As I descended into the warmly lit VIP party room,, the soft hum of music and chatter welcomed me,, The scent of fresh roses and expensive cologne lingered in the air,, and my eyes scanned the room until they landed on two familiar faces—Mom and Dad,. They were deep in conversation with a tall,, well-dressed man I didn't recognize.
I approached with a soft smile. Mom turned first,, her eyes lighting up. She wrapped me in a tight embrace and said,, "Hey,, sweetie!! We were missing you so much.."
I hugged her back,, my heart warming. "I was missing you too,, Mom. And you,, Dad too.."
Dad smiled gently, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Rimi,, meet Oliver Anderson,. He's a brilliant businessman—and the son of an old friend of mine,."
I turned toward the man. He extended his hand,, flashing a charming smile,, "Hello,, Rimi. Oliver Anderson.. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I shook his hand politely. "Nice to meet you too,, Mr. Anderson."
He chuckled lightly. "No need for the formalities,, Call me Oliver."
I smiled and nodded. "Alright,, Oliver."
Mom's gaze was soft as she looked between us. I leaned toward her,, whispering,, "Mom,, I'll be back in a minute."
She squeezed my hand. "Okay,, sweetie."
As I turned away,, I spotted Lily making her way toward me through the crowd.
"There you are!!" she said,, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "Where are those boys?? Mike and Adrian?? I've been looking for them forever."
"Adrian's in his room,," I said casually,, though my heart fluttered at the mention of his name. "Talking to some people… I think they're his parents or maybe a couple he's close to,, I'm not exactly sure."
Lily's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Wow... You really know everything about your man..."
"Huh??" I blinked at her,, taken aback. "I don't!! I swear I don't know that much—."
Lily laughed softly. "Rimi,, please. I'm your best friend. I've never seen you this affected by any guy,, Not since... well,, Kai."
I froze for a second at the sound of his name. Kai. The world of my past...
"And now it's Adrian William,," she added teasingly. "Tell me,, are you falling for him??"
I looked away,, pretending not to hear,, but my chest tightened. Deep down,, I knew Lily had struck a nerve.
She stepped in front of me,, eyes sincere now. "Rimi,, talk to me. I'm your best friend. I'll help you..."
I sighed. "Lily,, I don't know what I feel. Sometimes I feel so connected to Adrian. Like I've known him forever... Other times... it's like he's a complete stranger,."
Lily listened intently as I continued,, "And then there are moments when I'm convinced Adrian is Kai.... His voice,, the way he looks at me, even how he waves. It's all so similar... It's driving me crazy."
She frowned,, glancing at the floor. "Rimi... you're seeing Adrian through the lens of your past. Through Kai... But Adrian is not Kai."
I looked down. "Yeah... maybe you're right.."
Before Lily could respond,, her eyes darted toward the drink counter,, and her expression turned sly,. "Look who just walked in... Your Prince Charming..."
I followed her gaze and felt my stomach twist. Adrian had just entered,, laughing as he chatted with a pretty girl beside him., In his arms was Bella,, the kitten.
"Who's she??" I asked,, trying to sound casual.
Lily smirked. "That's Sophie. Mike's cousin. And by the way,, she's obsessed with your company,, She's your biggest fan..."
"Oh... okay..." I tried not to let jealousy creep into my voice.
"She wants to meet you,," Lily said,, nudging me. "So… let's go... You should say hi.."
I hesitated...
Lily raised a brow. "What?? Trying to take Sophie away from your man??"
I blushed, hard. "No!! I just… I want to meet a fan. That's it..."
"Sure,," she said,, laughing. "Meet a fan... Not like you're desperate to see Adrian or anything..."
I ignored her teasing and walked with her toward them. Lily hugged Sophie enthusiastically,, and Adrian,, noticing me,, gently placed Bella back in my arms...
"Did you feed her??" I asked,, brushing Bella's fur.
"Yeah,," he replied with a soft smile... "She had a little too much actually,, I think she's spoiled now."
As if proving his point,, Bella immediately jumped from my arms and nestled into Adrian's chest again... I couldn't help but laugh at the sight—it was almost too perfect.
Then,, suddenly,, I felt arms wrap around me in a tight hug from the front. I looked down and realized it was Sophie...
"I'm your biggest fan!!" she squealed. "I love everything you do. You're my role model!!"
I hugged her back,, flattered and a little surprised. "Thank you,, Sophie... That means so much."
She pulled away,, her eyes sparkling. "You even know my name??"
I smiled. "Of course.. You're Mike's cousin."
Her face lit up. "Yes!! Thank you!!"
We talked a little while longer. Adrian joined in occasionally,, and I noticed how naturally Sophie interacted with him. She laughed easily,, touching his arm a little too often. I tried to keep my expression neutral,, but I could feel a pang of jealousy growing with each second...
Meanwhile,, Lily had wandered off to dance with Mike,, and Luka—who had been watching from nearby—came over with two drinks in hand...
"For you,," he said,, offering one to me... "You look like you needed this."
"Thanks,, Luka,," I replied,, grateful.
"I've been trying to entertain you all evening,," he said with a grin. "But it looks like someone else is doing a good job at that."
I followed his eyes toward Adrian and Sophie. I tried not to show any emotion,, but Luka could tell.
"You okay??" he asked gently.
I forced a smile. "I'm fine.."
Just then,, the music shifted to something softer. Romantic. A slow couple's dance began,, and couples slowly made their way to the floor.
Before I could even think,, Oliver appeared by my side...
"Rimi,," he said with a charming smile,,"may I have this dance??"
My gaze involuntarily drifted toward Adrian. He was still with Sophie—laughing,, smiling,, completely unbothered.
"Sure,," I said,, taking Oliver's hand. Luka's jaw clenched slightly,, and out of the corner of my eye,, I caught Adrian watching us.
Good...
Oliver led me to the dance floor,, his hand finding my waist as I rested mine on his shoulder,, The lights dimmed slightly, creating a magical glow around the room...
I glanced toward Adrian again,. His smile had faded. Sophie was still talking,, but his eyes were on me.
Perfect...
Oliver noticed my wandering gaze and gently cupped my chin,, making me look at him. "Rimi,," he said,, "focus on me now."
I blinked. "I'm sorry.…"
He smiled softly. "It's okay... But tonight,, you deserve to feel like the only girl in the world... Let me give you that..."
He spun me slowly,, and for a few minutes,, I allowed myself to relax. Oliver was charming,, sweet,, and attentive... But my heart—it wasn't here., It was somewhere else.
Across the dance floor,, Luka leaned against a column,, his jaw tight,, his eyes narrowed. He wasn't hiding his jealousy at all... When our eyes met,, he raised his glass in a mock toast and looked away...
And then there was Adrian,. Still with Sophie. But now his arms were crossed,, expression unreadable,, He was watching me dance—closely.
Suddenly,, the music faded into a soft instrumental piece,, even slower and more intimate. Oliver and me were dancing, I was not even looking at someone else... because I know they are jealous... adrian keep staring at us,, he was jealous...
To be continue...