Chapter 3 - The Gala
Sterling Holdings was hosting its annual charity gala, a heavily publicized event Arthur couldn't skip. Normally, he would leave the girls with a nanny. But the twins refused to let Clara out of their sight.
"They can come," Arthur decided. "And you will accompany them."
"Mr. Sterling, I can't attend a black-tie gala. I don't own anything but scrubs and jeans," Clara protested.
That afternoon, a team of stylists arrived at the estate, courtesy of Arthur. When Clara stepped into the grand ballroom that evening, the room practically stopped. She wore a stunning, emerald-green silk gown that cascaded down her figure. Her brown hair was swept into an elegant updo, framing a face that required almost no makeup to be breathtaking.
Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat. He offered her his arm, ignoring the whispers of the elite crowd and the furious glare from Vivian across the room.
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Throughout the night, Clara didn't mingle with the billionaires; she sat at a corner table, coloring with the twins. When a drunken corporate rival approached the table and made a snide remark about Arthur "buying the help," Clara stood up, delivered a polite but devastatingly sharp verbal takedown, and sat back down to help Maya draw a butterfly.
Arthur watched from the bar, a profound, undeniable realization hitting him: he wasn't just relying on Clara. He was falling for her.
