THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 114

Hearing Veronica's words, Dalton frowned slightly. "But aside from Julian and Sophie's wedding reception, the only other event here tonight is the Hayes family's party."

And Caitlin was heading straight toward the Hayes family's ballroom.

Veronica didn't hesitate. "So obviously, Caitlin is here for my brother. This whole act—pretending to be a guest at the Hayes family's event—is just her way of sneaking in and trying to elevate her status."

As she spoke, Veronica shot Caitlin's back a vicious glare. "Pathetic little country girl. Does she really think it's that easy to crash the Hayes family's party? Just wait—she'll be thrown out by their security any second now."

A country bumpkin would always be a country bumpkin.

So naïve.

If anyone could just waltz into the Hayes family's gathering, why would they bother with invitations at all?

Sure, there might not be any guards posted at the entrance, but the doors were equipped with facial recognition. The moment someone unauthorized tried to enter, an alarm would sound.

Just as Caitlin was about to reach the entrance, two people emerged from the ballroom.

One was a sharp-eyed man in a tailored suit; the other, a woman in a champagne-colored evening gown, radiating poise and elegance.

Veronica's eyes lit up. "Look, Julian! Mr. and Mrs. Hayes are coming out! Oh my god, Mrs. Hayes looks so young—you'd never guess she's the mother of two!"

Julian immediately glanced up. He'd met Mr. and Mrs. Hayes once at a business gala, but the encounter had been so brief he hadn't had a chance to properly introduce himself.

Tonight was the Hayes family's daughter's eighteenth birthday—a milestone event. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes should have been inside, hosting their guests. What were they doing at the entrance now?

Unless… were they here to personally congratulate him and Sophie on their engagement?

Yes, that had to be it.

He really did live up to his reputation as the breakout star of the decade—he'd managed to impress even the most unattainable family in town.

And now, the Hayeses themselves had shown up in person to congratulate him.

It was an honor beyond words.

Not just the reporters—even the other guests were visibly stunned.

With all those cameras trained on him, Julian felt his pride soar. He stood as tall as he could, determined to look his absolute best on tomorrow's front page.

But in the next instant, his face fell and his blood ran cold.

Because Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, without so much as a glance in his direction, walked right past him and stopped in front of Caitlin, their voices warm and respectful. "Miss Kensington! Welcome, welcome. We're so glad you could make it."