The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

The Williams family's gala was a spectacle that put every other high-society gathering to shame.

It was held at their sprawling estate, which, on the day of the event, buzzed with unprecedented energy. The parking lot resembled a luxury car expo, packed with a dazzling array of limited-edition vehicles-so many that guests could hardly take them all in.

Skyler had sent invitations to nearly every family with so much as a notable surname, regardless of their background or foreign origin. As a result, the guest list included a striking number of international faces.

As people filed into the grand ballroom, excited chatter filled the air. "You know," someone remarked, "we haven't seen an event on this scale in our circle for at least two years. Skyler must really care about this adopted daughter."

"Adopted? She's family, plain and simple. Didn't you see the news recently? Aurora's the one who turned out to be illegitimate.”

"I don't buy it. If Aurora really were illegitimate, would they let it become public knowledge? The Williams family would have buried the story ages ago."

"I heard the news broke while Aurora was in Novaris. Even the Williams family couldn't contain it once it hit the press there."

"So this so-called real daughter is from Novaris, right? You don't suppose she was behind leaking the story?"

"It's possible... If that's the case, the new girl's not one to mess with. First thing she does is blow up the family secrets by outing Aurora as illegitimate. Aurora's been groomed as the family's number one debutante-meant to marry the best of the best. Now, all of a sudden, her value just dropped through the floor."

"If she's really exceptional, being illegitimate shouldn't matter."

"That's easy to say, but there's always a difference between a child born in wedlock and one who's not. Status matters, whether we like it or not."

With the recent scandal still fresh-Aurora exposed as illegitimate—and now this public family reunion, gossip was at an all-time high. Everyone was eager to see how Aurora would carry herself after the fallout.noveldrama

But even more, they wanted to get a look at the woman who'd allegedly leaked the secret: the so-called real daughter. No one believed she'd be easy to deal with.

Whispers swirled at least eighty percent of the guests were convinced Stella was the one who'd exposed the truth. After all, she was the one who stood to gain. The announcement of the reunion had come right on the heels of the scandal, which only fueled speculation.

Many in attendance were here for the drama, hoping to see the Williams family-famous for their spotless reputation and upstanding values brought down a peg. Now, with an illegitimate child in their midst, they seemed no different from any other family with skeletons in the closet.

Coleman and Israel, both Williams sons, were tasked with greeting guests at the entrance. They could feel the stares from every direction-some mocking, some amused, others filled with veiled meaning. The stares were like daggers, making both men visibly uncomfortable.

One guest approached with a smirk. "Come on, it's your family's big reunion. Shouldn't you two look a little happier?"

Another young man, who had a long-standing rivalry with them, snickered. "Or did something not sit well with breakfast this morning?"

Someone else chimed in, grinning, "So Aurora's the love child? That makes you two half-siblings, right? Judging by those faces, you'd think you were the scandalous ones."