The party was hosted by the chairperson of River East Horse Farm, supposedly as a warm–up to an upcoming race.
The guest list included some of Gludon City’s wealthiest people who kept horses at the farm and paid annual fees of millions of dollars.
Most of them knew each other well, and Maxine showing up unexpectedly with Urban drew plenty of attention.
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Keeping a low profile, Maxine kept her head down and avoided eye contact. She joined Urban for a few polite toasts, nothing
more.
When introducing her, Urban simply called her a business partner.
The vague title left room for speculation—a young, attractive woman introduced so casually? Most assumed she was some low–key but powerful executive.
Still, the confusion was understandable. Back when Maxine was with Sebastian, she had kept to a quiet routine between home and the law firm.
Sebastian rarely brought her to social events, and even when she did attend, she’d show up briefly and head back early to be
with the kid.
Maxine didn’t care about events like this, but she could manage them when necessary.
A little while later, Urban leaned in and said quietly, “I need to go say hi to a few people. Over there in the blue dress–that’s my sister, Pandora.”
Maxine gave a slight nod and glanced in the direction he’d indicated. The woman stood in the west corner–young, beautiful, her hair pinned up casually. She wore a deep navy velvet gown that flattered her figure and showed off smooth, flawless skin.
Her features were similar to Urban’s, especially her striking eyes. Even without smiling, they gave off a warm, comforting
vibe.
But when she looked at others, there was a flicker of distance in her gaze—an almost imperceptible coolness that made her seem slightly untouchable.
Maxine watched her for a moment without much emotion, silently acknowledging that, based on looks and presence alone, Pandora was indeed impressive.
Just then, as if sensing Maxine’s stare, Pandora turned and looked straight at her.
Caught off guard, Maxine steadied herself quickly, meeting Pandora’s gaze without flinching and offering a polite, reserved smile.
Pandora narrowed her eyes slightly and walked over with two glasses of wine. “Hi!”
As she approached, Maxine realized with some surprise that Pandora was quite a bit taller.
At 5’7“, Maxine was used to being one of the taller women in most rooms.
Pandora handed Maxine a glass, her red lips curved in a perfect smile. “Ms. Hudson, right? I’m Pandora. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“You’re too kind,” Maxine replied automatically, then paused and glanced at her. “Are you the host of tonight’s event?”
She was confused–she’d been told the party was organized by the chairperson of the horse farm.
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Pandora smiled gracefully. “Not exactly. But I recently bought a stake in River East Horse Farm, so in a way, I guess it’s partly mine now.”
Maxine felt a slight jolt and wondered if Urban knew about this.
Seemingly unaware of Maxine’s hesitation, Pandora continued casually, “I remember one of the mares here–Ellie, I think her name was. The owner’s last name was Hudson. Would that be you?”
In just a few words, Pandora had left Maxine even more uncertain whether Pandora knew who she really was.
Maxine didn’t rush to explain. Instead, she nodded calmly. “You’ve got a sharp eye. Ellie’s mine.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Pandora said with a soft smile. “You are, after all, going to be my brother’s future lawyer. I just try to keep up with the important names.”
