Valentina
"I heard someone was looking for me."
A dark figure appeared with an iconic walk, like a model. His eyes swept across us, scanning each familiar or unfamiliar face with cold detachment. But then, like a hawk spotting its prey, his gaze froze, locking onto Andrea's.
The tension crackled in the air between them.
It was like she was the last person he wanted to see, yet he couldn't look away, hatred simmering just beneath the surface.
"You said you weren't interested in coming. Party sucks, and you had plans too, no?" Aiden broke the thick wall of awkward silence.
"Did I? I guess I changed the plan," the man said almost robotically, never breaking eye contact with Andrea.
"May I know why that is, Ryder?" Aiden raised his eyebrow.
Why do I also want to know the same thing? I'm a curious bitch.
"It's me. He's here because of me, I insisted."
Another man came from behind. So many men.
He was tall, same as Aiden, with blue eyes that emitted uplifting vibes, resonating warmth and kindness. Unlike the others, stoic, emotionally unavailable and unapproachable. Was it too hard to smile and not intimidate others with their stone faces?
"Victor?" Andrea jumped and pulled him into a hug.
"Oh my god! When did you come back from Russia? You betrayer, how dare you go without meeting me?" She put her hands on either side of her waist.
He grinned. "Uncle said it was important, so I took an emergency flight." He shrugged.
Andrea sighed, her shoulders shrinking.
"Dad always assigns you a lot of work," she gave him an apologetic look.
"It's his trust in me." He smiled genuinely, an optimistic person.
His eyes landed on me.
"Who is this gorgeous lady, Aids?" he asked without looking at Aiden, who now had a scowl on his face. I think someone is going home with bruised bones.
"She's Valentina, our friend," Katherine announced with her honey-like voice. I wondered how her emotions were always so collected.
"Nice to meet you, beautiful. I'm Victor Volkov, their cousin."
I smiled and nodded.
"Victor, you didn't really have to force him to come here. He doesn't look happy at all," Andrea said to Victor, eyes on Ryder, who had a bored expression, like he would rather be in bed than here.
"Don't worry about me," Ryder said, turning around and walking away, maybe toward the drink section.
"Don't mind him, munchkin. He's an asshole, you know that. I'll go deal with him." Aiden patted her head and followed Ryder, his friends behind him.
I excused myself to go to the washroom.
When I emerged, the lively chatter of the party faded behind me as I stepped into the cooler night air.
The cold air greeted me with a gentle embrace.
I paused for a moment, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, as if the crispness could cleanse away the lingering intensity of the crowded room.
Suddenly I sensed a presence looming behind me, an inexplicable feeling of being watched. But when I turned around, there was no one in sight.
I frowned as goosebumps erupted on my skin.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and released a shaky breath.
"Are you okay?"
I heard a rich, resonant voice coming from behind me.
I turned around and met the stormy, grey eyes.
They were looking directly into my soul. He stepped forward, and I clutched my dress tightly.
"Yeah, why do you ask?" I sounded calm, unlike the internal chaos. I maintained a calm façade, but inside I was fraught with tension.
"So, do you live here?" he asked out of nowhere.
I shook my head.
"I came here for a fan-meet. I think now I want to live here forever. I actually want to travel around—not only here but all over the world—because I was never taken out of my—"
I abruptly stopped talking. Oh no! I shouldn't tell him everything. I bit my tongue.
"Finish what you were about to say."
His eyes darkened with realization, as if he had just received the crucial piece of information he had been seeking.
"Um, it's nothing," I hesitated, feeling uncomfortable.
He stepped forward, invading my privacy. I leaned back.
"What are you doing?" I glared at him, not revealing how terrified I was feeling.
"Either you finish or I—" He stopped when someone cleared their throat. It was Victor.
"I'm sorry for interrupting. Andrea is looking for you both—it's cake cutting time." He scratched his neck awkwardly. Was he blushing?
Aiden stepped back with a pissed expression.
"Oh, yeah."
It wasn't only because of how fast I walked that made me breathless. It was him. His presence was what I wanted to escape from.
When I reached the hall, I stood beside Natalia, who looked sober now.
"You took so long," she said while her eyes stayed on Aiden.
I opened my mouth to answer, but she interrupted.
"Stay away from him as much as you can. It's for your safety, Val."
She said it with such a cautioning tone that I could hear a whole warning buzzer going off inside my body.
Redness. I could see redness all around, screaming at me to leave and never come back.