Chapter: 57

Making his way toward Kaitlin, Alan couldn't take his eyes off her beaming smile.

"I look forward to our next project together," Kaitlin said to a man.

"The pleasure is all mine," the man responded.

"Miss Gilbert, might we meet for coffee soon?" another man suggested.

The men around her, all notable figures in the business world, lavished Kaitlin with attention.

She handled each interaction with poise, representing Oasis Studio with perfect grace tonight.

Alan made his way through the crowd and stood in front of her, causing her smile to disappear.

Noticing Alan's stern expression, the other men quickly scattered to other parts of the room.

Kaitlin placed her untouched wine glass on a nearby table, her previously constant smile now absent. She felt exhausted.

"Alan, how did you manage to come in here? Quintin didn't invite you, did he?" she inquired.

Kaitlin knew the guest list by heart and was certain Alan was not on it.

"You seem rather close to him," Alan remarked, his face clouding over with annoyance.

Perhaps his displeasure stemmed from the way she addressed Quintin or the attention she received from the men around her.

"If there's nothing else, I must attend to the other guests," Kaitlin said.

She made to leave, but Alan seized her wrist. “Do you really have to act this way?"

"Alan, please release me. Everyone is looking. Do you want to cause a scene?" Kaitlin's tone was frosty, signaling a firm boundary.

She jerked her hand away from his grasp and took a step back, creating a noticeable distance between them.

In a hushed tone, she cautioned him, “Alan, can you just not do this tonight? It's our corporate party. If you mess this up, I won't let you go."

Kaitlin, once meek, now revealed her fierce side.

Alan was left more baffled than ever. Since their divorce, she had become a completely different person.

Was this the real her?

She was so vibrant, enchanting that he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Noticing that Alan remained silent, Kaitlin managed a strained smile and moved on to mingle with other guests.

Alan, meanwhile, stayed behind, picking up the wine glass Kaitlin had abandoned and emptying it in one swig.