âThanks a bunch. Iâd be lost without your help finding a gown,â Regina said with a relieved sigh.
Talon rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. âDo you really think you need to look elsewhere with me around? Iâve told you, your wardrobe is my domain. Now, letâs not waste any more time here.
Youâve got a photoshoot, and we canât have you being fashionably late to tonightâs gala, can we?â
âRoger that!â
The crowd surged forward, some even hauling in heavy-duty cameras to capture Reginaâs splendor.
Ever since Regina and Talonâs paths had crossed, her every appearance here was meticulously documented by the eager onlookers.
These photographs werenât just snapshots; they were treasured learning materials valued as much for their aesthetic as for their educational content.
They all wanted to decipher Talonâs impeccable taste, how he styled Regina to accentuate her features, and bring out her best. It was a masterclass in aesthetics.
Regina left for home half an hour early, glancing at her wristwatch before diving back into the documents she had been studying the previous day. She had a hunch that Dahlia would get in touch soon, but she needed a deeper understanding of this personâs background to prepare for the upcoming interview.
Plus, there was an unmistakable tension between her and that man, a vibe that her intuition, her womanâs sixth sense, told her spelled a story waiting to be uncovered.
What Regina hadnât expected was that the very man she was pondering would appear at her doorstep half an hour later.
Her car pulled up to the mansionâs entrance, right behind another vehicle, whose driver was tossing the keys to a valet.
âMiss, if you could wait just a moment. Iâll let you out as soon as theyâve moved the car ahead,â her driver, Uriah, suggested politely.
âJust open the door, Uriah. Iâll get out here. And make sure no one touches these documents,â Regina instructed, gathering her things.
âOf course, Miss. Your father entrusted me with driving you; I wonât let anyone near your car,â Uriah assured her.
Nodding, Regina stepped out, her right foot hitting the ground just as she locked eyes with the man.
Nolan raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was quite the coincidence running into Regina here, of all places. Overlooking her previous erratic antics, he had to admit she was striking.
He was somewhat taken aback that such a woman, with her looks, would choose a career in journalism when she could easily glide through other professions.
Regina, facing her nemesis, didnât mince words. âWhat are you doing here? Donât tell me youâve scammed another invite? Listen, thereâs no Dahlia to save you this time, and no oneâs holding a spare invite for you.â
Her lips curled into a smirk, ready to relish the drama that was about to unfold, which only made Nolan frown.
He wanted to retract his prior assessment of her; she was far too smug, too arrogant. He disliked such rude behavior.
âMaybe you should check if your own invitation wasnât scalped. Donât show up at the wrong event;
tonightâs soiree isnât the kind of place a little reporter like you can just waltz into.â
Regina, clutching her designer dress, stepped up to Nolanâs face and pointed an accusatory finger.
âYou⦠You dare to belittle my profession? I knew it; your character is as low as I suspected.â