Chapter 89
The Monarch Grand Hotel lobby buzzed with tension as a crowd gathered around the unfolding drama.
"Ms. Blackwood, please compose yourself," the flustered manager pleaded, mopping his brow. "As a distinguished guest, this public display is most unbecoming. Perhaps we could continue this discussion in private?"
Cassandra Blackwood's crimson nails tapped impatiently against the marble counter. "Distinguished? Then why are your staff stealing from me? Or is theft standard practice here for 'ordinary' guests?"
The murmuring crowd recognized the Blackwood heiress, though her current behavior resembled more of a street brawler than a socialite.
"I...I didn't take anything," the trembling housekeeper whispered, eyes downcast.
"Liar!" Cassandra's manicured finger jabbed toward the woman's face, stopping just short of her eye. "My necklace was on the vanity! Do you think it grew legs?"
Amelia Thornton sneered, "We're all women of standing here. Why would we touch your cheap baubles?"
"Unlike some," Beatrice Whitmore added with a pointed look at the housekeeper, "who've probably never seen real jewelry before."
Cassandra crossed her arms with a derisive laugh. "Pathetic. I expected better from a Monarch property. My family's hotels would never tolerate such incompetence!"
The manager's expression darkened. In his twenty years of hospitality, he'd never encountered such blatant disrespect.
The tension shattered when a clear voice cut through the murmurs. "Ms. Blackwood, you're making unsubstantiated accusations and publicly humiliating our staff. Is this really appropriate behavior?"
All heads turned toward the striking woman in an ivory pantsuit striding forward. Evelyn Carter moved with such effortless grace in her towering Louboutins that they might as well have been slippers.
Cassandra's entourage gaped at the vision approaching them.
"You?" Cassandra's lip curled as she took in Evelyn's designer ensemble and the sapphire drops swaying at her ears - each piece worth more than Cassandra's entire outfit.
The contrast between the two women couldn't have been starker - Evelyn radiating quiet sophistication while Cassandra resembled a shrieking harpy.
At that precise moment, Nathan Blackwood and Oliver Sinclair entered the lobby. Nathan's breath caught at the sight of his estranged wife after weeks of radio silence. His pulse quickened as his gaze traced her familiar silhouette.
"Sir, it's Mrs. Blackwood!" Oliver whispered excitedly before noticing Cassandra. His face fell. "What's Miss Cassandra doing here? This looks... problematic."
Nathan's jaw tightened, but he held up a hand. "Let's observe first."
The housekeeper burst into relieved tears upon seeing Evelyn. "Manager Carter, please-"
"Manager?" Cassandra scoffed. "How the mighty have fallen."
Evelyn's lips curved into a dazzling smile. "On the contrary, I've never been happier. At least now I'm treated with basic human decency."
The barb struck Nathan like a physical blow. His throat constricted as bitter realization dawned. Had his family truly made her feel less than human all those years?