Chapter 139

She looked carefully around. The men here—half of them weren't with their wives. Some women she knew were married to politicians, yet tonight they were holding the arms of completely different men. And the businessmen? They were with their girlfriends, or women who clearly weren't their wives. Her brows tightened. So this is the kind of party it is. She remembered Claire's words earlier: You must go, this is important. Now she understood. This wasn't just a normal gala. It was a hidden playground for the powerful, where secrets were guarded tightly. Smart, Claire. Very smart. If these women liked her designs, their men would spend any amount of money to please them. These were not customers who cared about price; they cared about luxury, secrecy, and exclusivity. Lily took a deep breath, fixed her polite smile, and walked toward a group of women standing in the corner with their glasses of wine. As soon as she joined, one of them turned her head sharply. "Isn't this Miss Collins?" Lily