Deciding that she didn’t have enough special people in her life to be getting angry and tossing them aside, she swallowed her pride and called her mentor, Grant. She still wasn’t happy with his heavy-handed approach to getting her to cut back by selling his property to the Donovan brothers, but she opted to take the high road and forgive him. Besides, he had her best interest at heart, which was more than she could say for nearly anyone else, other than Todd.

Grant happily agreed to go with her to the star-studded, elegant Emerald Ball Gala that weekend, so she let Todd off the hook. He was used to going with her to these events to keep her from having to be alone, and he was happy for the reprieve. Once the rack of gowns Todd had ordered from Selena’s favorite boutique arrived at her office, she let him leave early as a special treat.

“Don’t you need my opinion about which dress to wear?” he offered.

“I think I can handle it,” she said confidently.

Not waiting around for her to change her mind, Todd scooted quickly out of her office. She got ready for the ball in silence, wishing a fairy godmother would appear, wave a wand, and create a prince to attend the ball with her. Chuckling to herself, she decided that even though it sounded completely pathetic, she would be happy to have some talking mouse friends to help her get ready.

Refusing to feel sorry for herself and opting instead to focus on the positive, Selena put on her giant teardrop-shaped diamond earrings and coated her full lips in her favorite pink lipstick. Standing back to look at herself in the mirror, she decided that she looked presentable. The sparkly silver, full-length gown she had chosen was stunning.

Turning her head to the each side, making the earrings lightly swing, she decided that the gems were truly beautiful. They had been a loan from her personal jeweler, but she made a snap decision to purchase the extravagant baubles. She might not have a man or friends in her life, but she could buy whatever she wanted. Looking at the sad eyes of her reflection in the mirror, Selena sighed, thinking that she would give it all up for someone who would put her first.

Turning to leave before she could get weepy and ruin her eye makeup, she texted Grant as she headed for the elevator. He agreed to meet her at the venue, so she rode to the museum in the back of her luxurious limo all by herself.

When she arrived at the gala, she was pleased to find Grant standing on the steps waiting for her, looking gallant in a tailored tuxedo. He greeted her by pulling her into a warm hug. With the pair’s imposing heights and confident stances, they must have looked like father and daughter. Selena couldn’t help but wonder if her real father would have jumped at the chance to help her, like Grant had, if an accident hadn’t snuffed her father’s life out far too soon. She liked to think that he would have been here for her.

She was confident that her mother would have been here too––rooting for her, standing by her side, and being a true friend to her. The lonely ache in her belly that longed for her late parents was familiar. She knew the desperate yearning wouldn’t do her any good, so she struggled to push it down and keep her negative feelings at bay.

“Ready to go in?” Grant held an elbow out to her, which she gladly accepted by lacing her own arm through it.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered, giving him a warm smile and trying to look enthusiastic.

“That’s my girl,” he gave her a chaste kiss on the temple before guiding her up the stairs and into the gala.

No matter how many of these events she attended, some small part of her was always impressed by the ambiance the organizers managed to create. The museum looked truly lovely with the long curtains of twinkling white lights hanging from the tall ceilings. The smell of the fresh cut flowers in the centerpieces wafted over the electrified air.

The ballroom was already swirling with activity. It didn’t take long for Selena to spot her business rivals, the Donovan brothers. She wasn’t surprised to see them each flanked by a beautiful blonde, but it was strange to see them without a desperate group of women circling them and angling for any tiny bit of attention they were willing to dole out.

Maybe they’re losing their magic touch, Selena decided, before scoffing at her own thought. Either of the Donovan brothers could probably seduce any woman here, with the exception of herself, of course.

Even though she was used to the way things worked, it still smarted that wealthy and powerful men had their choice of companions, while a rich, smart businesswoman had to convince her gay assistant or father figure to attend events with her. Something about the entire scenario just wasn’t fair, but she didn’t see how things would be changing any time soon.

The meal was surprisingly delicious, for a banquet dinner. The rolls were warm and served with cinnamon butter, and Selena was able to cut her steak with a butter knife. It was a relief having Grant with her because he regaled their tablemates with stories and jokes that kept everyone entertained. He took the pressure off her to be witty and charming. All she had to do was smile and accentuate his tales with an interesting tidbit here or there.

Once the meal was cleared, Grant asked her to dance. He swept her gracefully around the dance floor, proving himself to be the perfect companion for the evening. Once the song finished, he bowed formally before her and then suggested, “Perhaps you should take the high road and go speak to the Donovan brothers?”

He raised his voice at the end like a question, but she inferred that it was more of a strong advisement. The last thing she wanted to do was go over to acknowledge those two deal-stealers or their bimbos, but deep down, she knew it was the right thing to do.

She stopped by the bar for a drink before taking a deep, cleansing breath, standing tall, and swallowing her pride. After walking over to their table, she sat down like she belonged there. “Hello, boys,” she purred, before taking a sip of her red wine and grinning at them. Her relationship with them was one of surface friendliness. She wondered if Trey had enjoyed the enormous bouquet of roses she’d sent to him, or if they had caused him any troubles with his girlfriend of the hour.

“Selena,” Trey Donovan greeted her with what appeared to be a genuine smile. She did have to admit to herself that he would be rather handsome, if it weren’t for his loathsome personality. “We were actually just talking about you,” he revealed.

She wondered if they had been mocking her for losing out on the mall deal or discussing how she had to bring her almost-father as her date to this gala. He surprised her by saying, “Millie and Ellie were just trying to convince us that we need to bring your company in to help develop part of the mall deal. Maybe you could take on the west coast where you already have stronger ties and holdings?”

Selena couldn’t quite believe her ears. There must be some kind of catch. She blinked rapidly, trying to absorb what Trey had just said. Her eyes travelled between the brothers and the two women she had so quickly written off as airheads. She searched their faces for any signs that this was a trick, but she found only kindness, sincerity, and hope in their expressions.

The blonde with Trevor jumped into the conversation. “I’ve been digging into the numbers all week, and this nationwide project is simply too much for Donovan Enterprises to develop as a solo project in the timeframes requested. In order to hire the resources and secure the needed construction materials, we would have to seek out creative capital sources for additional funding. Not to mention the logistics nightmare of local licensing, permits, environmental concerns, and the millions of other details that each site will require. It’s too big of a project for us to manage alone. We need a formidable partner. We need Chase Corp, Selena. We need you.”

Selena felt completely stunned by this turn of events. She had hated Donovan Enterprises for so long that the idea of working with them on anything felt completely foreign to her.

Her face must have registered some of her confusion because Trevor spoke for the first time since she had joined them. “What do you say, Selena? Together, our companies would be unstoppable. We could do so much good for the economy and so many people.”

The wheels were already turning in Selena’s mind. They were right. If their two companies worked together, rather than always fighting against each other, they could accomplish so much more.

The pretty blonde next to Trey spoke up. “This makes too much sense not to be right, so we’re not taking no for an answer.” She tried to sound tough, but her soft voice and mannerisms didn’t allow it.

Trey was gazing at his date and the love-stricken look that he gave her shocked Selena. “Wow, you’re sexy when you’re bossy,” he told her, before tipping his head down to nibble on her neck. The woman giggled and smacked playfully at him.

Apparently feeling left out of the fun, Trevor turned to the woman beside him and brought their interlaced hands up to his lips for a kiss. She leaned forward to give him a chaste peck on the lips. He returned her soft kiss, focusing on her as if they were the only two people in the crowded ballroom.

Selena wasn’t sure whether to be more surprised by the fact that the Donovan brothers were willing to work with her, rather than against her, or that they were each apparently completely smitten. She watched them for a moment, trying not to let the jealousy seethe that both of her rivals had found exactly what she had always wanted.

“I’m in,” she said simply, effectively breaking up their love-fest. All four sets of hopeful eyes landed on her. As the wheels turned in her mind, she held up one finger to let them know she had a condition. “But first, I need to talk to you two lovely ladies.”

The men had to wonder what Selena wanted to talk to their love interests about, but they refrained from asking. The girls quickly agreed to join her out on the terrace. As she led them outside, she tried to contain her overwhelming excitement about her new idea.