Page 31 of Seeds of Sorrow

Hadina pushed rice around her plate with her fork, listening to Kaira describe Piper’s gown. It sounded beautiful but she didn’t really care. All she wanted to do was ask her about what Peyton would be wearing.

“It’s a pity you won’t be there. Peyton looks phenomenal in her dress,” Kaira commented, stealing Hadina’s prawn cracker from her discarded plate.

She knew she was being goaded, and while she abhorred the idea of being manipulated, Hadina couldn’t help herself. “What’s the dress like? Was she happy in it?”

Kaira smirked, looking pleased with herself. “I’m not telling. I guess you’ll just have to come to the event to see it for yourself.”

Hadina groaned, throwing a prawn cracker at her friend. She knew that she had more to worry about, things she should have been prioritizing, but all she could think about was what Peyton would look like in an expensive gown. Then she pictured other people being there,staring, and Hadina hissed through her teeth. “I’ll be there.”

Kaira beamed. “Good. Your girl will be happy to see you.”

Chapter22

PEYTON

There wasno reason for her to be nervous, but Peyton felt sick with anxiety anyway. She finished the wing of her eyeliner with a relieved sigh and sifted through her makeup bag until she found a red lipstick.Pomegranate Kisseswas a deep, saturated red that stood out against Peyton’s pale skin. The color, while beautiful, had always been too striking to wear. She’d bought it on a whim one day when she saw it in the store, the name the major selling point, but it had remained in the bottom of Peyton’s makeup bag since then.

“It’s a day for being bold,” she mumbled to herself as she applied the last swipe onto her lips.

Glancing at the back of her door, Peyton eyed her dress hanging there. She only had twenty minutes to finish getting ready and be downstairs to meet with Kaira. Peyton hadn’t even realized when Kaira had entered her number into her phone, but the designer had been texting Peyton excitedly all day. Peyton would be lying if she said she minded, though; having the beginnings of a friendship was more than she thought she’d get after Melina died.

Kicking off her fluffy slippers, Peyton sat on the edge of her bed and grabbed her shoes for the evening. The black stilettos were another gift from Kai, who promised that they were the perfect accompaniment for such a show-stopping dress. Slipping her feet into the five-inch heels, Peyton reached down and wrapped the cords around her calves, tying the ends into a pretty bow. They were definitely statement shoes, and not something she’d normally pick for herself, but they weregorgeousand Peyton figured she was indebted to Kai for being so kind to her.

Standing carefully, Peyton stepped into her dress and zipped herself up, smoothing down the skirt so that it was sitting perfectly. She walked over to the mirror and examined her reflection, wondering who the hell she thought she was, looking like such a badass.

Her dress clung to her frame like it had when she tried it on at the shop, though now her cleavage was partially exposed thanks to the strapless bra that Piper had made her buy at Kloset. With her red lips, fierce outfit, and blonde locks sitting in loose waves, Peyton looked like a completely different person. Like the person shewantedto be. Bold. Fearless. Beautiful.

Kaira honked the car horn outside and Peyton cursed, wondering how she had lost twenty minutes so quickly. She rushed out of her room and downstairs, surprised to see Don waiting at the front door in a tuxedo.

“Cariño,you look stunning,” Don said, taking her hand in his.

Peyton blushed from the compliment and pulled him into a half hug. “I didn’t know you were coming! Are you riding with Kai and me?”

Don shook his head, opening the front door for her like a gentleman. “Zelina will be picking me up shortly. You go on ahead with Kaira—I’ll see you both there.”

Slipping into the passenger seat of Kaira’s sleek Audi R8, Peyton beamed at her friend, who wolf-whistled in return. “Damn, you look hot as hell!”

Peyton took in the blue figure-hugging dress Kai was wearing, admiring the gold chains that overlapped across the entire design. It was gorgeous. “Likewise. That outfit is something else.”

“Considering the cost of the material, I better look like a fucking goddess.” Kaira chuckled.

She glanced at Peyton once more before pulling out of the driveway and onto the busy streets. Peyton closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat, enjoying the ride as they zoomed past traffic. Anxious thoughts swirled through her mind, telling her she would look as out of place as she actually was. Each thought was worse than the last, and as Kaira pulled up outside the gallery, telling her they’d arrived, all Peyton could think about was how much she wished Hadina had been able to attend too.

Apparently, the cool silence of her shadow-queen boss had become a comforting blanket for her nervousness. Without it, Peyton felt like a lamb being fed to a pack of rich, aristocratic wolves and there was no escape.

“Welcome to your first Adis party,” Kaira said, and Peyton felt her stomach sink as they entered the building.

* * *

Her nerves had slowly dissipatedafter drinking two flutes of champagne that Kaira had swiped from a nearby tray. Hundreds of people were packed into the interconnecting rooms, milling around with their own glasses in hand. Peyton knew that it was a formal event, given the gown that she was wearing, but she didn’t expect to see women in fur coats and diamond jewelry that glinted like stars on a clear night sky.

She also hadn’t expected the gallery to be as huge as it was. Around ten rooms were filled with artwork, separated by partitions and half walls so that you could easily find your way into the next exhibit. Every room had a different theme and featured a solo artist, displaying their work in turn. As Kaira schmoozed with people she knew, Peyton peeled off and made her way around the gallery, admiring the art.

“Peyton!” Piper called out, pushing her way through a cluster of guests who wanted to chat with her or congratulate her on the event. Her dark hair was curled and pinned at her crown, adorned with tiny pearl pins. With green smokey eyes and a nude lip, Piper resembled beauty as she approached, the green of her dress glinting under the lights.

“You look amazing!”

Piper enveloped Peyton in a hug and pressed a light kiss to her cheeks. “As do you, dear. Are you enjoying the event?”

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