Her smile thinned.
“Let’s drop the polite act. Beatrice thinks inviting you is generous. I think it’s risky. Women in your position sometimes misread closure as opportunity.”
“My position?”
“The former wife. The difficult chapter. The person everyone is trying to be kind enough not to discuss.”
I folded the lanyard once around my fingers.
Savannah leaned forward.
“I know what happened between you and Declan. He told me everything. The years of appointments. The disappointments. The money. The way you kept hoping for a family you couldn’t give him.”
Her words were designed to land like glass.
I let them fall at my feet.
“He also told me about the preserved embryos,” she continued, eyes bright with satisfaction. “The ones he signed away because he wanted a clean future. He said it was a relief to be done with all that.”
I looked at her ring, then at the small swell beneath the cream fabric of her dress.
“That must have been a very meaningful conversation for you.”
“It was,” she said, missing the blade in my calm. “Because now I’m giving him what he always needed. A child. A son. The future of the family.”
She lowered her voice, but not enough to hide the pride.
“There is a trust, Riley. I assume you know that. Fifty million dollars tied to the first true heir. Beatrice has been anxious about it for years. But now everything is secure.”
“I see.”
Savannah studied my face, frustrated by its refusal to break.
“You will wear something quiet to the wedding. Beige, gray, taupe. No statement jewelry. You’ll sit where we place you. You won’t try to draw attention.”
“I understand.”
Her smile returned.
“Good.”
I lifted the lanyard.
“Thank you for this. It was thoughtful to make sure I can get through the gate.”
She looked pleased with herself.
“We do want you there, Riley. You deserve to see what moving on looks like.”
I stood.
“I’m sure it will be unforgettable.”
Her brow twitched, just slightly.
I smiled.
“My outfit will be the last thing anyone remembers.”
Then I walked out into the pale afternoon light.
In my car, I called Jamal through the dashboard.
“Tell me you didn’t throw coffee,” he said.
“I was very polite.”
“Unsettling.”
“She bragged about the trust.”
“Good.”
“She believes Savannah’s child is the only heir.”
“Better.”
“She quoted Declan about the embryos.”