The engagement ceremony wrapped up quickly. Next came the usual mingling—guests drinking, eating, and making small talk.
Astrid paraded Damian from table to table, raising her glass with each guest. Every single one of them fawned over her, their smiles almost painfully forced.
I’d taken a moment to look into the Holden family’s background. Calling them the wealthiest family in Denver wasn’t wrong, but they lacked any real foundation—classic nouveau riche.
Their rise was tied to connections in Washington, which had helped them secure major projects here in Denver. That’s how they climbed to the top.
Still, her family hadn’t managed to break into Denver’s circle of true elites yet.
Today’s attendees were just mostly hangers-on hoping to gain favor with the Holden, along with a smattering of acquaintances from Damian’s family.
As for the Harris family, they used to hold status as one of Denver’s prominent families. But those days were long gone—they were only a shadow of their former selves now.
This engagement was a matter of mutual benefit.
For the Holden family, marrying into an established family like Harris was their ticket into high society.