Benny recognized the voice right away. No wonder this woman before him looked so familiar—Kristine had lost weight, and now he realized just how striking she was.

He scowled, suspicion flaring. "How did you even get an invitation? This is a huge day for Mr. Payne and his family. There's press everywhere. If you're here to cause drama, pick another time. Kristine, don't start one of your scenes. This isn't the place."

Benny shook off his shock and quickly assumed the worst, his brows pulling together as he scolded Kristine. He was certain she had only shown up to make a scene for him and Emilee.

Emilee wasted no time stepping into the spotlight. She pressed a proud kiss to Benny's cheek before turning to Kristine, her words dripping with condescension. "Miss Holt, Benny is my husband now. If you want advice, here it is—quit chasing after men or trying to cash in on breakups. If you want to succeed, work for it. Any woman worth her salt stands on her own feet."

Before Kristine could reply, Gerard Payne, the banquet's host, hurried over to diffuse the tension.

"My apologies, everyone. There's been a misunderstanding on our part. Please, come inside and make yourselves comfortable," Gerard announced from across the hall, eager to shift attention away from the drama and avoid any unwanted headlines.

But his whole demeanor changed as soon as he spotted the gold invitation in Kristine's hand, the prominent letter "K" unmistakable. A flash of recognition lit up his face, and a genuine smile replaced his earlier worry.

"Kueen! I can't believe you actually came," Gerard said, sounding both thrilled and apologetic. "I hope there wasn't any trouble here. Did the security give you a hard time?"

He went straight to Kristine, extending a warm welcome, and then turned to the security with a stern look.

"How could you miss her? This is Kueen, the artist behind 'Soul of Spring'—her jewelry and fashion line shattered records at auction!"

Whispers of disbelief rippled through the crowd. "That's Kueen? She's so young! I always pictured her as older—maybe in her sixties. How does someone so young create such incredible designs?"

"She's absolutely gorgeous! Kueen, could I get your autograph?"

"When is the 'Soul of Earth' collection coming out? Is there any way to get on the waitlist? I'll pay double if I have to!"

Most had only heard of Kueen by reputation, so seeing Kristine step forward in person created an instant buzz. Guests pressed closer, each eager for a chance to speak with her or just catch her attention.

The scene quickly turned from elegant to electric, like a flash sale with all the usual restraint forgotten.

For a moment, Kristine felt a wave of surprise at the overwhelming excitement. Still, when she glanced over and caught both Emilee's and Benny's stunned faces, a quiet sense of satisfaction settled in.

Her reply was gracious. "Tonight is all about the Payne family. I'd hate to draw the focus from them. Soon, though, I'll be hosting my own soiree. I hope you'll all come."

Upon watching Kristine charm the crowd, Emilee's envy only grew sharper. She couldn't accept this twist—she had always seen herself as the youngest design prodigy in the room, never someone who'd be upstaged by Kristine, of all people. Kristine, who had supposedly cared only for romance, couldn't possibly be Kueen.

Emilee's patience snapped, and she raised her voice, letting her skepticism show. "Just showing up with an invitation doesn't prove a thing. Everybody knows Kueen is older—maybe in her fifties. Kristine must have stolen someone else's spot. Mr. Payne, have you even met her before? Don't let an imposter fool you and ruin your reputation."

Benny could not help but agree.

Five years with Kristine should have meant he knew her inside and out. If she really was Kueen, there was no way it would have escaped him.

The more he considered it, the quicker his admiration for Kristine's makeover faded to nothing.

He frowned, shaking his head. "Kristine, this has gone far enough. There's no point in us continuing this. If Kueen finds out you're pretending to be her, she's not going to just let it slide," said Benny, voice sharp with disapproval.

With Benny and Emilee so sure of themselves, Gerard's excitement started to die down.

He knew Kueen tended to avoid public events, and all he really had was a necklace she'd designed, which he only secured through a friend.

Sending her an invitation felt like a long shot—he never actually believed she would show up.

On top of that, Kristine looked nothing like the age that was rumored about Kueen. Was it possible... that she really was an imposter?

"I know exactly who I am, and I'm sure Mr. Payne does too. Isn't he able to confirm that for everyone?" Kristine retorted with a cold smile, her eyes on Gerard.

But Gerard faltered instead of stepping up for her.

"Forgive me, Kueen. There's some doubt in the room. Would you be able to prove who you are? We haven't met in person before, and I don't mean to challenge you, but..." said Gerard, uncertainty weighing down his words. That hesitation spoke volumes. He was just as doubtful as the others.

Kristine's expression turned stormy, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She could not believe the nerve—Gerard was the one who had sent the invitation in the first place.

Emilee crossed her arms and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "So Mr. Payne hasn't met Kueen before, but Dominick Collins has. He's Kueen's close friend and a giant in the design world. He's coming today, Kristine. You'll have your answer soon enough," she said, not bothering to hide her smugness.

Before Emilee could even finish, a dignified man with white hair stepped through the crowd.

Spotting him, Emilee hurried over, her face alight with excitement. "Mr. Collins, thank goodness you're here! There's someone pretending to be Kueen, and you're the only one who can clear this up!"

Dominick wove his way through the guests, his expression unreadable and every step measured.

Years of Emilee's study under him had turned admiration into something like hero worship.

She did not hesitate to link her arm through his, her voice rising with a false sense of intimacy. "She's the one causing trouble, claiming to be Kueen herself. You need to step in now and set things straight."

Dominick's hand slipped out of her grasp, and he quickly put space between them, giving her a cold, silent message.

Emilee blinked, completely thrown off. "What are you doing, Mr. Collins?"

"Enough with the dramatics. Kristine Holt—yes, the young woman right here—is Kueen. I trust there won't be any more wild speculation?"

Dominick announced it so plainly that the impact hit everyone at once.

Emilee and Benny looked like their worlds had just flipped upside down.

With the tension lingering in the air, Dominick joined Kristine's side and gave her a sly smile.

He leaned closer and lowered his voice just enough for her to hear. "You've kept everyone waiting, Kueen. When are you finally going to launch your 'Soul of Earth' series? If you keep disappearing, people will start to forget you. Maybe if you weren't so private, no one would be second-guessing who you are right now."

Kristine's eyes widened as she realized Dominick had witnessed the scene, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment.

"Fair enough, Dom. I'll clear everything up in public—let the whole world know I'm Kueen, and you'll have to stand by me, alright? If they still doubt me, I'm afraid I'll have to show them the back end of my studio's website as proof," said Kristine, her tone light and teasing.

That simple exchange between her and Dominick radiated a comfort and authenticity Emilee could never fake.

Whispers spread among the onlookers as the truth finally settled. There was no room left for denial—Kristine was Kueen.

All at once, Emilee, Benny, and Gerard realized how foolish they looked, their faces draining of color as embarrassment took over.

Resentment simmered in Emilee and Benny as they stood side by side, their faces burning with humiliation.

The realization that Kristine had been Kueen all along cut deeper than either expected.

They believed Kristine had clearly let everyone underestimate her on purpose, only to outsmart them when it mattered most.

From every corner of the room, admiration for Kristine started up once again.

Guests whispered about her incredible skill and the long list of achievements attached to her name. Meanwhile, the mockery Emilee had aimed at Kristine's supposed lack of direction had backfired, turning Emilee into the punchline.

"Can you believe Kristine is actually Kueen? Emilee's little trophy from that minor design contest is nothing compared to Kueen's legacy."

"That's right. Kristine's net worth even rivals Benny's, and yet Emilee accused her of clinging to him for financial reasons. Looks to me like Benny and Emilee were plotting together against Kristine the whole time."

A wave of regret swept over Gerard as he rushed to make amends.

"Please forgive me, Kueen. I honestly didn't mean to doubt you before. I failed to recognize your brilliance, and I hope you'll accept my apology."

He shrugged off the suit jacket Emilee had created, tossing it onto the floor as though it were something distasteful.

"Ms. Hewitt, your lies nearly made a fool out of me. And Mr. Higgins, you went so far as to accuse a woman who stood by your side for years. I can't keep either of you here. I'll have to ask you both to leave."

With little patience left, Gerard wasted no time in showing them the door.

Stripped of their pride, Emilee and Benny exchanged uneasy glances, both realizing it was pointless to argue.

With nothing left to salvage, they turned to go.

Kristine's voice rang out, halting them in their tracks. "Hold on," she called, an amused glint in her eyes. "Don't you think it's about time you both offered a proper apology? And Benny, you still owe me that ten million from your little marriage scam. Planning to run away from that too?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd as people turned on Emilee and Benny, their voices rising again in open accusation.

Pride crumbled for the two as the realization of their downfall truly set in.

A storm of emotion crossed Emilee's face. "Fine! Is that what you want? Sorry!" she yelled, tears slipping down her cheeks as she ran out of the place.

Benny kept his gaze on the floor. "Sorry," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

With a defeated sigh, he ordered his secretary to take care of the ten million transfer, and then left in silence, completely gutted.

Every moment from that day replayed in Benny's mind.

For years, he had dismissed Kristine, never imagining she was in fact someone way out of his league.

Now he had no choice but to see her in a different light, and regret gnawed at him.

A wave of satisfaction washed over Kristine. She got her apology and the money, so it made no difference whether their regret was real.

This was exactly why she showed up tonight.

The moment she saw an opening, Kristine excused herself and headed straight for Rose Manor, not sparing a single thought for Gerard.

"Miss Holt, I've looked everywhere, but Nathan Spencer is nowhere to be found. It's like he vanished into thin air," Pamela said, intercepting her as soon as she walked in, anxiety plain on her face.

Even after putting in her best effort, Pamela had come up empty, so the moment Kristine walked through the door, she reported the failure, voice laced with apology.

Irritation flickered across Kristine's face just as her phone started ringing.

Her grandfather's name appeared on the screen.

With a heavy sigh, she held the phone as far as she could before answering.

Right on cue, Neal Campbell's booming voice echoed through the speaker. "Kristine, I've set up a perfect marriage alliance for you. You need to come back at once!"