For a moment, the entire ballroom fell silent.

Every guest turned to look her way, curiosity shining in their eyes.

As she drew closer, her striking beauty became impossible to ignore. Features perfectly balanced an oval face, luminous almond-shaped eyes, gracefully arched brows, a refined nose, and lips tinted a natural rose. Her skin was so fair it seemed to glow.

She wore a plain white evening gown. The off-shoulder design revealed delicate collarbones and a slender, swan-like neck. Even without a hint of dazzling jewelry, she sparkled radiant, unmistakable. There wasn't a single detail about her that wasn't captivating; even her hair seemed to shimmer.

She was breathtaking.

So beautiful, it left people momentarily breathless.

As she approached, curiosity in the crowd's gaze shifted to awe.

"Who is she?"

"Is that Freya Gonzales?"

"I think it is. I saw her at the Gonzales family's reunion last time."

"Wow, was Freya always this stunning?"

"I thought she wouldn't dare show up! Can't believe she actually came."

"She's gorgeous, for real!"

"Gorgeous? What good is a pretty face if her character's rotten? Makes me sick."

As the mysterious figure drew near, Ann Templeton narrowed her eyes, a flicker of disbelief in her gaze.

Caitlin Kensington. It really was Caitlin.

Ann was just as surprised as everyone else. No one expected Caitlin to show up tonight. For her, this birthday party must have felt like walking straight into a lion's den. If Ann were in her shoes, she'd have found a place to hide-somewhere no one could find her. She'd never risk such humiliation.

Ann's lips curled into a mocking, dismissive smile.

Of course. A country girl like her probably doesn't even understand what it means to be ashamed.

As Caitlin arrived, the online chat exploded with comments.

[Who's the girl who just arrived? She looks absolutely gorgeous!]

[Yeah, seriously! She's beautiful!]

[My God, she's like something out of a fairytale!]

[Is she Victoria's best friend or something?]

[Wow, I've never seen someone this stunning in real life.]

[I always thought Victoria was the prettiest, but this girl might actually outshine her.]

[She's a real beauty, no doubt.]

[She looks this good through a livestream camera-imagine how she must look in person!]

Ann's eyes narrowed as she

watched the comments, all gushing

over Caitlin's looks. She quickly stepped forward, switched the camera angle to herself, and smiled warmly at the lens. "That's my sister, Freya. Isn't she beautiful, everyone?" Cóntent

Her tone was gentle—so convincing, it was as if she truly regarded Caitlin as her own sister.

The mood in the livestream shifted instantly.

[Freya? That's Freya? What a waste of a gorgeous face!]

[I get it now! Freya must be here to show off, hoping her looks will get her attention on, Ann's

stream-maybe even become

famous influencer herself

[Ugh, what a schemer.]

[Gross. Does she really think being pretty is enough to get her millions of fans like Ann?]

[Oh, I see. Some people are just chasing clout.]

[What a shameless climber.]

[...]

As the comments turned hostile, Ann jumped in to explain, her voice still gentle. "No, everyone, you've got it all wrong. My sister isn't like that. She's actually very kind. Maybe she was a bit too eager this time but she's definitely not the scheming type you think she is. I trust her-she's never done anything to hurt me."