Chapter 4

The birthday banquet was bigger than I expected. Luxury cars filled the hotel entrance, and nearly every guest looked like someone with money, power, or both. When I stepped out of my car, I immediately spotted a familiar Rolls-Royce nearby.

The door opened, and Caleb stepped out first, dressed in a black suit. Trixa followed him in a stunning gown, slipping her arm through his and smiling like she'd already been given the title of Donna.

I didn't care. I took a slow sip from the glass of liquor in my hand and walked toward the entrance while a few guests glanced between us.

“Isn't that Don Partridge?” someone whispered.

“Who's the woman with him?” another guest asked.

“That's probably Donna Partridge.”

I heard it all, but I just kept walking.

At the entrance, Grand Don Armando was personally welcoming the guests. The moment he saw Caleb, his face lit up. “Caleb, you made it. I'm glad you came.”

His eyes moved to Trixa, and the smile disappeared. For a brief second, his expression hardened when he realized Jasmine wasn't beside Caleb. His gaze shifted across the entrance and found me standing a short distance away.

Our eyes met, and I saw the emotion flash across his face. He almost called my name, but he stopped himself. We'd agreed to pretend we didn't know each other until the Graves family officially announced me, so he quickly put on a polite smile.

“Donna, I believe? It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard quite a bit about you.”

Trixa's smile immediately disappeared. She stared at me like she'd just realized there was someone here she couldn't compete with.

I ignored her and gave Armando a polite nod. “Hello, Grand Don Armando. Happy birthday. I hope you have a good evening.”

He looked like he was fighting back a huge smile. “Thank you, Donna. Please enjoy yourself tonight. I'll go inside and take care of a few things, but make yourself comfortable and come in whenever you're ready.”

“Of course.”

He walked inside, but I noticed him looking back several times. His steps seemed lighter each time, and I lowered my eyes.

Dad, just wait a little longer.

Caleb was watching the exchange, and I could tell he found it strange. Why was Armando being so polite to me? Before he could think too much about it, he raised Trixa's hand and deliberately made sure I saw it.

“Jasmine,” he called.

I looked at him, and he gave me a faint, almost mocking smile. “It's a big night, and I wanted Trixa to experience something like this with me. You're not going to get jealous, are you? You're usually pretty understanding.”

I almost laughed. He'd brought his mistress to the birthday banquet of the man who was about to publicly acknowledge me as his daughter, and he still thought I was going to fight him over it.

Several guests had already mistaken Trixa for Mrs. Partridge. That was exactly what Caleb wanted. He wanted me embarrassed, and he wanted me to make a scene.

Instead, I took another sip of liquor and smiled politely. “It's fine. Have fun tonight.”

Caleb's smile faded slightly, but I didn't wait for his response. I turned and walked inside, my black dress fitting close to my body as my heels clicked steadily against the floor.

I wasn't trying to attract attention. I didn't need to. People still turned to look, and I heard a few quiet compliments as I passed, but I ignored them and kept going.

Behind me, Caleb remained outside for a moment. I didn't see the expression on his face, and I didn't care. Why should I?

The banquet soon filled with important guests. Not long after, Armando stepped onto the stage, and the room slowly quieted. He stood beneath the lights with a calm smile.

“I have one more thing to announce tonight.”

Everyone looked up.

“My daughter has finally been found.”

The room erupted in whispers. Armando waited until everyone settled down before continuing.

“Within the next month, she will officially return to the Graves family. At that time, I'll introduce her to everyone personally.”

My fingers tightened slightly around my glass. He'd kept his promise.

A staff member walked onto the stage carrying a dark wooden box. Armando opened it himself, revealing an expensive emerald pendant inside. The stone was deep green and flawless, set in an elegant platinum frame, and the room immediately filled with murmurs.

Armando picked it up carefully. “This belonged to my family for many years. I bought it at an auction recently, and I thought it would be fitting to give it to my daughter when we finally met.”

His voice softened. “I hope she'll like it.”

I stared at the pendant from across the room. My father didn't know what I liked. He didn't know what I hated. He didn't know how I took my coffee, what food I ordered after a night shift, or how I used to sleep with the lights on when I was a child.

He'd missed all of that.

But he was trying now, and somehow, that was enough.

Armando's gaze moved through the crowd and stopped on me for the briefest moment. His eyes were warm, while mine stayed calm. I gave him the smallest nod, and he smiled.

A few minutes later, Armando stepped down from the stage. His phone rang almost immediately, and he glanced at the screen with a frown.

“Excuse me. I need to take this.”

He left the banquet hall, leaving the expensive pendant behind with the staff.

I watched him disappear through the doors.

I was about to head to the restroom when Trixa suddenly caught my wrist. “What are you doing? Come on, let’s go take a look at Miss Graves’ priceless emerald.” Before I could answer, she pulled me toward the display stand.

The moment we reached it, Trixa noticed the name engraved on the emerald plaque, Jasmine Graves, and her lips curled into a mocking smile. “Look at that. Her name is Jasmine Graves, while yours is Jasmine Peters. Same first name, completely different lives. Isn’t that funny? Someone like you probably won’t ever get close to something this expensive in your lifetime.”

I almost laughed. That emerald was mine. I just hadn’t changed my surname yet. How ironic was that?

“Yeah,” I said calmly. “Some things belong to certain people from the moment they’re born. Others can chase them, steal them, or take them by force and still never truly make them theirs.”

Trixa's smile stiffened for a second, and she clearly understood what I meant. “Are you talking about your position as Mrs. Partridge?” She leaned closer, her voice full of confidence. “Don’t worry. You won’t have that title much longer. I’m pretty sure everyone here can see where this is going.”

I took another sip of my liquor. I didn't care about the title anymore.

Before I could say anything else, Trixa suddenly reached for the emerald plaque, lifted it, and slammed it onto the floor.

Crack!

The expensive emerald shattered across the marble, and the entire banquet hall went silent.

Trixa immediately stepped back and pointed at me. “Oh my God, Jasmine! How could you be that careless? You actually broke something this valuable!”