Emerald’s POV
The venue was stunning.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while servers moved gracefully through the crowd carrying silver trays filled with champagne.
Business executives, investors, journalists, and socialites mingled beneath towering floral arrangements.
The entire place practically screamed money.
Kelvin must have spent a fortune.
This was Mercer Technologies’ biggest celebration yet. Over the past few years, Kelvin’s company had become one of the fastest-growing firms in Los Angeles, attracting attention from people whom most entrepreneurs only ever read about in magazines.
Kelvin had worked hard for this moment. And so had I.
Maybe not publicly or in ways anyone would ever recognize, but I had been there through every late night, every rejected proposal, every failed investor meeting, and every moment he wanted to quit.
So tonight felt important, not just for Kelvin but for both of us.
Though for weeks, Maya had been acting strangely, but not in a bad way, just... secretive.
Every time I brought up tonight’s celebration, she would grin like she knew something nobody else did. At first, I had brushed it off, but then the teasing started.
"I hope you’ve prepared a speech."
"You should wear something pretty."
"Maybe your life will change tonight."
And the worst one: "Some girls wait forever for a ring, you know."
Maya refused to explain further, but after years of knowing my best friend, I wasn’t stupid. The hints were too obvious.
A ridiculous smile tugged at my lips. Could tonight really be the night? My stomach fluttered at the thought.
I turned my gaze to my phone to see if there were any messages from Kelvin, but there was nothing. Not even a simple Have you arrived?
A small frown formed between my brows. Before I could dwell on it, movement near the ballroom entrance caught my attention.
Kelvin had just entered.
Immediately, the tension in my shoulders eased.
Kelvin looked good tonight. His tailored navy suit fit him perfectly, and the confidence in his stride made him look every bit the successful businessman people admired.
Watching him greet guests and shake hands with investors filled me with pride.
For years, I had watched him fight for moments like this. I knew exactly how much effort it had taken to get here.
Kelvin’s eyes scanned the ballroom just then. Our eyes locked for a moment, and I couldn’t help but smile wider. Initially, I thought he was coming over, but unexpectedly, he shifted his gaze and moved toward a group of investors.
The smile slowly faded from my face.
The disappointment caught me off guard. There was not a single acknowledgement from him.
I quickly pushed the feeling aside. Kelvin was busy, and tonight was very important to him. That was all.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the ballroom shifted. Conversations began to die down as heads turned toward the entrance, and a ripple of excitement spread through the venue.
Curious, I followed the crowd’s gaze.
A tall man had just entered the ballroom. At the same time, whispers spread quickly through the room.
"That’s Michael King."
"I didn’t know he was invited."
"I heard he never attends events like this."
The name travelled quickly from one group to another, and almost immediately, recognition flashed through my mind.
Michael King.
The billionaire businessman whose name seemed to appear everywhere lately, with investments, corporate acquisitions, and international partnerships.
Nobody knew much about him personally, which only fueled public curiosity.
Some magazines called him elusive. Others called him untouchable.
Even from a distance, something about him felt different.
It wasn’t because Michael King demanded attention, but somehow attention simply followed him. Everyone noticed him.
Then I noticed Kelvin. Unlike earlier, when he had casually greeted other guests, his entire demeanour changed. Without hesitation, he excused himself from his conversation and headed directly toward Michael King.
The excitement on his face was impossible to miss as he reached him and quickly extended a hand.
Mr. King accepted the handshake, after which Kelvin said something that made his lips curl into a smile. Then I saw Mr. King respond with a remark that caused Kelvin to let out a hearty laugh.
Though the exchange lasted less than a minute, it seemed as if Michael King’s arrival was the highlight of the evening for him.
I watched Kelvin continue speaking with him, and not once did he glance in my direction.
Before I could think much about it, the ballroom lights dimmed gradually, and conversations quieted.
The large screens around the venue flickered to life. At the front of the room, Kelvin stepped onto the stage, and applause erupted immediately.
My pulse quickened. This was it. It had to be.
Months of anticipation... weeks of Maya’s mysterious teasing. Everything seemed to be leading toward this moment.
On stage, Kelvin smiled confidently. "Thank you all for being here tonight."
I, along with everyone else, applauded once more.
Kelvin spent several minutes speaking about the company, its growth, and its future. Then he spoke about perseverance, sacrifice, and the people who had helped him along the way.
I listened carefully, though every passing second made me more nervous than I already was.
"There is one more announcement I would like to make tonight," Kelvin declared, and immediately, the audience became attentive.
Even the livestream comments displayed across several screens seemed to explode with curiosity.
"None of my success would have been possible without the woman who truly stood beside me."
Immediately, my eyes filled with emotion as heat rushed to my face. And my heart pounded so loudly I could hear it.
Around the ballroom, people began smiling knowingly. Some were already glancing in my direction.
For one brief, beautiful moment, I thought every sacrifice had been worth it. Every late night, every compromise, every struggle, and every time I stood beside him when nobody else believed he would succeed.
Then, to my utmost dismay, Kelvin turned toward Maya, whom I hadn’t seen all evening.
Not me.
The smile on my face froze.
At the same time, the ballroom erupted into applause. Maya gracefully handed her champagne glass to a passing waiter and began walking toward the stage.
At first, I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing. But then, she glanced toward me, and our gazes met.
She sported a smile that seemed familiar, the same one she had worn for years, the very smile I had always trusted without doubt.
Then Maya ascended the stairs, and Kelvin offered his hand, which she accepted.
Camera flashes exploded across the ballroom. The large screens behind them switched images, revealing photos of them together.
The entire room gasped.
My pulse stuttered. No. It can’t be true. There is no way this could have happened.
Right then, Kelvin’s smile widened as he lifted Maya’s hand. "I would like everyone to join me in congratulating my fiancée."
The ballroom erupted. Applause thundered through the venue as camera flashes exploded from every direction.
Kelvin’s next words shattered my world.
"My future wife, Maya Fox."
The applause became deafening.
I stood frozen, unable to move or think because standing beside my boyfriend of six years, wearing an engagement ring I had never seen before, was Maya.
My very own best friend.
Camera flashes continued to explode throughout the ballroom as the screen kept showing photograph after photograph of Kelvin and Maya together.
A restaurant Maya had claimed to visit with coworkers.
A charity gala Kelvin supposedly attended alone.
A beach trip Maya once described as a solo vacation.
As I stared at the images, pieces of the puzzle began fitting together in the cruellest way possible.
Conversations I had never questioned. Excuses I had accepted without hesitation. Small inconsistencies I had dismissed because I trusted them both.
The truth was suddenly everywhere, and it hurt.
Around me, congratulations were already pouring in. Guests raised their glasses, some recording eagerly while others uploaded clips to social media.
Finally, I found my voice.
"Maya."
The single word was spoken softly, yet it somehow pierced through the noise.
Maya turned to look at me. Neither of us spoke for a while, then I asked—
"What is this?"