Chapter 391 Engagement in Advance
There were rumors that Natalia was, at one point, Quinn's stand-in.
"This trip is mainly for your engagement," she said, her tone warm but deliberate. "And second, there's an event I want you to attend with me."
If Natalia Ruth was going to appear in person—and with Oscar at her side—it was no ordinary event.
"Understood," Catherine replied. "The hotel is taken care of. If you need anything, Ms. Ruth, my secretary will handle it."
From the moment Faye laid eyes on Natalia, her gaze hadn't dimmed for a second. This was the reigning queen of the fashion world, a woman whose designs had become immortal milestones in the industry.
"Ms. Ruth," Faye blurted, her voice trembling with excitement, "if you need anything, I'm your loyal steward. Consider me your personal shield!"
Natalia laughed, a rich, unrestrained sound, and motioned for Oscar to carry her luggage upstairs.
"Ms. Ruth, I've arranged a sea-view suite for you," Catherine said. "The meals will be exactly to your taste."
"Always so thoughtful," Natalia replied.
The suite door swung open to reveal a spacious room dressed in her favorite patterns and fabrics. Even the bed linens had been swapped out for ones she adored. On the nightstand sat a set of intricate jade carvings—Catherine's handiwork.
Natalia's love for Ryder's jade work was no secret in the industry. She cradled the carvings like fragile treasures, her eyes bright.
"I missed your birthday gift this year," Catherine said with a small smile, "but I've been preparing this for you. Consider it a belated present."
"You always spoil me."
For them, the worth of a gift was never in its price tag, but in the fact that Catherine remembered—always.
Natalia's fingers brushed over the silk duvet. "Is this ours?"
"Yes. It's a new silk we've developed. I wanted you to try it first. The embroidery is from Quinn Couture."
Which meant Catherine's own stitches.
"You've always had such a heart," Natalia murmured. "And yes, I do have other business here."
Oscar stepped in. "Natalia didn't like the idea of you being here alone, surrounded by restless men. She's here to help you quietly deal with the older generation."
Natalia knew exactly which of the old guard from the Galactic Aurora Collective were still alive.
"Ms. Ruth," Catherine said, her voice low, "who allowed the Galactic Aurora Collective to exist at all?"
"A powerful madman," Natalia replied without hesitation. "Anyone who could stand alongside Franklin was never simple. I'm here to meet him. Even though the Collective is in your hands now, I intend to clean up the remnants."
She tilted her head. "Haven't you ever wondered why there are only twenty-four members in your Collective?"
The organization was named for twenty-eight stars. The missing four were the ones who stood with Franklin. Anyone who signed off on the Collective's plans had already bound themselves to it.
Natalia adjusted her shawl with a grace that could cut glass. "His old codename was Seven Kill."
Bright Heal Hospital.
Outside Felix's room, a well-dressed woman hurried in with several children in tow. Yasmin Pearl—Alexander's aunt—had dropped everything to rush back to Imperia City when she heard the news.
Travel-worn and tense, Yasmin's face was etched with worry. Behind her, a younger woman scanned the hallway, her eyes bright with anticipation. Thora had finally found another chance to see Alexander.
Though they were blood relatives, Alexander and Yasmin were not close. Opportunities to meet were rare. If not for Felix's illness, Thora—Yasmin's husband's niece—would never have been able to tag along to the Howard family.
Yasmin barely noticed her niece's excitement. The moment she saw Arabella, her eyes filled with tears.
"Mom…"
"It's alright. You're home now."
They shared the Pearl surname, but mother and daughter had never been deeply bonded. Still, in moments like this, Yasmin's voice cracked.
"How long does he have?" Arabella asked quietly.
"Less than a month. Marcus is with him now. And since you're here… we were thinking of holding Catherine and Alexander's engagement party in the next few days. It might bring him some joy."
Felix's greatest wish was to see Alexander married.
"Won't that be unfair to Catherine?" Yasmin hesitated.
Engagements were meant to be joyous occasions, not shadowed by grief.
"It was Marcus's idea—and Catherine agreed. She's sensible. She knows it will bring Felix peace."
For Catherine, the timing didn't matter. As long as it was Alexander, she would say yes. If it could make Felix's final days brighter, all the better.
Yasmin nodded, dabbing at her eyes. "The Windsor family has been so good to us."
Thora, however, felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her. She hadn't even had the chance to see Alexander—and now he was marrying someone else? And that someone was Catherine, the spoiled princess who had once dismissed Quinn's designs as soulless.
Her chest tightened. But then she remembered—there were several major fashion events coming up. The Howard family's standing guaranteed they'd be there. If she could find Quinn and tell her everything, the engagement would shatter.
Thora slipped away from the hospital under a flimsy excuse.
"Things haven't been stable in Thora's family lately," Arabella remarked, watching her go. The White family's businesses were in chaos, and they'd sent Thora to Yasmin's for safety.
"If you don't like her, I'll send her back," Yasmin offered.
"Leave it. It's not worth the trouble."
Outside the hospital, a black Cullinan pulled to the curb. Alexander stepped out in a tailored black suit, his presence commanding even among the crowd. He moved to the passenger side, offering his hand to help a woman in a white dress down from the car.
Catherine.
Thora froze. The memory of their clash in the Quinn Couture boutique burned in her mind. Her anger was still raw when her phone rang.
Lyra's tearful voice spilled through the line. "Thora… please… I'm at the police station. Can you find someone to get me out?"
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