Jilted Ex-wife Billionaire Heiress

Chapter 50 Banquet

Micah said nothing.

Ryan nodded reluctantly. 'That's right. Do you think Timothy taught her?'

'The way she moves doesn't seem like a beginner.' Josh scratched his chin. 'I wouldn't mind asking her for a

dance later.'

His date lightly punched his arm and pouted. 'But I asked you to dance first!'

Irked, Josh removed his arm from her waist. 'I told you, don't make demands. I don't tolerate divas.'

The woman's face paled.

She became quiet.

Micah paid no attention to the squabble between Josh and his latest girlfriend, probably his tenth this year.

He had no idea Darya could dance.

But then, there was so much he didn't know about her.

During their three years of marriage, he made it a point to avoid her.

Other than calling or texting her to draw blood for Regina, their interactions were limited to an occasional nod

or hello.

Micah lowered his head and stared at his mostly untouched dinner.

He just realised that he didn't even know what her favourite food was.

'You said she's been hooking up with Avery McAllister, right?' Josh asked Ryan, who nodded.

'And now she's gotten her claws into Timothy Barrett,' Josh mused. 'I wonder what's so special about her. Maybe I should go talk to her. She wants money, right? I happen to-

Micah rose to his feet abruptly.

The chair legs scraped harshly across the floor.

He wiped his mouth, tossed the serviette back on to the table. 'You talk too much.'

Josh stared at Micah until he'd disappeared from view. 'What's gotten into him today?'

Ryan shrugged. 'Who knows? He's been rather short with me lately.'

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Reece Cooke considered his best business achievement to be the founding of Solaro.

It took him close to two decades to bring the company to the height it enjoyed today.

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But he considered his best personal achievement to be the birth of his son.

Which was the reason for the lavish banquet today.

The grand ballroom he booked could accommodate up to a thousand guests. Only about one third of those were his family and friends.noveldrama

The rest had come because they knew Reece was going to make an important announcement regarding the personal healthcare companion robots project.

Solaro wasn't the first company to work on a prototype.

It wasn't even the biggest.

But word on the street was, Solaro was the closest to a major breakthrough, largely thanks to their patented nickel-metal hybrid battery technology.

Some had come hoping to invest.

Some were here to talk about distribution and marketing.

All were vying for a piece of a hugely lucrative pie, estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

The moment Reece Cooke stepped into the ballroom, all eyes were on him.

Everyone was angling for a conversation with him.

Until a commotion at the entrance drew their attention.

Avery McAllister, president of the Paragon Group, walked in with Darya Miller on his arm.

She wore a simple black dress the accentuated her figure and a silver necklace that glinted brilliantly in the chandelier light.

But it was her confident air that stole the show.

The ballroom was almost filled to capacity with CEOS, presidents, directors of major companies.

Yet, she strolled through the crowd with her head held high and her back straight,

a nonchalant smile on her

face.

It jarred with the impressions they used to have of her-'just a housewife,' 'a nobody,' 'a gold digger."

What made things more interesting was the arrival of Micah Cavanaugh right on the heels of Avery and Darya.

'Ex-husband and current boyfriend,' a woman in the crowd whispered, stifling a giggle. 'Do you think they'll come to blows?'

Her husband frowned. 'Hush. Neither of them is someone we can afford to offend.'

Pasting a smile on his face, he moved forward to greet Avery, who was soon surrounded by a gaggle of guests. Avery nodded at them. 'Everyone, I would like you to meet Darya Miller, the new vice president of Paragon.'

More than one person gasped.

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Vice president?

They thought the woman was just Avery's arm candy.

Darya smiled politely.

Quickly adjusting their attitude, the guests introduced themselves to Darya and

tried to strike up a conversation

with her

President Avery was known to be rather distant on social occasions.

Maybe the vice president would be more approachable.

While Darya held her own with the elite of Hagen's business community, she didn't notice that some distance away, Felicia was gritting her teeth and staring daggers in her direction.

As the youngest child from the Cavanaugh family, Felicia had her own clique of friends.

At the moment, they stood around her, holding glasses of champagne, chiming in on the tirade against Darya for stealing the limelight.

'Is she wearing the Ocean Heart necklace?' One of the girls, Talia, asked.

'You must be kidding. Everyone knows the heirloom piece was sold at an auction

last week,' another girl sneered. 'The final bid was almost six million dollars. No way someone like Darya could afford a necklace like

that.'

'But it looks just like the Ocean Heart,' Talia insisted.

She nudged Felicia. 'What do you think? You went to the auction, too. I thought you were going to bid on the

necklace.'

Felicia gripped the glass in her hand and said nothing.

Of course she knew the simple-looking silver necklace adorning that woman's

neck was the authentic Ocean

Heart.

Its design and craftsmanship were one of a kind, which was why she liked it so

much.

But she was outbid by an unknown bidder at the auction.

Who knew the person would turn out to be Darya Miller?

Felicia fumed silently as her friends gossiped about Darya's haute couture dress.

The more they admired that woman's outfit, the angrier Felicia became.

She wanted to yell, to tell everyone that there was no way a country bumpkin like

Darya Miller could afford a dress and a necklace like that.

Avery must have footed the bill.

But Felicia kept her wrath in check.

Avery was still around.

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