9. "You're upset because I was talking to a man who wasn't you."
The gala was an extravagant one. Full of vibrance, glamour and pretentious people dressed in fancy clothes, talking business and important deals.
The glimmering arrangement did not do much to appeal to me.
These events never did. I had been forced to attend them ever since I was a kid.
I didn't like them back then, and I didn't like them much now.
The only difference was that I was more comfortable being in a crowd now, more open to being noticed.
Zayden sat next to me at the table reserved for us. He looked just as upset as earlier, not doing much to hide it, despite the fact that so many curious eyes were on him.
I sat pretending I wasn't flustered every time either of us moved and our legs brushed under the table.
Every tiny shift I made—crossing my legs, reaching for something—only seemed to make the space between us feel tighter. Hotter. Like the air itself was laced with static.
I leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "You're going to scare the donors and break your teeth if you keep clenching your jaw like that."
His eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to my cleavage briefly. "Sit straight."
"Huh?" I uttered, leaning closer.
His jaw clenched even more, eyes furious. "Aurelia, sit straight. You're going to flash everyone if you keep bending like that."
I laughed softly, leaning back in my seat. "Now that would be charity, no?"
He glared at me. "Behave yourself."
"I'm not doing anything."
He exhaled sharply through his nose, moving his face away.
Then, we both reached for the drink on the table simultaneously, our fingers brushing as we did, and I swear I felt a jolt of electricity shoot up my arm and then travel down to my centre.
I clenched my thighs together under the table.
I pulled back like I'd been burned, though I kept my expression neutral. Zayden, for his part, went still. Glass halfway in his hand. Jaw tighter now.
"You're not used to sharing, are you?" I said under my breath.
"No," he said, without missing a beat. "Especially not with people who barge into my life uninvited."
The tablecloth shifted slightly as he leaned back, accidentally nudging my leg under the table. Again, I felt it—a light graze against my calf this time.
Oh God.
I was supposed to make him feel some type of way. But here I was, getting hot and bothered by a mere brush of his leg.
He didn't move away.
Neither did I.
We both stared straight ahead, like nothing had happened.
"It's a long night," I said softly. "You might want to unclench a little before your jaw locks permanently."
He didn't react. He barely ever did.
The room around us buzzed with polite laughter and soft music, but the air between us was thick. Not romantic. Not flirty.
More like two magnets placed too close together.
Opposite poles.
Constant pull.
And absolutely no give.
I was more than pleased to have moved away from the table. Away from her. She was driving me insane. It had to be the most ridiculous thing ever. Feeling sparks over the slight brush of fingers. Getting turned on by a mere contact of our legs.
This girl was dangerous, and somehow I just couldn't get rid of her no matter how hard I tried.
A good amount of time has passed. I had been conversing with businessmen, having business-related discussions, listening to the projects they were working on and shedding light on my own plans and accomplishments.
As I concluded a conversation with one of my father's friends, I stepped away, looking around the bustling room.
As I did, my gaze fell on Aurelia.
She stood in one corner, leaning against the wall casually as she engaged in a conversation with a man I didn't know.
He leaned in, saying something that caused her to throw her head back and laugh. It was clear, even from across the room, that he was flirting with her, and she didn't mind it one bit.
A surge of irritation bubbled within me. I couldn't pinpoint why it bothered me so much. She had already made too many heads turn. I had noticed and worked on ignoring a whole lot of men imagining what she looked like beneath her flimsy garment all night.
Before I could rationalise what I was doing, my feet had already picked up pace, walking in their direction.
As I approached, the man noticed me and took a step back. Aurelia turned, her smile fading slightly when she saw me.?
"Hello, Mr. Ashford! What a pleasure it is to meet the new CEO of A&S corporation." He spoke enthusiastically.
I gave him a curt nod, my gaze fixed on Aurelia. "Aurelia, I need a word with you."
"Not now," she dismissed. "We're having an important conversation," my jaw almost dropped as she turned back to the man, her smile returning. "You were telling me about the beach."
"Right!" He exclaimed, jumping back into some ridiculously pathetic story that she had the nerve to classify as important.
My jaw clenched so hard I was certain it could snap. She just snubbed and ignored me for this guy? For a wretched story of a beach?
I felt invisible as I stood there right in front of them. She didn't even look at me once.
Infuriating woman.
I stepped in closer, just enough to make my presence known.
"You're coming with me. Now." I commanded firmly, my voice cutting through the other man's beach fantasy like a knife.
Aurelia's head finally turned. Her lips curved—not in fear or apology, but in amusement. Like I was some toddler throwing a tantrum over a stolen toy.
"I already said we're talking," she replied sweetly, still facing him. "A few more minutes won't kill you, Zayden."
I stepped even closer, the heat from my chest nearly brushing her bare shoulder. My voice dropped to a growl only she could hear. "I wasn't asking."
Something flickered in her eyes then. That fire. That stubborn, reckless defiance that pushed all of my buttons.
And still, she didn't move.
The man looked between us now, suddenly realizing there was something going on here. "Is everything alright?"
"No." I didn't even look at him. "She and I need a private moment."
"Sure. I'll speak to you later." He excused himself, stepping away.
Aurelia let out an exaggerated sigh and finally turned to face me fully. "You know, if you wanted to spend time with me, you could've just asked nicely."
"I don't want to spend time with you," I snapped. "I want you to stop making a scene in front of half the city."
"You came to me, Zayden," she said, lifting her brow. "You created a scene. Not me."
God, she is impossible.
I grabbed her drink from her hand and set it on the nearby tray with a loud clink.
Then I gripped her wrist, firmly yet not too tight, dragging her away to a more secluded corner.
She didn't resist. Not immediately, anyway.
But the second we were halfway down the hallway that led to the terrace, she yanked her arm free and spun to face me.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded, her voice loud and fierce.
"You really want to have this conversation here?"
"Yes," she snapped. "Because you just embarrassed me in front of someone I was talking to."
"You were flirting." I complained.
"So what if I was?" She crossed her arms, pushing her chest up in that velvet dress I was already trying too hard not to dwell over all night. "It's none of your business."
"You're living in my house," I hissed. "Walking around like you own the place. Dressing like you want to be stared at. Laughing with every man who gives you attention—"
"Oh, so now you've moved from trying to control what I wear to trying to control who I talk to?" She retorted, narrowing her eyes at me.
"You—" I stopped myself, realising my voice had risen and so had my pulse. Taking a step back, I ran a hand through my hair. "This event is mostly about me. I don't need you treating this like it's a dating event where you can walk around and converse with men like this is a bar."
She stepped forward, eyes gleaming with some cruel mixture of challenge and delight.
"Not everything is about you, Zayden.
That has always been your problem. You only see yourself and nobody else.
.. and who are you fooling with your lies?
You're upset because I was talking to a man who wasn't you. "
My lips parted in surprise. "Are you serious right now, woman? You don't matter to me. You never have and you never will."
"Then why did you drag me away from him?" She demanded. "Why not let me talk to him, if I don't matter? Why not mind your own business and ignore me?"
I had no answer.
So instead, I decided to give her my final verdict instead.
"Stop thinking so highly of yourself, and stay away from men tonight." I made myself clear.
She smirked. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Zayden."
"I'm not jealous."
"You're not fooling anyone."
"You're not fooling me either, Aurelia," I shot back, eyes narrowing. "I see what you're doing. The clothes. The attitude. Walking into my room half-naked. Laughing with strangers right in front of me. You want attention."
"I do want attention. But not yours. I have lot of much better options." She said sweetly.
The sting of her words was instant. But what got me more was the way she turned away after saying them, like she'd just won something.
And I wasn't one to lose to a short statured girl who falsely believed that the world revolved around her.
I reached out before I could stop myself and grabbed her elbow, spinning her back to face me and pushing her against the wall. "Don't walk away from me."
Her eyes flared as she looked up at me, breath catching slightly. The space between us was tight now. Too tight. Her perfume was sweet and sharp all at once, and her lips were just parted enough to make me lose focus.
But I didn't touch her. I couldn't.
Her voice was lower this time. "You don't get to act like you hate me and then pull me away from everyone else like you own me."
"Can you ever shut up, Aurelia?" I said annoyedly.
"Make me." She challenged.
My gaze dropped to her parted red lips, desire clouding my brain in a foggy mist that made it almost impossible to think straight.
Fuck this.
I took a step back and turned around swiftly before I could do something stupid.
"Zayden!" She called from behind. "You can't just— oh my God!"
The alarm in her voice caused me to turn around abruptly, being met with a sight that caused my eyes to widen.