4.
Avalon’s POV
Before I could say a word, Bowden sighed heavily, his voice falling like a hammer.
“Tonight is your brother’s moment. No matter what, Avalon was like half a mother to you all. She ought to be here.”
“What a curse!” Shawna snapped, turning her head away. Her voice was so sharp it scraped like nails on glass. “Why bring her here now and ruin everything?!”
Rufus’s gaze swept over me like a scanner, his eyes brushing across the deep navy dress I wore—elegant, understated but unmistakably expensive. His brows furrowed slightly, as if confirming something that displeased him.
“Avalon rarely comes back to visit. Shawna, don’t be so harsh,” Sharice cut in gently, looping her arm around Rufus’s tense one. Her smile was soft, serene—the perfect guest welcomer. Yet the way she looked at me brimmed with smug superiority.
Nearby, the guests whispered among themselves.
“Sharice really is something else—an Ivy League artist with such poise. She deserves being the matriarch of the family.”
“Exactly! Remember how Avalon tried to win affection back then? She even went so far as to kidnap one of the twins…”
“Now those two kids are incredible. The boy runs the Raltrex Prime, and the girl’s a famous influencer with millions of fans! Avalon was really a fool back then.”
Someone nearby tugged urgently at the speaker’s sleeve, eyes darting toward Rufus with visible panic.
His expression had darkened completely. He stepped up to me, his voice low and menacing.
“You’ve got the nerve to show your face? You ignored the kids for over a decade, and now that you’ve run out of options, you crawl back to us like we’re your golden ticket?”
Shawna folded her arms and sneered at my modest appearance. “Now you know how miserable it is to be on your own, don’t you? Too late! There’s no place for you in this family anymore!”
I met their gazes calmly and said clearly, “I have two children. They’re busy with work, but they’ll be arriving later.”
“What?!”
Rufus’s rage froze into stunned disbelief. A flicker of something complicated passed through his eyes.
“You remarried? When did that happen? And the kids are already working? Avalon, did you go and have illegitimate children behind my back?!”
“Enough! You disgraceful brat! Do you even know where you are?” Bowden’s face turned thunderous. He slammed his redwood cane against the polished marble floor with a thunderous crack.
Rufus flinched, clearly holding back more words. But before he could say anything else, a stir rippled through the entrance of the party hall.
Several young men in crisp black tailcoats entered, carrying a massive gift box.
The box was wrapped in thick, matte black velvet, luxurious to the eye. At the center, a subtle yet unmistakably commanding logo gleamed: a silver crown.
“Oh my God! That’s Crown! The legendary brand that only serves the world’s elite!”
“I heard only royalty and top-tier financial giants can get on their client list. Even if you’re rich, it doesn’t mean you’ll ever get close!”
“Excuse me,” one of the men stepped forward. “Which of you is Sir Radnor’s mother? This is your child’s engagement gift. Please sign to receive it.”
Sharice’s smile bloomed like a flower. She clicked toward them in her stilettos, her shoulder ramming into mine with force as she pushed past.
I stumbled slightly, frowning as I regained my balance.
She had already stepped in front of the attendants, voice raised slightly with excitement. “That’s me!”
“Wow, Sharice, what a gift you have! Your child must be truly remarkable. What an honor!”
A wave of gasps and compliments swept through the room like a rising tide.
Just then, Elyse Quinlan—Radnor’s fiancée—arrived with her family.
Seeing the scene before them, her parents beamed with pride, basking in the spotlight.
Luodan threw her arms around Radnor, showering kisses on his cheek. “Baby, I can’t wait to see what it is!”
Sharice was practically floating with pride, her face flushed with delight. She grabbed the pen—its barrel encrusted with tiny diamonds—and eagerly signed the delivery slip.
But just as she finished, the lead attendant, his gloved hand poised and calm, stopped her from opening the box.
He looked at her with a complicated expression, then spoke clearly, his voice echoing across the hall.
“I’m sorry. The recipient on our list is Miss Avalon Delamar.”
5.
Avalon’s POV
“What? That has to be a mistake!”
Radnor shoved through the crowd, disbelief written all over his face as he rushed up to the man in the tuxedo and snatched the delivery slip from his hands.
His eyes scanned the sender section.
[AZZ & Co.]
[Paramount Productions]
Both were crucial partners of the Raltrex Prime, and the latter was where his sister Shawna currently worked.
Relief washed over his face. With a smug smirk, he flung the slip back toward the man.
“I knew it. You people definitely made a mistake! Tonight’s my engagement party. The Raltrex Prime is no longer what it used to be. Those two giants must have teamed up to show us some respect—that’s why they sent such an extravagant gift! They just didn’t get our family situation straight and wrote down ‘Avalon Delamar’—a totally irrelevant person.”
He looked so pleased with his supposed insight that I couldn’t help but shake my head silently.
Then, gesturing at Sharice, he arrogantly ordered the tuxedoed man, “Take a good look. This is my mom—Sharice Ralston!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the man replied with professional courtesy, though his tone was clearly strained. “The order explicitly states that only Miss Avalon may sign for the package.”
I stepped forward, smiling. “I’m Avalon.”
Then I picked up the pen and calmly signed my name.
A few waiters let out a quiet breath of relief. Carefully, almost reverently, they placed the lavish gift box before me and then slipped out without another word. They knew this delivery came from two industry titans—there was no room for error.
Just as I was about to open it, someone forcefully elbowed me aside.
Sharice shoved past and tore open the gift box herself. Her face lit up with a satisfied smile as she reached in and pulled out the contents.
At that moment, it was like the Milky Way had poured into the hall.
A wedding gown unlike anything words could describe spilled through her hands. The fabric shimmered with a deep, starlike luster. Intricate lacework and cascading layers of tulle glowed with the majesty of a cosmic nebula. Its sheer beauty stunned the entire party hall into silence—then came a surge of gasps and exclamations.
“Oh my god! Is that a Crown design? That’s not a gown—it’s art!”
“I’ve lived half my life and never seen anything this dreamlike. Ten million? Easily more!”
Radnor’s POV
My fiancée covered her mouth, tears sparkling in her eyes. Her voice trembled. “God, it’s so beautiful! I love it—I love it so much!”
But Shawna and I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. Our eyes filled with confusion.
‘This came from Avalon? That woman who left the Ralstons and could barely make ends meet as a maid? How on earth could she afford something like this—let alone have the connections to pull it off?’
‘No. Absolutely not!’
Shawna and I exchanged a quick glance, silently suppressing our doubt. And then, a silent agreement passed between us.
This had to be the CEO of AZZ & Co. and Paramount Productions’s doing. They must’ve sent the gift out of respect for the Ralstons—for Shawna and me in particular.
‘Avalon? She just got lucky. Her name has been written there by mistake.’
With that settled in my mind, I lifted the gown and handed it out carefully to my fiancée.
“Darling, wear this on our wedding day,” I said tenderly. “And you’ll be the most beautiful bride in the entire world!”
Avalon’s POV
Under the spotlight and the admiring eyes of the crowd, the twins stepped forward to flank their parents with tears in their eyes.
“We’re just so lucky!” Shawna choked up. “To have such amazing parents, especially our Mommy Sharice—she’s sacrificed so much for us. Her love can’t even be measured in money.”
The guests nodded in agreement, their eyes drifting disdainfully toward me in the corner.
“See? Only Sharice has that kind of class. What a thoughtful, impressive gesture!”
“Avalon came here just to steal attention, clearly riding on someone else’s coattails.”
“Exactly! It’s her own son’s engagement, and she shows up empty-handed? How selfish and cold-hearted can you get?”
“Dang, the stepmother’s more of a mother than the real one…”
Bathed in praise, Sharice moved through the crowd like a queen. Gracefully, she stopped in front of me and spoke in a voice just loud enough for everyone around us to hear.
“Avalon, I know life’s been hard for you out there. I really do. But tonight is your son’s big night. As his mother, surely you should show some kind of gesture?”
Her eyes drifted to my wrist, to the watch I wore—simple at a glance but actually a one-of-a-kind masterpiece crafted by a legendary artisan over several painstaking years.
She smiled sweetly, saying, “How about this—your watch is the only thing you’re wearing that looks halfway decent. Why not give it to the bride-to-be as your gift? I’m sure she’d love it.”
With a look only I could see, she silently taunted, ‘That “pathetic” little thing—do you even have the nerve to offer it? And if not, can you afford not to?
6.
Avalon’s POV
My gaze, cold and sharp as ice, locked onto Sharice as I countered, “Sharice, I was the one who signed for the wedding gown. What gives you the right to claim it was your gift?”
Without waiting for her response, I shoved her aside and walked straight up to Elyse. My voice was calm but firm.
“Elyse, this wedding gown is a congratulatory gift me and my children carefully prepared. It’s not from Sharice.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the expressions on Radnor and Shawna’s faces shifted dramatically. Even Rufus’s face darkened.
Rufus’s POV
Rage boiled in my chest, smoldering just beneath the surface. In a few quick strides, I reached Avalon, my voice thick with barely restrained fury.
“That’s enough, Avalon! Do you even know how much that wedding gown costs? You could work your entire life as a servant and still not afford a single button on it!”
Radnor snorted from the side and jumped in mockingly.
“Exactly. This generous gift came from my business partner—AZZ & Co.—and my sister’s boss, the diva of Paramount Productions herself. What, are you trying to take credit for it?”
Meanwhile, Shawna rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with disdain.
“Do you even hear yourself? You think people like that would stoop to associating with someone like you? At least rehearse your lies better next time.”
Tears welled up in Sharice’s eyes, brimming to the edge in an instant. Her voice quivered with hurt.
“Avalon, I let it go when you stole Rufus from me all those years ago. But now… you can’t even let me have a moment of sincerity? A forced relationship is never sweet. What’s not yours, no matter how much you fight, it’ll never be yours…”
Her voice broke as she collapsed into my arms, her shoulders shaking violently with sobs.
I tightened my hold around her protectively, and when I looked at Avalon, my eyes were laced with malice.
My teeth clenched, then I spat, “What exactly are you trying to do, Avalon?! All these years, Sharice hasn’t had a single night of peace because of you! She wakes from nightmares, trembling! And now, on the night our son gets engaged, you’re still trying to stir up drama out of jealousy? Apologize right now to Sharice—and to every guest present!”
Dad then stepped forward, trying to diffuse the chaos. “That’s enough! This is a joyful night—what kind of behavior is this?”
But I suddenly turned on him, my gaze sharp and accusing.
“You always defend her. But tonight is my son’s engagement! Have you even considered my feelings? Or how he must feel?”
He was momentarily stunned, choked by my words. His eyes fell on Radnor’s tense face. After a long sigh, he said nothing more and stepped back in silence.
“If you don’t apologize to Sharice right now,” I growled, my eyes locked on Avalon, each word spat through clenched teeth, “then don’t even dream of setting foot in the villa again!”
But she just stood there, unmoved, her chin held high. That silence of hers only added fuel to the fire burning in my chest.
Thoughts surged within me—wild and uncontrollable.
‘If only she had been a little more obedient back then, I wouldn’t have had to throw her out and make the whole city know the family had replaced the lady of the house.’
‘And now, on a night like this—my son’s grand engagement—she couldn’t even grant me the smallest shred of face?’
She wasn’t supposed to be this proud! She was supposed to be the same docile woman from the past, soft and pliant in my hands, someone who would give and give without asking for anything back!
I had always assumed that after leaving me, she’d regret it. That she’d crawl back one day in tears, begging for forgiveness.
But all these years, not once had she returned. Not for me. Not for the children.
In fact… she looked even more radiant than before—glowing, renewed, as if life without me had become all the more rich and comfortable.
‘That is absolutely unacceptable!’
Avalon should live the rest of her life beneath me, always looking up!
A vicious glint flashed in my eyes. I shot a glance at the bodyguard behind me.
He had worked for me for years and instantly understood. One look at Sharice’s tear-streaked, trembling face, and he sprang into action.
He strode toward Avalon, his hand like a steel clamp, reaching for her.
“Apologize to Ma’am Sharice! And to every esteemed guest here tonight!”
“Who gave you permission to touch me?”
She shoved the bodyguard away with all her strength, then turned instinctively to the children she had once loved more than life itself. But all she saw were two faces etched with indifference and disgust.
Her heart must’ve plunged into a frozen abyss.
“Very well. Just perfect.”
She laughed. There was no warmth in the sound—only bitter disappointment.
“So these are the ‘good children’ I raised with all my heart for more than a decade. In that case, let’s cut all ties. I don’t belong here anyway.”
She pushed past the bodyguard again and turned to leave.
Just as she was about to step out of the party, Radnor grabbed the flower vase beside him and hurled it at her back with a furious roar.
