Shawn instinctively brushed off the woman''s hand that rested on his arm, and her face fell immediately.

"I''m a friend of Pearl''s, too. Is it odd for me to be at her birthday party?" Allison asked, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.-

"No, not at all. I just thought you weren''t into these kinds of parties, so I didn''t mention it," Shawn replied, trying to sound genuine.

Allison couldn''t help but feel a twinge of sarcasm. Was it really because he thought she wouldn''t enjoy it, or did he just want to bring someone else along?

After Shawn''s exnation, he nced around the room with a frosty gaze, silently questioning, ''Who let her in?''

Pearl, feeling uneasy, avoided making eye contact and pretended she had nothing to do with it.

"Hello, you must be Allison, right? I''m Kate. Shawn might have mentioned me," said the girl who came with Shawn, stepping up to introduce herself.

Oh, so this was Kate, Shawn''s first love, the one he always held on a pedestal.

Allison''s heart tightened. She and Shawn had been together for three years, and those feelings didn''t just vanish. But she yed it cool, smiling as she nodded. "I''ve heard so much about you."

Kate''s smile was warm but with a hint of edge. "Has anyone ever told you we look a bit alike?"

As soon as she said it, Shawn''s face clouded over.

Amused, Allison cast him a nce before turning back to Kate with a slight, yful smile. "Oh? Really?" she said, fluttering her eyes innocently. "I don''t see it. I think I''m prettier."

The onlookers were shocked.

Wasn''t Allison always the sweet, gentle type? What had gotten into her today?

Sensing the awkwardness, Pearl quickly jumped in. "Hey, let''s grab a seat," she suggested.

Suppressing her irritation, Kate forced a smile and handed over a gift to Pearl. "Happy birthday, Pearl. Here''s something for you."

Pearl took it, surprised to see it looked just like the gift bag Allison had given her earlier.

She opened the box and eximed, "Wow, I''ve wanted this ne for ages. Thank you, Kate!"

Allison''s eyes narrowed. How did Kate buy the same ne she bought?

Pearl opened Allison''s gift. "Wow! Allison, you got me the same ne!"

"No way," a girl behind Pearl scoffed without even looking. "That ne is over fifty thousand dors. Allison''s just a youngwyer. How could she afford something like that?"

The room fell silent.

Judgmental eyes turned toward Allison.

It was clear everyone agreed with the girl''s assumption.

Shawn''s expression turned dark. "Allison, you could have told me if you were short on cash. I would''ve helped with the gift..."

Why would Allison gift Pearl a fake ne?

Shawn didn''t say it out loud, but everyone got it.

Allison met his gaze coolly. "Shawn, do you seriously think I bought a fake ne?"

Shawn''s silence was telling.

Pearlughed awkwardly, trying to defuse the situation. "No, Allison and I are tight. She wouldn''t give me something fake. Don''t say such hurtful things."

Despite her words, Allison caught a flicker of doubt in Pearl''s eyes.

Allison''s heart sank.

She had spent over fifty thousand dors on the ne to thank Pearl for a small act of kindness.

Three years ago, Allison had defied her family''s demands for an arranged marriage and fled to Havenbrook. Her father Javier shut down her credit cards. She had to pave her own way and secure a job at aw firm with no family support.

She earned only four thousand a month in her first year as a traineewyer. Even after getting her license, her sry remained modest. In this crowd, she was seen as a pauper.

The wealthy heirs and heiresses in Shawn''s circle never missed a chance to remind her of her “poverty,” subtly excluding and isting her at every social event.