Chapter 28

[Evelyn’s POV]

I could do this...I could do this...Please let me be able to do this.

The moment the car pulled up to the front of the venue, I felt my heart slip into my stomach. My nerves were so on edge that I was practically vibrating. The driver opened the door and allowed me to gracefully get out of the back seat.

Wendy was kind enough to help me with the back end of my dress so it wouldn’t get bunched up or accidentally caught in the car door. It certainly wouldn’t have been the most ideal way to enter this gathering.

With Wendy at my side, the two of us entered the venue which was tastefully decorated in elegant ribbons and gorgeous bunches of flowers.

“Don’t worry about what anyone says,” the older woman said quietly. “Remember, all because you’re obligated to be here doesn’t mean that you won’t have a nice time.”

I tried to offer a smile. “I suppose you’re right.”

Wendy slipped my hand through her own and the two of us continued walking. As I tried to get a hold of my shaking nerves, I began to hear the subtle low hum of amused chuckling.

“What is it?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” she mused. “But...Well, Nina told me about you hauling yourself up in the library these past few days.”

I stopped moving and nearly swayed off my feet. My face flushed a deep shade of pink that I had no hope of hiding. Goddamnit.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I was trying to prepare myself for today as best as I could.”

Wendy nodded her head. “Etiquette...It can be a very overwhelming and rather frustrating topic to comprehend.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, desperate to hang on to what little dignity I had left at that moment. No one was supposed to ever find out about my research. It was bad enough that I had never been taught these things when I was younger, I was merely hoping to brush up on a few lessons and maybe gain a few pointers so that I didn’t end up making a fool of myself.

“I was never taught certain things growing up,” I said meekly.

“My dear, why did you not just come to me directly?” Wendy asked. “I would have happily instructed you through a few short lessons. Surely it would have saved you a bit of time if you had.”

This time, I felt a bubbling rush of laughter rush to the surface. My God. Why hadn’t I gone to Wendy? I knew I’d felt embarrassed about it all, but if anyone was capable of teaching me, it would have been her.

“You’re right. I should have. Instead, I locked myself in the library for hours on end to the point where I was utterly exhausted,” I confessed with a breathless laugh.

Wendy shook her head, utterly baffled. “Didn’t you allow yourself any breaks at all? Alexander must have been worried.”

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know what he was feeling, to be honest. Even though we shared that one intimate moment about our pasts, he and I haven’t been close recently. He’s been so busy with his plans lately that he isn’t even aware that I haven’t been in bed like I usually would be.”

She gave me a questionable look.

“What do you mean?”

“In the midst of me trying to gain anything valuable from my research, I kept falling asleep in the library. But...The strangest thing is that whenever I’d wake up, I always found myself back in bed. Nina claimed that I must have been sleepwalking, but I’ve never slept-walk in my life. Not even as a child.”

An interesting glimmer flashed over Wendy’s eyes. Again, it made me feel as though she knew something I didn’t.

“Really? How curious...” she said airly. “No matter, when this is all over, you and I are going to sit down and start these etiquette lessons.”

I nodded my head and smiled. “Alright. Thank you.”

The time arrived in which Wendy and I had made it inside the event and, as if on cue, most of the room had turned their heads to glance in our direction. Many people gasped while others were muttering under their breath to those nearby.

If they weren’t gawking at me then they were staring at Wendy. The woman beside me was handling the attention like an absolute star. The edge of her lips held a smirk that dared anyone to let out one snide remark.

Now that I thought about it, there was a very likely chance that this Luna gathering was the first event Wendy had openly attended in a very long time. Based on the surprised looks of some of the other older women in attendance, they were all shocked to see her there.

Myself, on the other hand...I was continuously being accosted by ongoing murmurs about my attire. It was as though no one could believe it was really me who was wearing this dress.

Gradually, Wendy and I made our way deeper into the room while keeping our stature tall and proud. I’d never walked with confidence before.

Suddenly, an older woman approached us with an astonished look on her face. “Oh my God, Wendy!”

“Hello, Lilian. It’s so nice to see you again, I trust the family is well.”

“Oh, yes. My son and wife have just welcomed their second child just a few months ago,” she exclaimed. “Come, you must catch up with the rest of the ladies over here, it’s been too long since we’ve last spoken.”

My heart lurched in my chest at the thought of her leaving my side. What the hell was I going to do if she left my side?

Wendy, having sensed my uneasiness, turned to give me a reassuring glance. “I’ll be over here. Don’t worry. Remember to just relax.”

Easy for her to say, the woman already has a long list of devoted friends!

Who did I have? As sad as it sounded...No one. I suppose that was the price I had to pay for spending the majority of my time with staff in my house rather than trying to make friends my own age from other families.

I let out a long breath and headed off toward the refreshment table for something to help my dry throat. Picking up a glass of tea, I was instantly faced with a few girls I didn’t recognize. Their eyes were devouring my appearance from the jewels that were hanging off of me to the dress that flowed to the floor.

“Your dress is absolutely stunning,” one of them said.

“You must tell us where you got it from.”

“And your necklace, is that a real emerald?”

My stomach clenched. “Um, my designer made it for me,” I said weakly.

All their faces lit up with shock. “You have your own designer?”

“Oh, well, I probably shouldn’t have said that she’s my designer. She works with my husband and I whenever an occasion like this comes up. And, yes. To answer your other questions, the emeralds are real.”

Their jaws collectively hit the floor. I took a tentative sip from my glass and braced myself.

Well, who knows, maybe this won’t be such a catastrophe after all.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of two very familiar-looking faces and immediately felt the blood drain from my face.

What the hell are they doing here?