They had spent years looking down on me and asking if I was still writing things on the internet while they praised Jeffrey for knowing how to climb the social ladder. They never understood that while Jeffrey talked constantly, I was the one who listened and turned those observations into powerful words.
By the time I was twenty-six, I had signed secret contracts with some of the most influential people in the country who were happy to pay for my voice. I earned more money than my family could ever imagine, but I kept my success quiet and they never bothered to ask the right questions.
I was finishing the wings on Parker’s dragon when I felt the entire energy of the ballroom shift toward the front doors. Every conversation stopped as the guests turned to see that Xavier Thorne had finally arrived.
Xavier did not just walk into the room because he was the kind of man who commanded attention without ever having to say a single word. He wore a charcoal suit and looked around the hall with the calm confidence of someone who had nothing left to prove.
Jeffrey practically sprinted across the floor to greet him and told him what an incredible honor it was to have him at the wedding. Xavier shook his hand politely but his eyes were already scanning the room as if he were looking for someone specific.
“We have a seat for you at the head table next to the primary investors,” Jeffrey said while grinning like he had just won a prize. Xavier replied that he would actually prefer a much quieter spot where he could relax.
Jeffrey looked confused and offered to open up a private lounge in the back of the house for him. Xavier was not listening anymore because his gaze had finally landed on the tiny table in the far corner where I was sitting.
He frowned for a second before a genuine and warm smile spread across his face as he began walking directly toward me. Jeffrey followed him with a look of pure terror while I tried to keep Parker’s juice from spilling on my lap.
“Hello, Cassidy,” Xavier said as he reached our table and looked down at the crayons and nuggets. “Good evening, Mr. Thorne,” I replied as Jeffrey stepped forward to apologize for my presence.
“Sir, I am so sorry that my sister is bothering you,” Jeffrey stammered while telling me to stand up and leave immediately. Xavier held up a hand to silence him and said that I was actually the only person he had been looking forward to seeing all night.
He pulled out a small plastic chair and sat down at the children’s table which caused a wave of shocked silence to ripple through the entire ballroom. It was a bizarre sight to see a billionaire CEO sitting next to a crying baby and a plate of half-eaten fries.
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