But Grace wasn’t about to swallow her pride. She’d faced enough cold shoulders in the past and had no interest in putting herself out there again.
Seeing that Grace wouldn’t budge, Elisa decided to rope Ronald into the situation.
Ronald hadn’t expected to run into Sarah again. For some reason, she seemed to radiate a glow that made her even more captivating than before-far more intriguing than Elisa.
If Sarah were to chase after him now, he’d say yes in a heartbeat.
He couldn’t help but snap at Elisa, “Why do you make me do everything for you? Can’t you handle anything on your own?”
Elisa’s dress had been borrowed through Ronald’s connections, but after some raw photos from the event leaked online, the person who loaned it to him called with thinly veiled complaints.
Being the spoiled son of a wealthy family, Ronald wasn’t used to this kind of attitude. Everyone normally sucked up to him. That phone call had been a blow to his ego, and now he looked at Elisa with barely concealed irritation.
Elisa felt a bit wronged. “But… you’re my boyfriend. If you don’t handle these things for me, who will?”
Ronald couldn’t help but glance at Sarah. From start to finish, Sarah had never burdened him with things like this.
He muttered a curse under his breath, then led Elisa over to Director Beck’s table.
Director Beck and his group were seated, chatting and laughing about something, but the moment Ronald showed up, the director’s mood shifted. His expression darkened, clearly reminded of some past conflict.
Crystal and Sarah’s faces also turned cold the moment they saw them.
Elisa, however, remained calm, raising her glass to toast everyone politely, as if none of the unpleasantness from the past had ever happened.
Director Beck, unable to stand her shamelessness, excused himself, claiming he needed a smoke. The others, seeing him leave, quickly dispersed as well.
Ronald was left utterly humiliated.
Elisa frowned. “Ronald, why are they treating you like this?”
Ronald let out a cold laugh. “What do you think? Who do you think made me lose face like this?”
Elisa’s heart sank.
There was a time when she believed Ronald was the best she could ever have.
But since entering this circle, she realized there were always people better, always someone more powerful.
And Sarah’s husband-he was in a completely different league, far beyond Ronald’s reach.
Elisa had tried multiple times to track down Sarah’s husband’s contact information, but nothing came up online-not a single clue.
At least Ronald was still accessible. But Holden? He was on another level-completely untouchable.
Ronald didn’t know what had gotten into him, but instead of staying with Elisa, he quietly followed Sarah when she left the event.
That night, Sarah had a little wine, so she called a driver to take her home.
Ronald tailed Sarah’s Lamborghini all the way to Holden’s place. He didn’t approach her or say anything. In fact, Sarah never even realized he was there.
Standing outside, Ronald lit a cigarette, feeling a wave of frustration wash over him.
He knew he once had a chance to be with her. But he let it slip away.
Now, wanting to make things right, he couldn’t bring himself to swallow his pride.
He hoped Sarah would look back, just once.
After all, they had years of history-he couldn’t believe she’d just forget about it.
Upstairs, Holden stood by the window and noticed Ronald’s shabby sports car parked outside. He saw Ronald smoking in the cold night, looking every bit as pathetic as his car.
Holden made his way downstairs just as Sarah walked through the door.
She was still in her evening gown, draped in a deep purple coat, and wobbling slightly in her stiletto heels.
Shivering from the cold, she greeted them as she stepped inside. “Hi, Mr. Holden, Butler Ted.”
Butler Ted kindly handed her a cup of hot milk.
After taking a sip, Sarah felt warmth returning to her face. She quickly headed upstairs to remove her makeup, shower, and change clothes.
The dress, pearl necklace, and diamond hair clip she wore were all borrowed from the brand and would need to be returned. She carefully stored them away, making sure nothing was out of place.
When she came out of the shower wrapped in a towel, hair still damp, she noticed something new in the walk-in closet-several sets of period costumes.
All the jewelry that came with them was intended for use on set. Whether it was due to Holden’s influence or the hefty price he offered, his assistant had managed to gather everything in record time.
The most valuable piece among them was a richly embroidered peacock-and-peony robe made from silk, where every inch of thread was worth its weight in gold. The production team had gone to great lengths to commission this piece specifically for the show.
Sarah hadn’t expected the princess costume to come with a set of nightwear.
When she ran her fingers over it, she realized it wasn’t the same one from the show. It was a brand-new piece-softer, lighter, and much less heavy. The fabric felt delicate, like gossamer wings, with a cool smoky-purple hue that gave off a quiet elegance.
She slipped out the nightgown and put it on, layering the sheer outer robe over the strapless dress underneath. Standing in front of the mirror, she admired herself for a while.
If it weren’t so late, Sarah would’ve tried on every outfit in the closet before going to bed.
All she’d eaten at the banquet was a slice of cake, and now her stomach was growling. She figured a warm glass of milk might help her sleep.
Not wanting to wake Holden and risk having her paycheck docked, she quietly opened the door and tiptoed down the stairs, holding her dress to keep it from rustling.
When she ran into Butler Ted, she casually asked, “Hey, Mr. Ted, did Mr. Holden beat up Mr. Karl?”
Butler Ted nodded.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “So… Mr. Holden in a bad mood today?”
Ted sighed. “It’s complicated.”
Sarah took a sip of milk, savoring the warmth.
Ted glanced at her, then at the stairs. “Lady…”
Sarah blinked. “Yeah?”
Ted sighed again. “Do you… enjoy small, dark rooms?”
Sarah frowned, confused. “What small room? What are you talking about?”
Even though Butler Ted had brought it up, he clearly didn’t want to continue the conversation.
Not seeing Holden around, Sarah guessed he was off drinking alone somewhere. Ted confirmed he was on the rooftop terrace.
The terrace didn’t have a pool or anything fancy like that-it was more like a small garden, and despite it being winter, flowers and greenery were still in bloom.
Since the start of winter, Sarah hadn’t seen Holden wear a down jacket, not even once.
Well, typical boss-man behavior-never wearing proper winter clothes.
But they were both human. Even billionaires had to feel the cold when it dropped below freezing, right?
Sarah grabbed a white wool coat that reached her ankles and snagged one of Holden’s thick jackets from his wardrobe. With the coat draped over her arm, she quietly snuck up to the terrace.
Sure enough, Holden was sitting on the terrace sofa with a bottle of whiskey in hand, wearing nothing but a light sweater.
Sarah walked over, breathing into her hands. “It’s freezing out here.”
The night was bitter cold, but the sky was clear, with stars scattered across it. The lighting on the terrace was subtle-soft glows without visible fixtures-and the lush plants drooped elegantly, making it a perfect spot to take in the night.
Holden glanced at her and, without a word, handed her the bottle.
Sarah hesitated. “Uh…”
She’d seen people chug beer straight from the bottle, but whiskey? Not so much.
Still, in this freezing weather, a little alcohol might actually help warm her up.
She draped the black coat over Holden’s shoulders and took the bottle from him. After a moment of hesitation, she took a big swig, and immediately regretted it as the strong liquor burned her throat, making her cough. Her face flushed bright red as she hacked a couple of times.
Sarah wasn’t a fan of strong alcohol, nor was she good at drinking it. But not one to back down, she stubbornly took another gulp. This time, it went down smoother.
The icy liquid slid down her throat, spreading warmth through her entire body.
No wonder people say whiskey drowns sorrow.
A drink on a cold winter night really did seem to chase away the blues.
Holden, however, seemed perfectly fine, his thoughts clear. Sarah, on the other hand, was anything but. With her low tolerance, the alcohol quickly hit her, and soon she felt light-headed.
Already tired, she leaned into Holden’s shoulder, her dizziness lulling her into sleep.
Holden scooped her up and carried her back, straight into his room.
The heavy wool coat she wore draped from head to toe, covering her completely. Without much thought, Holden tossed it to the floor. Underneath, she was wearing a strapless dress, thin as gossamer, in a smoky purple shade.
He recognized it immediately-it was one of her costumes from the movie. With her long golden hair flowing down, the look suited her surprisingly well.
In fact, it was… dangerously captivating.
Holden lowered his head and gave her neck a playful bite.