Amy remained silent for a long moment before finally murmuring, "Let's just see how things go."

Samantha suddenly perked up. "Oh! Didn't Dr. Whitmore call you last week about organizing that performance at the retirement home? Did he confirm the date yet?"

A mischievous grin spread across her face. "I saw Oliver practicing the piano like crazy these past few days. He told Dr. Whitmore he wants to impress all the grandmas and grandpas with his skills too."

Amy nodded. "It's scheduled for the end of the month. But..."

Samantha caught the hesitation in her voice. "But what?"

Amy frowned. "Dr. Whitmore sent me the venue details—it's the most exclusive private club in Newhaven. The kind where you can't even step inside without a membership."

Samantha waved a dismissive hand. "Maybe Dr. Whitmore invited all his old military buddies. If he's throwing a rare event, of course he'd want it to be special."

She gave Amy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Don't let the humble look of his clinic fool you. He's been a doctor for decades, and with all his connections, booking a high-end venue isn’t that surprising. He never spends on himself—maybe this is his one big splurge."

Amy considered this and realized Samantha had a point. She nodded in agreement.

Samantha tilted her head. "Celeste, want me to come with you tonight? If Nathan and his crew try anything, it’s better to have backup."

Amy shook her head gently. "No, I’ll be fine."

She wasn’t worried for herself—she just didn’t want Nathan and his friends turning their attention to Samantha instead.

Samantha seemed to understand and didn’t push further.

"Promise you’ll text me immediately if anything happens."

"I will."

That evening, Amy arrived at the cruise ship’s concert venue exactly at the time Nathan had specified.

Perhaps Nathan knew that if anyone tried to give her trouble at the entrance, she’d simply walk away.

So boarding the ship went smoothly.

The cruise ship was massive—far more extravagant than she had imagined. Everything shimmered in gold and crystal, the kind of opulence that made her head spin just looking at it.

During her years with the Blackwoods, Amy had attended plenty of high-society events, but even among those, this ship easily ranked in the top five for sheer luxury.

"Impressed? Bet you’ve never been anywhere like this before."

Nathan had appeared behind her without her noticing, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his posture lazy but his gaze sharp.

Amy ignored his baiting. "Where’s Victoria?"

"Backstage, obviously." Nathan exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "You were married to Alexander for five years, and he never brought you to anything like this, did he? The only reason you’re here tonight is because Victoria’s on the guest list. You should thank her for giving you a taste of how the elite live."

A smug grin curled his lips as a thought struck him. "Oh, and tonight’s performance? It was personally arranged by Mr. Pendleton. Really, you should be grateful. If you hadn’t stepped aside, Victoria wouldn’t have had the chance to become his protégé so easily."

After delivering his jab, Nathan studied Amy’s face, hoping to catch a flicker of anger or helplessness.

He’d originally planned to cause more trouble for her, but Alexander had given him a firm warning—one more incident involving Amy, and he’d be left to deal with the consequences alone.

Even Victoria had told him to back off, threatening to cut ties if he kept "helping" Amy in his own twisted way.

So Nathan had no choice but to abandon his original schemes.

Still, he couldn’t stand the idea of Amy having it easy. If he couldn’t sabotage her outright, he’d at least get under her skin.

So, without telling Victoria or Alexander, he’d made sure Amy got an invitation tonight.