Chapter 151

The party chatter around her faded in and out, like someone was messing with the volume in her ears. Elsie made her way across most of the banquet hall, her fingers slightly tingling from the nerves as she neared the two men. Liam and Oliver Allen were in the middle of a business chat. It was a celebration after all, so the mood wasn’t too stiff—Oliver looked relaxed, sipping his drink with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, Liam spotted a familiar figure heading their way. He turned and saw Elsie. She called out, “Liam.” He gave her a nod, sharp in a fitted suit, looking every bit the composed senior executive. Oliver turned toward her too, smile still hanging on his face. He wasn’t especially tall, but not short either. Nearing fifty, and already holding the post of vice president at Harding Bank, he had both the clout and the cash. Unlike the stern, imposing presence of Thomas, Oliver carried a slightly fuller build and a smile that made him seem warm and approachable. Pretty wo