Chapter 78

Chloe’s POV

I held it.

Did not smile. Did not look away.

Margaret noticed.

I saw it in the way she shifted closer, tightening her grip on his arm, angling her body to block his line of sight. She leaned in to whisper something in his ear, her lips brushing dangerously close, her smile practiced and sweet.

He barely reacted.

His attention flickered back to me again, briefly, before he forced himself to face forward.

I watched Margaret’s jaw tighten just slightly. The tension was subtle, but it was there. She was fighting for his attention, even now, even here, in front of everyone.

The announcer spoke about legacy. About growth. About twenty years of success. Applause followed at the right moments. Cameras flashed. Everything played out exactly as planned on the surface.

But beneath it, something else was unfolding.

Drake stood there with Margaret clinging to him, yet his eyes kept finding me. Distracted. Drawn. Unste