Chapter 55

"Your grandfather wants to see Zoe!" Amaya blurted out, her face a picture of astonishment. With a surge of excitement, she hurried over to Liam, searching his expression. "Liam, is this for real?"

Liam nodded. "I wouldn't make this up. He sent both me and Kayla to pass along the message. If Zoe is okay with it, someone from the Graham family will swing by tonight to pick her up."

Kayla's brows drew together at that. Wasn't tonight supposed to be Jeremy's private meeting with Zoe?How did it turn into Zoe visiting the Graham family?

Questions bubbled up, but Kayla decided not to ask.This was none of her concern, and she'd rather not get involved.

"Wonderful! Zoe wouldn't miss it for the world!"Amaya's joy practically radiated as she dashed up the stairs, her grin stretching impossibly wide. On the landing,she nearly collided with Zoe, who was coming down.

Zoe had already caught snippets of the conversation from above. Grabbing Amaya's hands, she asked, "Are you serious? Johnny actually wants to meet me?"

Amaya's excitement was contagious. "Of course! This is your big moment! Go get yourself ready-the Graham family is expecting you tonight!"

"I just cut the dress into pieces! I have to buy something new. There's still a little time, right?" Zoe spun and sprinted back to her room, eyes bright with anticipation.

Kayla rose from her seat. "I need to run an errand,so I'll be going. You all can carry on."

Just as she moved to leave, Liam caught her wrist."I've wrapped up my conversation with Damon. Let's leave together."

Kayla tried to gently pull away, a hint of frustration twitching at her lips, but Liam's hold only grew firmer.

"We're heading out," Liam said to Damon, then placed a protective arm around Kayla's waist, steering her toward the door.

Damon stood in the entryway, puzzlement etched across his face until Kayla and Liam were out of sight.

Meanwhile, Amaya practically skipped back into the room, unable to hide her glee. "Darling, we're about to hit the mother lode! If Johnny wants to meet Zoe, it must mean he's impressed. Once Zoe marries Jeremy,we'll be set for life-wealth and status, just like we always dreamed!"

Still unconvinced, Damon's brows knit tighter. "It all seems a little too fast, doesn't it? Maybe something's not right." Irritation flashed in Amaya's eyes. She reached over,giving his arm a sharp pinch. "Will you stop being so negative? Zoe is your daughter! Why can't you show a little faith in her? This time, nothing's going to go wrong!"

"Alright, alright, I get it." Damon put his arm around her as they wandered over to the couch. "Still, don't you think it's odd? Wasn't Kayla supposed to be divorcing Liam? The way they acted today, you'd never know there were any problems."

Amaya tossed her head and scoffed, "Kayla's drama doesn't concern me. Liam is barely a blip on the Graham family radar anyway. His mother wasn't even legitimate, so Kayla's never going to match up to Zoe.If Zoe becomes Jeremy's wife, she'll run the household. There's nothing better than that."

Damon's chest swelled with pride. "You're right.We really do have an extraordinary daughter."

Stepping out of the villa, Kayla quickly made her excuses and slipped away. She hailed a taxi, eager to put distance between herself and Liam, and headed straight back to her office.

That evening, the Graham family's estate buzzed with preparations for a formal family gathering-attendance mandatory for everyone.

Since Kayla and Liam remained married,their presence was expected. Earlier that day, Janiya had messaged,pressing Kayla to arrive ahead of time.

Kayla had other plans. She intentionally lingered,intending to arrive only after the festivities were already underway.

Nevertheless, she picked up a small present and called a cab. Since vehicles weren't allowed past the main gates, she stepped out quietly and walked the rest of the way up the drive.

At that moment, the heavy iron gates of the estate swung open, allowing a parade of glossy black luxury cars to glide onto the property.

Automatically, Kayla moved aside, casting a discreet glance as the convoy swept past. The understated elegance of the vehicles radiated quiet power, and the flawless coordination of the procession-security detail and all-spoke of absolute authority.

Inside the lead car, Jeremy reclined in the back seat,the window halfway down. Streetlights spilled over his angular features, making his expression seem even colder and more distant than usual.

The motorcade whisked by, offering Kayla only the briefest view.

A thought tugged at her. Jeremy hardly ever showed up at these family gatherings. He must have returned tonight because Zoe was expected. But if that was true,why hadn't he picked Zoe up himself? Turning the qulestion over in her mind, Kayla continued up the driveway until she reached the villa. Jeremy,having just exited his car, now stood in a perfectly tailored black suit that made his presence impossible to ignore.

As Kayla lingered at the doorway, an uncomfortable uncertainty grew. Should she greet him or simply slip by without a word?

With a deep breath, she decided to avoid trouble by bowing her head and quickening her steps, trying to make it inside unnoticed.

But Jeremy's steely eyes found her immediately,holding her in place.

Gathering her composure, Kayla forced a polite smile and said, "Good evening."