NADIA
As we arrived at the Gray's Mansion, I was struck by the opulence and grandeur of the decorations. The room was filled with people I had never met, all dressed in their finest attire. Classical music played softly in the background, but my mom couldn't resist commenting on the choice of music. "Couldn't Vicky's mom have picked something better?" she whispered to me.
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Really, ma? You're always criticizing her taste." My mom smiled wryly. "I'm just keeping it real, sweetie. She has a unique sense of style."
"Oh God, spare me. That old lady just made eye contact with me," I chuckled. "And?" "I'm going to have to listen to her talk about her grandkids all night."
"Oh gosh ma,"
"Am I lying, though? These women can be nerve-wracking. They think you're their age or something." Just then, one of the ladies did approach her, and I expertly extracted myself from the conversation.
Meanwhile, Zeke was cornered by a group of business associates, discussing deals and profits. I didn't envy him; the last thing I wanted to talk about was work. I decided to opt out of the conversation and stood alone, sipping a glass of champagne and taking in the scenery.
As I stood there, I felt a pair of eyes on me, but I couldn't quite pinpoint who it was. Maybe I was just being paranoid, and besides, everyone was looking at each other. But when I turned, I saw a pair of hazel eyes that seemed to be fixed on me. The guy was talking to a group of men, but his eyes never left mine.
He excused himself and made his way over to me. We found each other in another part of the room, and he greeted me with a smile. "Is this the infamous Nadia Evans that everyone talks about?" he asked, his voice low and smooth.
I scanned him, taking in his appearance. He didn't seem too old, and I was relieved about that. He seemed to be just as young as me. I was thankful because I wouldn't have been interested in talking to someone much older than me. "Whatever you heard, I hope it's only been good things," I said, trying to gauge his intentions.
He smiled and replied, "I wouldn't expect to hear anything bad from a woman like you, in any case." I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his response.
"So, who are you?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Huh I thought that would be kept a secret," He said and I raised my brows. "Keeping secrets already? What a perfect first impression,"
He smiled and introduced himself. "I'm only kidding. I'm Julian Blackwood," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "I work in finance, and I've been doing quite well for myself."
I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Mm, smart," I said, my tone neutral.
Julian chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I was kind of gifted with knowledge later in life. As a younger child, I wasn't really gifted with all the knowledge in the world. But now I am."
I nodded, understanding. "That's great," I said, genuinely interested in his story.
Our conversation was flowing nicely, and I was enjoying myself. But then, I heard a familiar voice that sent shivers down my spine. My body temperature rose, and I didn't even have to look over to know who it was. I could sense his presence, even if I was blind or deaf.
Elijah approached us, his eyes fixed on Julian. "I see you're having a great time," he said, his tone unimpressed.
Julian introduced himself, and Elijah replied with a curt, "Elijah Gray." Julian's eyebrows rose, and he said, "Ah, son of late Vincent?"
Elijah's body tensed at the mention of his father's name. "Why don't you go talk business with your associates?" he said, his voice cold. "I have something important to discuss with my sister-in-law."
Julian nodded and smiled at me. "Okay, I'll see you later," he said, his eyes lingering on mine. I returned his smile, and he walked away.
When Julian was out of earshot, Elijah turned to me and said, "I can see you're getting really comfortable."
I didn't look at him, instead asking, "What's the problem with that?" Elijah's response was measured. "I didn't say there was a problem. I just observed that you're enjoying yourself."
I finally looked at him, irritation flashing in my eyes. "Can't I even enjoy myself around you now? Can I even breathe? Is that a problem for you too?"
Elijah's expression was unreadable, but he asked, "So, what were you talking about with him? Why were you so chummy?"
I scoffed, feeling a surge of anger. "I can't believe you right now," I said, my voice low. "You have the audacity to ask me about my conversation with him?"
Elijah's response was calm. "I'm just curious."
I looked at him, my eyes flashing with annoyance. "You couldn't even fool me if you tried," I said. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you."
Elijah's expression didn't change, but he said, "Jealousy? What jealousy? I would never be jealous over something like that."
I raised an eyebrow, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Precisely. So why are you? "
The air was charged with tension as Elijah and I locked eyes. The familiarity I felt in the corridor at school was now more intense, more real. We were up close, and the intensity was palpable. But the moment was shattered when someone tapped a fork against a champagne glass, breaking the spell.
"Attention, attention, attention," the voice boomed. "It's time to officially celebrate the engagement of the two lovebirds. We are about to welcome the soon-to-be bride of our family and welcome our newest member to the family, Ezekiel Evans." It felt rather odd to hearing my brothers full name since we called him Zeke everyday.
The room erupted in applause, and I felt a sense of discomfort. I had never been to an engagement party before, and I didn't really understand the purpose of it. But I didn't question it, knowing that this was what Vicky's mom wanted.
As the celebration continued, I spotted Nicholas across the room. I didn't know he was going to be invited, and I felt a surge of annoyance. He caught my eye and made his way over to me, a smile on his face.
"Hello, to the newest member of our family," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Our family? What an ass. "Who knew you would actually become family?"
I gave him a death glare, my anger simmering just below the surface. "I don't have time for your nonsense," I said, trying to walk away. But he pulled me back by the arm, and I felt a spark of anger.
"Don't touch me, " I warned him, my voice low. He let go of my arm and raised his hands in defense. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he said. "I can tell you're not really feeling this party. I've got an idea of what we could do to lighten things up."
"I'm not interested,"
If it weren't for all the people around us, I would have slapped him. But I didn't want to cause a scene, and I didn't want to be consumed by my anger. "You're nothing but a pathetic excuse of a human being," I said, my voice venomous. "You're just a bastard."
Nicholas smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Your life is going to change soon," he said, his voice low and mysterious. I looked at him, confused and wary. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, but he just smiled and said, "I don't want to give you too many spoilers. I don't want to ruin it for you."
I felt a bad feeling about him, a sense of unease that I couldn't shake. Whenever he was around, something bad always happened. And I had a feeling that this time would be no different.