Episode 101

“I’ve got no idea. It was left at the reception desk with instructions to give it to you. By the time I went downstairs, the messenger had already left,” Ruby said, her brow furrowed in confusion, as if trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.

Elizabeth unfolded the package gently. Inside was a neatly folded card with the word “Invitation” elegantly imprinted on its cover, a touch of enigma wrapped in simplicity.

Before she could even open it, her phone buzzed like an impatient reminder. Elijah’s name appeared on the screen, and his brisk voice came through, urging her to hurry.

Elizabeth mentioned she would arrive soon, and then she tucked the envelope back and casually tossed it into the nearby trash can.

Every year, invitations like this found their way to her, each as unwanted as the last. She didn’t waste time pondering how this one ended up at her company. In this business, people had a remarkable talent for uncovering personal details.

Truth be told, she despised such events.

Elijah, her husband, rarely attended these social gatherings and would pass his invites to her as though they were chores. “You should go if you feel like it,” he’d say.

But what was the point of going alone?

She could already imagine the two possible outcomes. Either she’d become the subject of whispered gossip, with acquaintances quietly commenting on her husband’s absence, or she’d end up fending off advances from strangers with questionable intentions.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Elizabeth glanced at Ruby. “Let’s head upstairs. Mr. Rodgers and Asher Burton are already here.”