A Party to Attend

"You look really pretty!"

It was the night of the party, and Chloe couldn't have been more satisfied with the dress she had chosen for Allie.

For this night, Allie was Scarlet, so she wore inconspicuous honey blonde wig, which was shoulder length and curled, and blue contact lenses to cover her green eyes. She also applied perfect smokey makeup.

Her dress was the highlight of her look: velvet wine red, flowing down her feet with a slit on the right leg. She was like a siren ready to dig her claws into her prey. There was no trace of the plain Allison Gray in her appearance.

"And you did well on your makeup," Chloe added.

"I have to do my makeup when I do my job as Scarlet."

Allie made sure that she looked different in every job she took as Scarlet. She couldn't let anyone recognize her, so she had mastered the art of makeup and hair styling. She wasn't very fond of it, but it was necessary.

Meanwhile, Chloe was wearing a royal blue dress and had her hair tied up. They soon left Allie's penthouse and rode Chloe's luxury car.

The event was held in one of the Mori hotels. There was a red carpet at the entrance of the hotel, and the media were all over the entrance, busy taking photos of the esteemed guests.

Chloe went out of the car first. Allie followed her, and they walked side by side.

While Allie didn't look directly at the cameras around them, Chloe's smile and waving hand were everywhere. She was stealing the spotlight because she knew Allie was trying to be less conspicuous.

"When did you come back, Miss Chloe!"

"What are you wearing, Miss Chloe!"

"Here, Miss Chloe!"

Allie smiled a bit. Chloe was the perfect distraction. Her family may not be as rich as the Moris', but they were still a prominent clan in the business industry. And besides, she was also married to a business tycoon's son. While Allie, on the other hand, was nothing but a new face to the media. So they weren't paying attention to her.

"Why are you not with Mr. Jensen? And who is your companion?"

Chloe paused for a moment. "She's Scarlet, a friend of mine from Cambridge."

She said nothing more, and they continued walking until they reached the hotel's huge hall filled with brimming chandeliers.

"As expected from the matriarch of the Mori family, this party exudes extravagance in every corner," Chloe commented, very much pleased.

Allie looked around. During the two days before the party, she wasted no time. She made Cole bring her a copy of the guest list and researched the young ladies she wasn't familiar with. After getting some of their information, she ranked them so she already had a list of possible candidates.

All she had to do now was to observe them, talk a bit to them, and see what their personalities were like in person. After all, you could never get to know someone with just simple research. 

"Let's get some drinks and go to Lucresia Perry's group. I'm sure she's one of your prospects," Chloe said, and they went to a table of refreshments.

Lucresia Perry was indeed one of Allie's prospects. She was an heiress to a construction company and an engineer herself. She wasn't very fond of social gatherings and was known to be reserved and intelligent. She liked having a low profile, so Allie didn't find much information about her on the internet.

"A woman of class like her must be surrounded by young women of her kind," thought Allie as she and Chloe walked towards the group. It meant she had more prospects to choose from.

Although Chloe was barely acquainted with the group, most of them still recognized her.

"Hello," Chloe greeted with a friendly tone and smile.

"Hello, Chloe," it was Lucresia who greeted back first. "We barely talked during your wedding two years ago. It's good to see you back."

"Yeah, I finally finished my master's, and now I'm back for good. I'm happy to be back." Chloe turned to Allie, "by the way, this is my friend from Cambridge, Scarlet. She's just on vacation, so I brought her with me."

"Hello Scarlet," Lucresia smiled at Allie.

The rest of the group did the same, but Allie could tell the lack of interest.

"What? Are you here to look for investors for your startup?" It was the woman beside Lucresia who made the sarcastic remark.

It was Lucresia's cousin, Heidi. Most of the girls chuckled while some stifled their smiles. Allie's eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with a startup?" Allie smiled, looking friendly and innocent, but her eyes were sharp.

Heidi was quick to reply with an obvious hint of sarcasm, "There's nothing wrong with that. But as daughters from families with big businesses, aren't we expected to help our families? What I'm saying is it's just amazing how Chloe could be so courageous to go against her family's will and build a company from scratch."

"And oh, Chloe, did I hear the news right? Someone said to me that you are divorcing Ron."

The rest of the group didn't look shocked, as if it had been one of their gossip topics.

"You must have met someone great while in Cambridge. Probably richer and more handsome?"

Allie noticed the group's criticizing and mocking stares at Chloe. She looked at Lucresia, and her brows twitched. Although Lucresia was silent and her face barely gave anything away, her silence was enough to prove that she didn't think differently from her friends.

Like they said, birds of a feather flock together.

Looks angelic but definitely not.

Allie smirked. Perhaps Lucresia Perry was the perfect bride for Evan Mori. While Heidi was too much, Lucresia could perfectly act as a perfect wife because she had mastered the art of looking innocent and reserved.

"What would the Jensens say if they knew about this? I heard you didn't sign a prenup when you got married…" Heidi's tone was speculative. "You're not that desperate to find funds for your startup, are you?"

It was true Chloe and her husband, Ron Jensen, didn't have a prenuptial agreement. But it wasn't because Chloe refused to have it, but because Ron didn't want to.

But Heidi's words suggested that she was divorcing Ron to have half of his wealth and properties for her startup business! This infuriated Chloe.

"Thanks for your concern," Chloe forced a smile, "but I don't think my married life is your business."

"Or maybe you got dumped by Ron?"

"That would really be funny," someone whispered, but it was audible.

Allie held Chloe's elbow to stop her from making a scene because the latter was losing patience.

They were about to leave the group when suddenly out of nowhere someone called,

"Honey!"