"Not very long," he said with a coy smile. "I was just getting a drink when I noticed Little Miss Brat make her way over to you with her puppeteer. Wanted to see what she was up to."
There was a twinkle in his eye as he raised the wine glass for Amelia to see, as though to prove his word. Then, he brought the glass to his lips.
"I must say," Aiden said, "I did enjoy the show. You're finally growing a backbone, Lia."
Amelia wrinkled her nose at the nickname, her distaste apparent. However, she did not comment on it. Instead, she turned her gaze down at the rest of the party.
There was a roar of laughter every once in a while, and as the hosting family, Horace Hawthorne made sure to make his rounds with the guests who were invited. Emmeline was by his side, and occasionally, she would also greet the guests with a demure smile while exchanging some words. Some investor Amelia couldn't recognize from this distance offered her a drink, which she declined.
