For seven years, Seraphina had hidden the full truth about her family’s fortune.
She had wanted to know whether Grant loved her when he believed she had nothing valuable to offer him.
That night, she finally had her answer.
The Woman Behind the Money
Grant arrived at the Atlantic Legacy Gala shortly after nine o’clock.
Dozens of photographers waited at the entrance. Delaney held his arm as they walked across the white carpet.
When reporters referred to Delaney as Mrs. Holloway, Grant did not correct them.
Instead, he pulled her closer for the cameras.
Mavis followed in a beaded champagne gown, smiling as though the evening were a family victory. Brielle streamed their entrance to thousands of followers.
“My brother is finally being recognized at the level he deserves,” Brielle told her audience.
An event coordinator escorted the family to the central table directly in front of the stage.
Grant’s confidence grew immediately.
That table was reserved for the gala’s largest benefactors, Bellamy Holdings executives, and the corporation’s private chairwoman.
To Grant, the seating arrangement meant only one thing.
Bellamy Holdings was preparing to give him another investment.
Holloway Meridian Group had survived three serious financial crises. Each time, a different private fund had appeared at the perfect moment.
One investment covered nearly a year of payroll.
Another prevented a lender from taking control of the company.
A third allowed Grant to purchase a struggling medical property and later claim it as the deal that made him successful.
All three funds were controlled by Seraphina.
She had also paid for Everett Holloway’s complicated heart procedure, settled Mavis’s personal debts, and rescued Brielle’s failed luxury boutique.
Seraphina had never asked for public recognition.
She only wanted to see whether the Holloways could respect her without knowing that she controlled the money supporting their lifestyle.
They had answered by leaving her home to wash their dishes.
At the central table, Delaney leaned toward Grant.
“After the investment is announced, we should stop hiding our relationship.”
Grant smiled.
“Tomorrow, I will have the divorce papers delivered.”
Mavis overheard them and lifted her glass.
“Seraphina will sign. Offer her a small condominium and enough money for a few months. She has nowhere else to go.”
Everett Holloway, Grant’s father, looked uncomfortable.
He had remained mostly silent during the years Seraphina was treated poorly.
“You should not underestimate her,” he said quietly.
Mavis turned toward him.
“Do not start defending her now. Everything she has came from this family.”
None of them realized that the table microphones had already been activated for the live broadcast.
Inside the production room, Julian Reese saved every word.
