Chapter 22: Dog show
Celebrate a birthday the Keir way. That's not just an invitation—it's a declaration. Think free-flowing cocktails with names no one can pronounce, haute cuisine prepared by the country's top chefs, floral arrangements that could bankrupt a small nation, and guests so elite even royalty might need an appointment.
The invitation alone is a bloodsport. For social climbers and corporate peacocks alike, getting that thick, embossed envelope is akin to receiving a golden ticket to ascend the food chain.
It's a battlefield dressed in velvet and lace where connections are weaponized and reputations hang by the thread.
As the party began, Elder Madam Keir floated through the grand ballroom like a historical empress resurrected, bestowing haughty smiles and stiff air kisses. Her diamonds had their own gravitational field. Guests parted like the Red Sea as she passed, murmuring reverent birthday wishes with the nervous enthusiasm of people who feared being struck from her will.
In a quieter corner, Allister Keir nursed a glass of red wine, his expression so unreadable it may as well have been carved from marble.
Despite being well into his fifties, the man looked like he just turned thirty. Sharp suit, silver-streaked hair, and a jawline that could slice through negotiation contracts—he was still dangerously magnetic.
Some younger women, emboldened by champagne and ambition, tried their luck at flirting with Allister. They were met with a polite but cold silence and a death stare from Eleanor Keir lurking around him.
Allister's heart was a closed museum, and the only exhibit it ever featured was Shin's mother. A tragic love story if there ever was one—right woman, wrong time, and an ending that nearly shattered him.
It was this very history that fueled his interest in meeting his son's alleged girlfriend. He knew all too well how intense the Keir men could be. If Shin had inherited even a fraction of his obsessive nature, the girl deserved a warning... or at least a survival guide.
"Enjoying yourself, brother?" came a familiar voice.
Allister turned to see Elli Keir and his perfectly polished wife approaching. He stood and nodded, offering a reserved greeting.