Jilted Ex-wife Billionaire Heiress

Chapter 12 Confrontation

As the crowd gasped and pointed and camera lights flashed, a liveried doorman rushed up to open the car

door.

Micah Cavanaugh unfolded his lanky frame and stepped out.

Standing tall in his custom Burberry midnight-black three-piece tuxedo, he looked elegant and aloof, like a king out to survey his dominion.

He stood a moment, took in the crowd, then extended a hand.

Regina took his hand and glided out of the backseat, flashing a ready smile for the cameras.

She linked arms with Micah, took her time walking down the red carpet leading up to the hotel, and basked in the attention with barely concealed excitement.

It hadn't been easy for her to finagle the invitation.

Ever since her little trick with the fake injuries had been exposed at the hospital, Micah had left her there and

refused to see her.

She was on cloud nine when she learned Micah and Darya were finally divorced. Regina was convinced that her chance had come.

Tonight would be the night.

Micah paused at the grand foyer and exchanged polite greetings with the hostess.

Regina took in the opulent ballroom.

Precious artifacts and one-of-a-kind paintings decorated the walls.

Party attendees, glammed up by professional makeup artists, bussed cheeks and posed for the cameras. Brilliantly colorful floral decorations lined the grand marble staircase, which led to a second floor where terraces provided sweeping views of the Hagen River.

Regina smoothed down her champagne-colored dress as she secretly cast envious looks at the women wrapped in gowns designed by the likes of Elie Saab, Fovari, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Hers was a Christian Dior, but not custom-made.

Just as Micah was about to head inside, he caught a commotion from the crowd of reporters.

"Avery! It's Avery McAllister!"

"Avery! Who are you wearing?"

"Mr. McAllister, smile for the camera, please!"

"Avery, marry me!" a woman shrieked, drawing ripples of laughter from the crowd.

Avery McAllister exited the wine-red Bentley Mulsanne limousine, waved away the doorman, and held the car door open himself.

A pair of mile-long legs swung out, then the rest of Darya came into view.

In a magnificent forest green Giambattista Valli couture gown, she looked like a fairytale nymph.

She smiled at her big brother, tossed a casual glance at the crowd and the cameras.

"Oh my god! Avery's got a date!" The same woman who proposed marriage to Avery earlier went all goggle.

eyed.

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She pointed a shaky finger at Darya. "Avery's got a date! He never has a date to the Hagen Ball!"

Darya pinched her brother lightly on the arm. "Friend of yours?"

Avery's gaze flickered to the woman, then back. "No."

"An admirer, then."

"Could be."

"I thought Callan's the one with all the groupies."

"She's not my groupie."

"She says you never have a date to the Hagen Ball. Must have tracked your attendance here every year."

"I don't have a date today, either." Avery smiled at his sister. "I am your plus-one tonight, aren't I?"

Like Darya, Avery would have preferred spending his time at the company, but Matthias had ordered him to show up at the event tonight, as Darya's escort.

In fact, his dark emerald suit had been picked out to complement Darya's dress.

"Who is she?" a reporter from the Hagen Daily society pages poked her cameraman in the ribs and whispered.

"Girlfriend?"

"Could be. She looks familiar. Do we have a name?"

"I can find out."

Similar conversations were taking place simultaneously in the crowd as reporters and celeb-watchers tried to puzzle out the identity of Avery McAllister's mystery date.

Darya paused at the base of the marble steps leading up to the hotel's main entrance, her good mood ruined. Micah stood at the top of those steps, staring down at her, his dark eyes unfathomable.

It took him a long moment to process that this woman in a breathtaking gown was his ex-wife.

He wasn't an expert in jewelry, but it was obvious that the pair of filigreed gold, diamond, and emerald earrings dangling from Darya's ears could easily be worth twice as much as the Graff diamond ring she had been falsely accused of stealing.

Even without one of the most eligible bachelors on her arm, she stole the show with her extraordinary dignity

and poise.

Though she had been his wife for three years, Micah had never once brought her out to any public events- charity dinners, society balls, even the Christmas parties at his company.

It was just something that never occurred to him.

And now that they were divorced, he had less reason to do so.

But it irked him, for reasons he didn't care to admit, even to himself, to hear the crowd calling her 'Mrs.

McAllister*.

The velvet ropes and beefy security guards on both sides of the red carpet held

back the media, but could not hold back their volley of questions.

"Mr. McAllister, who's your date?"

"Miss, can we get a name?"

"Miss, who are you wearing? You look fabulous!"

"Are you and Avery dating? For how long?"

"Is it serious between you two? Are you getting married anytime soon?"

"Are you going to be Mrs. McAllister?"

Micah was tempted to shout out the answers: Her name was Darya Miller, and no,

she was not Mrs. McAllister,

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< Chapter 12 Confrontation

as she was 'Mrs. Cavanaugh', at least up until a month ago.

But he checked himself.

Avery leaned in to whisper in Darya's ear, "Do you need me to handle this?"

"I've got it."

Darya ascended the steps,

The glance she tossed in Micah's direction was devoid of emotion.noveldrama

She was treating him like he was just another random stranger, and that burned

him up inside.

Before he could say anything, though, Avery stepped in, his right hand outstretched. "Good evening, Mr. Cavanaugh. A pleasure."

Micah took a moment to compose himself, then shook hands with Avery. "Likewise, Mr. McAllister."

Unlike the Cavanaughs, the McAllisters came from old money and moved in a different social circle.

Micah knew Avery by reputation, but this was the first time they were formally introduced to each other.

And something told Micah that the Paragon Group's president did not like him.