Chapter 7 Are You Going on a Date? #3
He had felt the same excitement years ago whenever he knew Stella would be spending the night with him.
He wanted her beside him as soon as possible.
Now, standing directly in front of her, Lucius kept his hands tucked into his pockets. His intimidating expression was enough to make anyone else instinctively straighten beneath his gaze.
“Miss Gibson, are you going on a date?” he asked.
He already knew that she was supposed to spend the evening with him, but he wanted to hear it from her own lips. He kept his expression neutral, refusing to let his anticipation show as he raised an eyebrow.
Stella, however, looked far from pleased.
‘He’s about to marry another woman, yet he’s standing here flirting with me as if nothing has happened.’
Lucius continued to watch her expectantly, his jaw tightening slightly as he waited for her answer.
“Yes, I’m going on a date,” Stella replied dismissively. “I’m going to the movies and then dinner with Shane.”
“Shane?” the older woman beside them repeated, her expression brightening with interest. “Is that your husband? I’ve seen him before. He’s so handsome. I can hardly believe he isn’t an actor. He’s practically a celebrity.”
She smiled at Stella.
“But you’re beautiful, too. You make such a lovely couple.”
Lucius’s expression darkened immediately.
Stella, on the other hand, smiled politely at the woman.
“Thank you.”
Without sparing Lucius another glance, she continued walking away.
His face hardened.
After only a moment, he followed her, catching up just as she reached the edge of the lobby. He stepped in front of her and extended an arm, blocking her path.
“Are you really in love with your husband?” he asked, his voice edged with irritation. “Is that how you want to spend your weekend, Miss Gibson?”
There was a mocking note in his question, but the tension in his jaw and the hard look in his eyes betrayed his jealousy.
Stella looked him straight in the eye.
“Yes.”
Then she pushed his arm aside and stormed away.
Lucius remained where he was, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides as he watched her leave.
‘Has she already forgotten about our arrangement for the weekend?’ he thought, anger surging through him. ‘Is she really in love with another man? Does she want a new life with him while I’m the only one still clinging to the past like a fool?’
***
It was close to midnight. Stella had spent the entire evening trying to calm herself down without giving Lucius another thought.
She had just settled on the edge of her bed when her phone began to ring. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
Frowning, she reached across the bed, picked up the phone, and answered.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through the line. It was sophisticated and distinctly masculine. The tone alone made Stella sit a little straighter.
“Is this Stella?”
“Yes?”
The man paused briefly before continuing.
“Lucius is drunk. He’s at the Phantom Bar, and he’s refusing to leave. Can you come over? It’s already very late. We’ve been trying to convince him to go home, but he’s insisting on waiting for you to take him home.”
Stella’s brows drew together. She glanced at the watch on her bedside table and realized that it was already two in the morning.
Lucius had never been a heavy drinker. The last time she had seen him drunk had been years ago, and he hadn’t even consumed that much alcohol.
After only two drinks, he had developed severe stomach pains and had eventually been admitted to the hospital.
His body had reacted so badly to the alcohol that he had spent hours in agony, unable to find relief from the pain.
The memory made her expression tighten.
“All right. I’ll be there shortly,” she said.
After the call ended, Stella closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She drew in a deep breath, trying to contain her growing irritation.
“Now that you’re helping my business so much, I can’t exactly let you drop dead on me. What would happen to my business then?” she muttered.
Shaking her head at the absurdity of the situation, she pushed herself off the bed and began getting ready to leave.
A short while later, a car pulled up in front of the luxurious club.
Triston was behind the wheel. Since Shane had an important operation at the hospital the following day, Stella hadn’t wanted to disturb him in the middle of the night. Instead, she had called Triston and asked him to take her to the club.
The moment she stepped out of the car, the imposing entrance of Phantom rose before her. Its discreet security and elegant facade reflected the exclusivity of the establishment.
Stella had been to Phantom before, so this wasn’t her first visit.
The club catered to the country’s wealthiest and most influential people, offering complete privacy alongside the finest entertainment and luxury money could buy.
Entry was reserved for a select few, and every detail, from the guarded entrance to the muted elegance of the interior, reinforced that exclusivity.
With Triston beside her, Stella entered the club.