-16-
Rafae l
The night seemed to come to a head as Yasmin and I pulled up to the grand entrance of the gala. The flashing lights of the paparazzi cameras illuminated our faces as we stepped out of the car, greeted by the chaotic buzz of journalists shouting questions. "Rafael! Who's the lucky lady?" they yelled, desperate for a story. We exchanged knowing glances, our smiles masking the emotions beneath the surface.
"Smile for the cameras," I murmured to Yasmin, feeling her tension through the slight tremor in her fingers. The paparazzi's relentless barrage of questions about Yasmin hung in the air like a persistent fog, but we deflected them with practiced ease, offering only enigmatic smiles and polite deflections.
"Who's that with Rafael? Is she the new muse? "
"Is this a budding romance?"
Yasmin's serene facade betrayed her inner turmoil, her eyes flitting between the flashing lights and the prying lenses. I squeezed her hand gently, a silent reassurance that we were in this together.
Once the camera clicks faded into the background, I guided Yasmin into the building. The opulence of the venue seemed to swallow us whole, a whirlwind of shimmering gowns and tailored suits swirling around us. Yasmin's wide eyes mirrored the spectacle, her wonder was palpable.
"It's overwhelming, isn't it?" I remarked, trying to lighten the mood.
Yasmin nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I was expecting it to be grand, but I didn't expect... all of this."
"Are you okay with all of it?"
“Yeah, I am.”
"We stick to the plan," I reminded her, my tone firm yet reassuring. "Enjoy yourself, mingle, and let the night unfold. Okay?"
She glanced at me with wide eyes. "I assure you I'm fine." As we strolled past a bunch of people, the buffet Roman prepared could be seen tucked away in a corner of the room with servers on standby. "I didn't think they'd have a buffet at an event like this."
I chuckled, a fondness blooming in my chest. "Last year, two women fainted from hunger. I may have suggested a buffet as a solution."
Yasmin laughed loudly, gaining attention from some of the other attendees. "You're joking, right?" When I didn't say anything, she tugged on my arm to stop me, her lips parted in amused shock. "Did that truly happen?"
I nodded. "You'd be surprised how little the women here eat. It's worrying."
"I can imagine it'd be frustrating," she smiled. "I don't know how they do it. If there weren't any food, I would have demanded you take me out to eat."
I never understood it either, the need some women had to look ultra-thin even at the expense of their health. I've dated models before, but I never thought much of their diets until the rumbling of my date's stomach could be heard over loud music. It didn't help that we were at an event much like this one and the portion sizes were tiny.
"That's one of the many things I've grown to like about you," I told her, not even realizing what I said until it was too late.
"Oh, you like me?" she grinned, her eyes sparkling.
"Wouldn't you like to know..." I teased, shifting the conversation to a lighter topic. If I were to answer that then I would have to reveal the growing feelings I had for her and I wasn't ready to admit it to myself much less announce it to the world. "What do you think about the decor?"
"It's nice but I don't think Roman had anything to do with it."
I chuckled. "Of course, he didn't. He hires a team every year."
"Somehow I'm not surprised."
"Don't tell me you could sense his horrible sense of style from that one meeting?"
She giggled. "Of course not. I don't think men were gifted with a sense of fashion or design."
I chuckled, finding it adorable the way she giggled. I tried to say something else, something funny to make her laugh again, however, our blissful bubble was soon shattered by the arrival of unexpected guests. Ethan's mother and sister, whom I had already met, barged into our conversation like a storm cloud rolling in on a sunny day. Their faces twisted with disdain as they eyed Yasmin, their disapproval palpable.
"Look who it is, the disappearing act," Ethan's sister sneered, her voice dripping with venom. Yasmin’s smile faltered briefly, her eyes darting to me before regaining her composure. "Hello, Mrs. Williams, Ava. Nice to see you both."
"Nice to see you, my foot!" Mrs. Williams scoffed, her tone cutting like a knife. "You have some nerve showing up here after what you did."
My heart raced as I tried my best not to let my anger get the best of me. How dare they show up here and confront Yasmin as if she did something wrong? How dare they act as if she deserved to be treated this way? Before I could voice my anger Mrs. Williams continued her tirade.
"Do you have any shame at all, parading around with a different man after what you did to our Ethan?" she accused, her words laced with contempt. "Especially the man that used to be his best friend.”
Yasmin's eyes widened in shock, her hands gripping mine tightly. "I-I don't understand. Ethan and I are divorced. He wanted the divorce."
Mrs. Williams scoffed. "Oh, please! Don't play innocent with us. We know all aboutyour little games. Disappear when it suits you, then show up with a new man on your arm."
My mind raced as I tried to piece together the puzzle. From the garbage Cheryl was spewing, it was clear that Ethan's family didn't know about the divorce. They still believed Yasmin was Ethan's wife, and they were judging her based on that misconception. If they were decent people, they would have been able to detect the confusion in Yasmin's eyes and the truth in her words, but they weren't decent people. They were despicable human beings who got off on making those around them miserable, it was a lucky thing that I wasn't raised to take anyone's bullshit.
"That's enough!" I hissed, careful not to attract more attention to myself. Being the wealthiest person in the room, I was already being watched and talked about and I didn't want to add to it for Yasmin's sake. "Why don't you stop being a bitch and talk to your son before you make an even bigger fool of yourself?"
"How dare you?" she gasped, holding a hand to her chest. "This doesn't concern you."
"I'm making it my business."
This is a matter between family!" She snapped.
"Oh," I stared at her, not moving an inch. "This definitely concerns me, since you're talking to my future wife."
"Wife?" Ethan's sister, Ava, exclaimed. Her eyes darted to Yasmin's ring finger, locking in on the gorgeous ring I placed there. "You're engaged?"
Before we could say anything, the tension in the room escalated as Ethan made his grand entrance. He strode in with the air of someone accustomed to being the center of attention, the model from his Instagram hanging on his arm like a prized possession. My stomach churned at the sight, a mixture of anger and hatred swirling within me.
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Ethan's voice cut through the room, his eyes locking with Yasmin's for a fleeting moment before flicking away dismissively.
Yasmin's expression hardened, a mask of determination settling over her features. "Ethan, your mom, and sister seem to think we're still together. You should tell them what happened since they refuse to believe me."
Ethan's smirk was both infuriating and smug. "Oh, they know. They know all about it. "My blood boiled at his words, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Ethan had painted Yasmin as the villain in their breakup, feeding his family lies to suit his narrative. The injustice of it all fueled a fire within me, a fire that demanded justice and truth. My fingers itched with the need to wrap them around his neck, squeezing tightly until his bones began to crack.
"The whole lot of you are sick," I breathed, flexing my fingers. "Let's go, Yasmin."
Yasmin paused flashing them a bright smile. "Vengeance is mine."
We walked away, listening as they scrambled to figure out what Yasmin meant by that. I pulled her closer to me, sharing my warmth. "I'm proud of you," I told her honestly. "The first step in confronting someone is always the hardest, but it'll get much easier to return their hatred in the future."
She smiled, her bright eyes softening as she gazed at me. "Thank you."
"Anything for you."