Chapter 6 The Birthday Banquet

From behind the wheel, Gavin caught Cathryn's gaze in the rearview and spoke with careful respect. "Ma'am, I'll be handling your rides from now on."

Cathryn sat upright, her eyes drifting to the passing scenery. "I appreciate it."

She sensed that Gavin carried an air of quiet reliability, the sort of man she could trust.

Andrew sat next to Cathryn, looking perfectly at ease, one ankle balanced over his knee, exuding a cold confidence that seemed to command the whole car.

Seeing him here in person threw Cathryn off.

The air inside the Maybach felt tense, every breath heavy with expectation.

An earpiece fit snugly against Andrew's ear, his brow furrowed as he murmured instructions.

In the front seat, Karl was glued to his laptop, fingers moving at a relentless pace.

Gavin lowered his tone as he said to Cathryn, "Mr. Brooks is searching for someone important."

Just ten minutes earlier, Karl's phone had buzzed with a message from their intel team-Kestrel had reappeared online.

Andrew had brought in a legion of elite hackers, his own shadow network, with a single goal: to hunt down Kestrel, the ghost in the industry.

Now, as data streamed across the screen, the team worked in overdrive, eyes glued to the shifting map.

"We're closing in," Karl said, unable to hide the thrill in his voice as a green blip pulsed on the display. They were seconds away from pinning down the target's exact location.

Cathryn reclined in her seat, more interested in scrolling through her phone than anything happening around her.

A sudden tension swept through the car as Karl looked up, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. "Miss Moore, would you mind turning off your phone? It's disrupting our signal."

Cathryn blinked, then shrugged and powered it down without protest. "Alright."

Right away, the blinking dot on Karl's monitor vanished. His complexion turned pale.

"Did we get the trace?" Andrew's voice cut through, steely and urgent.

Karl spun around, shaken. "We almost had it. The target disappeared at the last second."

Andrew's eyes narrowed. "Where was the last signal?"

His earpiece crackled to life. "Last ping was somewhere in Olekgan."

Hearing this, Andrew's lips pressed into a thin line-relief mixed with determination. Olekgan was his domain. If Kestrel was hiding here, locating Kestrel was just a matter of time.

Karl couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The signal had been strong-then gone, as if cut by a ghost.

Andrew turned to Cathryn. "You should get some rest. I've got work to do."

Without a word, Cathryn slid from the car, not bothering to look back.

Two days crawled by, and Andrew didn't reappear.

Gavin's only update came in a murmur. "Mr. Brooks is still on the hunt." But Kestrel never resurfaced.

While Cathryn was busy planning her next move against Liam and Jordyn, a formal invitation from the Moore family landed in her hands.

Zoe White's birthday bash was about to become the gathering of the season, bringing out relatives, family friends, and every hanger-on with a reputation to polish.

Cathryn didn't hesitate to ask Gavin for a lift.

From her vantage point upstairs, Jordyn watched as the sleek car rolled up, a glint of anticipation lighting up her gaze. The situation unfolded just as her plan-she'd extended that invitation to Cathryn herself, desperate to pull Cathryn into the spotlight. More than anything, she wanted a look at the sugar daddy Cathryn had snagged.

Soon, Cathryn stepped out of a car with a distinguished, silver-haired man following behind-the same one who'd chauffeured her earlier that week.

A smug grin tugged at Jordyn's lips. Her suspicions were dead-on. Cathryn-cast aside and humiliated-was settling for an older man and his money. Any envy she felt over Cathryn's grand arrival faded instantly, replaced by gleeful contempt.

The moment Cathryn crossed the threshold, Jordyn made a beeline for a group of well-dressed socialites clustered near the entrance. She made sure her voice carried, thick with mockery. "Can you picture crawling into bed with some old guy just to get a fancy ride? Seriously, I'd gag."

"That's just nasty. Who could do that?" one of them chimed in, wrinkling her nose. Another flicked her hand, as if shooing away moths. Laughter bubbled up, and Cathryn became the subject of their cruel amusement before the party even began.

"Mr. Newman!" Cathryn called out, her voice brightening as she spotted the elderly gentleman walking by.

Harold Newman, white-haired and spry for his age, paused and greeted her with a twinkle in his eye. "Cathryn, what brings you out here?" he asked, his tone gentle as he moved closer.

Looping her arm through Harold's, Cathryn offered him steady support, her gaze meeting the group of women Jordyn had rounded up.

Noticing their stares, Harold's expression grew darker. "Were they giving you trouble?"

A faint smile touched Cathryn's lips. "They say I need to be intimate with an old lustful man to get a fancy drive here."

"Nonsense!" Harold retorted, giving his cane a sharp tap on the marble. "Your mother is loaded. You have never been short of money. A luxury car is the last of your concern!"

Harold's reputation spoke for itself. Decorated for his military service, he was a legend in Olekgan with his wall of honors, the sort of man even the boldest thought twice before crossing.

The instant his voice rose, the room hushed. Not even Jordyn dared to breathe a word.

"Years ago, I stood up for your mother the very same way," Harold said, squeezing Cathryn's hand as they walked toward the banquet doors. "While I'm still around, no one gets to bully you."

Jordyn and the group of socialites dispersed.

The mention of her mother sent a dull ache through Cathryn's chest. Her mother had grown up under Harold's watchful eye-he didn't even know she was already gone. The Moore family had deliberately sealed off the news.

Beneath the golden chandeliers, Richard basked in attention, his cheeks flushed as he chatted up the city's finest. At his side, Zoe shimmered in her purple gown, every movement rehearsed to fit her role as the rightful matriarch of the family. Jordyn trailed behind them, wrapped tight in scarlet, her smile fixed and brittle.

Cathryn's hands balled into fists. Her mother hadn't even been laid to rest for a full week, yet these three preened in jewel tones, throwing a party as if grief had never knocked on their door. Tonight, she vowed, there would be consequences.

Liam appeared, a camera swinging from his neck. "Family night calls for a group shot, don't you think?"

The three Moores swept onto the stage, arranging themselves like a perfect painting under the bright lights.

"Go on up there, Cathryn," Harold remarked softly. "You're still family."

Before Cathryn knew it, she'd been pushed forward.

Surrounded by glitter and color, Cathryn stood out in a sea of brightness-dressed in black, a stark white bloom pinned to her chest, mourning wrapped around her like a shroud.

A hiss of whispers traveled through the crowd. "Why's she dressed in black like she's attending a funeral instead of Zoe's birthday? Gee!"

"She can't even show respect to her stepmother? Unbelievable."

"She looks like she's crashing a funeral, not joining a party. Doesn't she know some basic dress code?"

From the stage, Jordyn's finger jabbed through the air. "Are you trying to ruin Mom's night, Cathryn?"

Eyes burning, Cathryn's expression abruptly shifted. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke, her voice trembling. "I wanted to celebrate with you. I really did. But my mother died merely three days ago. I can't force myself into bright colors and a fake smile. This dress-this is the only way I know to remember her."

The hall went still, her words slicing through the chatter. Dead? The former Mrs. Moore-gone, and only days past? All around, faces turned to the hosts, stunned. They had invited the whole city to revel, parading as if loss hadn't just struck their own home.