Chapter 21 Either HerNo One
The business party at Velocity Hall was in full swing. Important figures—businessmen, investors, and elites—filled the grand venue, mingling under the golden chandeliers. Despite the orderliness, the atmosphere buzzed with quiet chaos, a reflection of the high-stakes conversations taking place.
Larry approached Christian and Sawyer, who stood near the hall’s center. Christian held a glass of whiskey, while Sawyer casually sipped champagne.
"Why isn’t she admitting it?" Sawyer frowned, swirling his drink. "You’ve made it pretty damn clear you want to spend your life with her. Then why is she so adamant about not accepting you?"
Christian downed another glass of whiskey, the burn scorching down his throat. He shook his head. "I don’t know. She tore up the picture and her confession like it didn’t mean anything at all. How could it not matter? When she was in love with me, she never even confessed or accepted it."
Larry muttered, "Back then, even I didn’t think you’d end up with her. When you insisted on being with her, I figured it was just some passing crush you’d forget. Who would’ve thought you’d never forget her? That you’d live like a damn saint for her all these years and come back still wanting her? Five years of waiting for her—that’s insane."
Christian frowned. "It’s not insane. I love her. I always have. It’s either her or no one."
Larry scoffed and glanced at Sawyer, who smirked into his whiskey glass before looking away.
"You two need to stop rubbing it in my face. I get it—I’m single, I don’t know shit about love, while you two idiots are out here losing your minds over your women. I. Get. It. I fucking get it."
Christian sighed, rubbing his temple. "I left five years ago because I thought she didn’t have feelings for me. My paralytic attack happened so suddenly… I didn’t want to drag her into my mess when I didn’t even know if I’d recover. She never expressed anything, so I had just assumed she wasn’t in love with me."
He turned to Sawyer, his fingers tightening around the glass. "Do you think I made a mistake?"
Sawyer exhaled slowly before muttering, "Maybe. Only Ivy can answer that. But from what I’ve seen so far, she’s not exactly unaffected by you. Every time things are about you, she’s always there."
Larry smirked. "How about I call her for you?"
Christian shot him a sharp look and reached out to snatch Larry’s phone.
But Larry grinned, shifting back and already dialing. "You’re already here, and she’s pissed at you for snooping in her bedroom last night. This might be your chance to get her to come to you and then you can pacify her."
Christian’s hand stilled in the air, and then dropped. He took a step back quietly, downing more whiskey as Larry dialed Ivy’s number.
Larry smirked, pressing the call button.
After a few rings, Ivy answered.
"Hey, Ivy," Larry began. "Christian is heavily drunk right now. We’re at the auction event at Velocity Hall. Can you come and take him away?"
A pause. Then Ivy muttered, "I can’t. I’m in an important meeting right now. Sorry. You can ask Samuel."
She hung up without waiting for a response.
As she put her phone away, she looked up at her new boss. Gavin, a young and recently married executive, was wrapping up his presentation. The meeting ended a few minutes later, and as the attendees left, Jerry, a senior colleague, stopped her.
"Ivy, stay back for a moment."
She nodded and followed him.
"There’s a big event tonight at Velocity Hall," Jerry said. "I was wondering if you’d like to come along with Gavin? It’d be great for networking and gathering insights. What do you think? He’s leaving in half an hour."
Ivy was taken aback by the invitation. It was an important event, but since she hadn’t received an official invite, she had assumed she wouldn’t be attending.
But hearing the name ‘Velocity Hall’ triggered a memory—Larry’s words from earlier.
Her heart clenched.
She found herself nodding. "Sure. I’ll need a dress, though. I’ll grab one on the way and change before we arrive."
"Sounds great," Jerry said.
An hour later, Ivy stepped into Velocity Hall with Gavin
She wore a red gown that cascaded to the floor, the single-shoulder strap elegantly wrapping around her neck. A delicate ribbon draped down her back, adding a soft, graceful touch to her look.
Gavin glanced around the venue and murmured, "This party is more extravagant than I expected. If I can make the right connections, this could really boost business."
Ivy nodded absently, scanning the room.
Looking for him.
Across the hall, Larry spotted Ivy the moment she walked in. Nudging Christian, he smirked. "Hey, look. She came to get you after all."
But his smirk faltered when he noticed she wasn’t alone.
Christian followed Larry’s line of sight, his gaze locking onto Ivy and then the man beside her. His expression darkened instantly.
"She refused to come get you for ‘work,’ Larry muttered, raising an eyebrow as he took a slow sip of whiskey. "But she came here with someone else?"
Christian shoved his drink into Larry’s hand and strode toward her.
"Wait! Christian!" Larry hissed, trying to stop him, but Christian was already striding across the hall.
Ivy’s eyes widened the second she saw him approaching. And before she could react, Christian ignored Gavin’s presence entirely, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her flush against him.
Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her—shamelessly, possessively.
His lips claimed hers with raw, unapologetic hunger. She pressed her hands against his shoulders, trying to keep him from deepening the kiss, but he was relentless. It only grew deeper, more insistent, until she was breathless.
When he finally pulled back, his arm stayed firmly around her waist.
He turned slightly, eyes locking onto Gavin.
Gavin extended a hand. "Hello?"
Christian didn’t take it. He simply stared, expression cold.
Gavin, unfazed, shifted his attention to Ivy. "Is he the one you wanted to be dropped off to the party for?"
Ivy smiled. "Yes."
Christian’s eyes widened the moment he heard Ivy had come to the party just for him. Surprise flickered across his face before happiness took over. His gaze lingered on her, as if trying to confirm he had heard correctly.
Gavin, standing beside him, dropped his hand but maintained a polite smile. "I’ll leave you two alone then. Have a great night."
With that, Gavin disappeared into the crowd, leaving Christian to turn fully toward Ivy, excitement still written all over his face.
Christian, on the other hand, was entirely focused on Ivy. His happiness was evident as he asked, "Did you eat anything? Do you want something to drink? Wait here, I'll bring it for you."
Without waiting for a response, he rushed to the table to grab drinks for her.
Ivy turned her head slightly to hide the smile tugging at her lips. Just moments ago, he had been sulking in drunken jealousy, and now, it had vanished in the blink of an eye.
***
The next morning, as Ivy stepped out of the car to head into her office, she turned to Christian, "Don't come to pick me up this evening. I'm going to my parents' house for the weekend and will be back on Monday."
She spoke nonchalantly and started walking away immediately.
But Christian grabbed her hand at once, stopping her in her tracks. With a swift pull, he turned her back toward him. His gaze was intense, a frown settling on his forehead as his fingers tightened around her wrist. His other hand reached up, touching her face.
"Can I come too? I can stay there with you, and we can come back home together on Monday."
Ivy shook her head, smiling. "No. I’ll be going alone, and you need to take care of your work." She tilted her head slightly. "You’ve been picking me up and dropping me off all the time. Isn’t the workload exhausting?"
Christian constantly worked from the car, attended meetings in between, and still insisted on being the one to drive her to work and return home together. He was already drowning in work, and this weekend break might only add to it.
Christian’s frown deepened, clearly displeased, but after a pause, he nodded. "Okay, then I’ll come in the evening to drop you off at your parents’ house."
Ivy shook her head again. "I’m not sure when my work will be over. I’ll go on my own, it’s alright."
Christian’s expression darkened. He looked so disappointed that Ivy almost gave in. But before she could change her mind, she gently pulled her wrist from his grasp and turned away.
Christian didn’t let go. Instead, he yanked her back and leaned down, pressing a deep, lingering kiss against her lips.
When he finally pulled back, his voice was a low murmur against her lips. "I’ll wait for you at our home."
Ivy nodded, giving him a small smile. Reluctantly, he released her, watching as she walked into the building and disappeared from his sight.
That evening, Ivy sat across from her parents, enjoying dinner together. Patty, having brought out all of Ivy’s favorite dishes, took a seat beside Adam and observed Ivy with a warm smile.
As Ivy ate, Patty watched her with a satisfied smile. "You look so much better now," she remarked out of the blue.
Ivy paused mid-bite and lifted her head to look at her mother in question.
Patty smiled. "How is Christian? How did you meet him, by the way?"
Ivy bit her lip, and then looked up at her parents. "He was my boss when I was interning at Evans Holdings. He was at that office for a few months, but then he had to leave for overseas. We reconnected recently, and he asked me out."
Patty nodded approvingly. "He seems like a good man."
A soft heat crept up Ivy’s face, and she gave a small nod. "He’s alright."
Later that night, as she settled into her childhood bedroom, she dialed Christian’s number. Her mother wanted to knit him a sweater and had asked for his measurements.
The phone barely rang once before he picked up.
"Ivy," his voice came from the other end, slightly husky. "I miss you."
The words caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected him to say it—let alone as soon as she answered. Her face flushed, and she instinctively covered her cheeks with her hands.
There was a brief silence before she cleared her throat. "What’s your chest measurement? Mom wants to make a sweater for you."
"I’ll text it to you." Christian responded.
That night, sleep didn’t come easily. Ivy found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Somehow, her own bed felt foreign now.
By the next evening, instead of staying another night as planned, she packed her bags and returned to Christian’s place.
Finally, in their bed, the moment her head hit the pillow, sleep claimed her.
It was late when Christian came home. He entered the bedroom, exhaustion heavy on his face, his suit jacket hanging loosely from one hand.
As he turned on the lights, his gaze fell on the bed, and his body stilled.
Ivy was there, sound asleep.