Chapter 292

"The staircase over here looks pretty bare and unappealing."

Hearing the staff member's comment, I quickly wiped my tears and urged Kathy to go handle the issue.

Even though I was suddenly reminded of my past experiences and felt a pang of sadness, I didn't want to delay Kathy's important work.

Kathy glanced at me but stubbornly held my hand and led me to the stairs.

At this moment, she probably didn't feel comfortable leaving me alone.

It was then that I noticed the venue had a separate staircase design.

Maybe it was to make it easier for people to walk the runway.

Kathy looked around and said, "This staircase does look pretty bare."

She asked the hotel if they had any backup plans.

Their team discussed it for a while but still couldn't figure out how to decorate the staircase.

A staff member said, "The staircase was originally supposed to have a red carpet, but our red carpet doesn't match the decor of your venue... If we lay it down, it might look a bit out of place."

Kathy looked again and then walked up and down the stairs.

She said, "No, we need to put a carpet on these stairs. They're too slippery."

Hearing Kathy's words, I walked up and down the stairs too.

I realized she was right.

The stairs were made of smooth marble, and if someone wore shoes with soles that weren't slip-resistant, they could easily fall.

Thinking about the models walking back and forth in their high heels, the consequences of a fall could be disastrous.

I said, "We should put a carpet down. The stairs are pretty inconspicuous on the side, so a red carpet won't be a problem."

Kathy nodded, "Let's do that then..."

After checking the venue and solving the carpet issue, we headed out.

Not long after we left, Kathy suddenly said she felt the floor was unusually slippery, not like normal.

I thought for a moment and said, "You're right. Normal marble floors can be a bit slippery, but they usually have some resistance."

How could it be that slippery?

Thinking back, it did feel a bit too slick.

Kathy suddenly grabbed my hand and whispered, "You reminded me of something. While arranging the venue, my assistant told me a man came by, saying he wanted to book the banquet hall. But when he found out we had reserved it, he just looked around and left."

"This man came by twice."

Hearing this detail, Kathy and I both turned pale: "Could this man have tampered with the stairs?"

Kathy nodded, "I didn't think about it before, but now we have to investigate."

She then made a phone call.

I thought she was calling Simon, but after a while, I heard a woman's voice on the other end.

When Kathy hung up, I nudged her with my elbow, "Who were you talking to?"

"A friend of Simon's. She used to be a private investigator. Simon's been really busy lately, so he introduced her to me."

So there was someone helping us behind the scenes.

I shook my head, not thinking too much about it, and just told Kathy to inform me of any unexpected situations.

"There's nothing unexpected now. Tomorrow is the private custom event. Tonight, we'll fix the carpet, and tomorrow morning I'll have someone check the venue for anything unusual."

Kathy patted me, "Alright. I brought you to see the venue, and you ended up crying. I feel a bit bad."

"I'll take you home now, and then I'll head back to the office to finish up."

I rubbed my nose, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I got emotional suddenly. I didn't plan on crying."

"You still cry easily, just like before."

Kathy laughed, but there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

"But, Caroline... I've been thinking about you and Royce lately. I understand what you said earlier. If I had stopped you from marrying a man you barely knew, maybe things would have turned out differently."

We both lowered our eyes.

Some things are in the past and can't be changed. Missed opportunities never come back.

No matter what, my blind marriage ended in tragedy, and that's an unchangeable fact.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Kathy said, "But it's okay now. Royce is back, and you can rekindle your relationship."

"Caroline, I wish you a happy marriage this time... and that you never go through such a terrible experience again."

I hugged Kathy tightly.

"Thank you!"

On the way back, I got a call from Maeve.

I didn't notice the caller ID at first, just saw it was a WhatsApp call and answered.

When I heard Maeve's voice, I glanced at the screen.

Maeve asked, "Caroline, did you tell Joanna about it?"

"We didn't tell her. What do you mean?"

I frowned.

Kathy and I had just decided to tell Joanna tomorrow, so why was Maeve calling me today?

Even if she had inside information, she couldn't know about this.

Only Kathy and I knew about the decision.

Kathy would never betray me.

Maeve's call must mean something else happened.

Thinking this, I was about to ask when Maeve hurriedly said, "You better not have told her."

"Joanna and Ronnie's families have had a lot of issues lately. If you don't want more trouble, do as I say."

She hung up right after.

I stood there, staring at my phone, unable to process it.

I suddenly felt that adding Maeve's contact was a mistake!

Now she could reach me and threaten me anytime.

How was this different from Brandon?

Since the divorce, I hated being blackmailed the most!

I stood there, calming myself, then put my phone away and headed home.

I planned to call Royce about this, but suddenly didn't feel like taking out my phone.

As I walked along the roadside, a car honked at me.

I turned and saw it was Royce's car.