Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Gallery
The flashbulbs of the paparazzi went off like a synchronized storm of lightning the moment Adrian and Emily stepped into the grand rotunda of the Met. Flash-blinded for a second, Emily instinctively tightened her grip on Adrian’s arm. The reporters shouted over one another, their long-lens cameras clicking furiously.
"Mr. Bennett! Who is your companion?" "Is it true you're engaged, Adrian?" "Miss—is it Carter? Where is your family from?"
Adrian didn't break his stride, nor did he offer the press a flashy smile. Instead, he maintained a cool, protective barrier around Emily, guiding her smoothly past the velvet ropes and into the exhibition hall where New York’s elite had gathered for the charity gala.
Inside, the whispers started immediately. They didn't have to wait long.
Barely ten minutes after their arrival, while Adrian was briefly intercepted by the museum’s director near a priceless Renaissance sculpture, Madison Parker materialized from behind a marble pillar like a sleek, predatory cat. She was dressed in a striking crimson gown that practically screamed for attention, her eyes narrowed with venom as she looked Emily up and down.
"Well, well, well," Madison purred, swirling a glass of champagne with exaggerated slowness. "If it isn't the little cleaning girl. I suppose miracles really do happen—or perhaps you simply learned how to pick a wealthier pocket since Thursday."
Emily didn't flinch. The panic she had felt in the ballroom days ago was gone, replaced by a cold, steady armor forged from the realization that Madison was nothing more than an insecure bully hiding behind her father's bank account.
"Good evening, Madison," Emily replied smoothly, her voice calm and even. "I see you're still wearing that same shade of desperate red. It matches your personality."
Madison’s jaw dropped slightly, the glass pausing halfway to her lips. Before she could muster a stinging retort, Vanessa Bennett pushed through the crowd, her face twisted in utter disbelief as she caught sight of Emily’s designer dress and diamond bracelet.
"Wait a minute," Vanessa hissed, stepping directly into Emily’s personal space. "What is the meaning of this? Adrian! Adrian, get over here right now!"
Adrian, who had been watching the exchange from just a few yards away, glided over with effortless precision. He positioned himself seamlessly beside Emily, his arm resting familiarly around her waist.
"Is there a problem, Vanessa?" Adrian asked, his voice deceptively soft.
"A problem? Adrian, have you completely lost your mind?" Vanessa shrieked, drawing the uncomfortable attention of several nearby ambassadors and foundation trustees. "You brought her? To the Met gala? In a dress that clearly cost more than her entire apartment building? Are you trying to make our family a laughingstock?"
"On the contrary," Adrian said clearly, his gray eyes sweeping across the gathering crowd that had now formed a silent, fascinated circle around them. "I brought my fiancée to a charity event. An event, I might add, dedicated to supporting hardworking families—values that clearly escape both of you."
The word fiancée dropped like a bomb in the center of the gallery.
Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Madison stumbled backward half a step, her face turning pale under layers of expensive makeup. "Fiancée? Adrian, you must be joking. She’s a servant! She doesn't even have a pedigree!"
"Pedigree?" Adrian’s voice carried an icy edge that silenced the entire room. "Pedigree didn't stop your father from embezzling three million dollars from the Queens municipal transit fund last year, Madison. Shall we discuss family backgrounds in public, or would you prefer to finish your champagne in silence?"
Madison went chalk-white, turning on her heel and fleeing into the crowd without another word. Vanessa stood frozen, sputtering indignantly before storming off in the opposite direction.
May you like
Emily looked up at Adrian, her heart doing a strange, unexpected flip in her chest. "You didn't have to bring up her father’s embezzlement."
"People who throw stones in glass houses deserve to have their windows shattered," Adrian murmured down to her, a faint, genuine smile touching his lips. "Besides, you handled yourself remarkably well, Miss Carter."
