. He opened one of the wardrobe doors with a firm pull, revealing rows of dresses still wrapped in protective covers. “Pick one you like,” he said casually. Alice blinked at the collection in front of her, her sleepiness quickly fading. Hugging a few of the dresses, she inspected them with visible delight. “You got all of these ahead of time?” Edward didn’t answer verbally—he just gave her a subtle nod that said “of course.” “Try them on,” he added. Alice picked a soft pink gown that matched the tone of the day and put her hair up into a loose twist, baring her graceful neck and collarbones. The dress hugged her waist with a subtle mermaid cut, showing off her figure without overdoing it. As she spun in f