Will Be Gone 3

Chapter 3 The Gala
BREAKING NEWS: “Regent Entertainment has named a new CEO, but the identity remains a mystery. An exclusive gala will be held tonight at the Peninsula Hotel.”
The news sent the city into a frenzy. Reporters rushed to get the best coverage, camping outside the company headquarters for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of this new CEO.
Inside Regent Entertainment, workers were buzzing with nervous excitement.
“I can’t wait to see what he looks like.”
“I heard he’s really handsome.”
“Shh! If the director hears us, we’re getting another lecture.”
After a few more whispers, everyone scattered.
At the back, a woman walked out of the restroom, her face tight with resentment. She had given years to this company, only for someone else to take the CEO spot. Tonight, she would find out who it was.
As evening fell, the grand gala was about to begin.
At the entrance, the high-society crowd chatted and laughed. Their words held a quiet competition, with subtle jabs wrapped in polite compliments.
Then, a limited-edition Rolls-Royce pulled up, turning every head.
Everyone expected Regent Entertainment’s new CEO, but when the car door opened, Felton stepped out with a woman few recognized. Felton exuded authority and refinement. The woman was stunning, though there was a fragile quality to her.
They looked like the perfect match.
The crowd murmured with curiosity.
“Isn’t that Mr. Gutierrez? Who’s the woman with him? His wife, the one he’s supposedly been married to for three years?”
“Nah. I saw his wife once; she’s a total knockout. This one… she’s gorgeous, but something feels off. Like she’s missing something…” The man suddenly went quiet, sensing a glare.
He looked up, meeting Raquel’s hostile stare, and shut up fast.
Felton heard the comment but only gave a slight frown.
His reaction disappointed Raquel. She clenched her jaw and then leaned into him. “Felty, my feet hurt,” she murmured sweetly.
He pulled her into his arms and said softly, “Just hang in there a little longer. We’ll head home right after we meet the new CEO.”
“Okay.”
She knew better than to push. Felton liked her, not just because she had once saved his life, but because she never questioned what he chose to keep to himself.
Their intimacy drew envious glances from the young women nearby.
“They look so in love. It’s unreal,” one said.
“Watching them makes me want my own perfect romance. Where is my Prince Charming?” another asked.
Raquel heard the murmurs and lifted her chin, smug.
She no longer cared that the Fletcher family refused to acknowledge her. Felton’s heart was hers, and she was sure he would marry her soon.
Then, she would be the most respected woman in the city.
Just then, a stir in the crowd snapped her out of it.
A sleek black Maybach pulled up to the entrance.
Hobert stepped out first, cool and distant. Then he leaned in and offered a hand to his plus-one.
Felton froze the moment he saw the bracelet on her wrist—identical to the one Anastasia used to wear.