Strangely, Elijah just looked at her deeply for a long while and then he got up.
Esther immediately got up and she fled away hurriedly like she was preventing a thief standing ten steps away from him.
But she ran so hard that he bumped into the door.
“Uh-oh, it hurts!” she let out a low shout, and suddenly she realized there was someone behind; she immediately shut up and ran out.
Behind the back was a burst of very low laughter unexpectedly. Esther ran out and stopped. She stood next to the door and looked inside in a sneaky way, “What, what are you laughing at?”
Woah! What a beautiful smile that was!
Just a slight smile, but it looked so charming. That was the case perhaps. That man even had two deep dimples when he smiled, however he seldom smiled. By looking at that smile, the smile looked stiff but it was very charming. Especially the dimples.
Elijah raised her head and looked at the door, “No need to go tonight!”
“Why not?” she asked.
“There is a caregiver!” he put away his smile. There was a hint of helplessness flashed across his determined face, which had lost its past ruthlessness. His eyes locked quietly on the small face which was shown at the doorway, “Go with me to a party!”.
“No!” she shook her head.
If she could not go to take care of Miss Cole, she would find another way to kill her time and then have a good sleep.
“If you don’t want me to use violence, you can refuse!” he said in a low voice.
“Pervert!” she hung her head in frustration.
He got up and she disappeared quickly.
He went out, took his clothes and went to her side without hesitation. He took her little hands and walked out of the door.
“Robber!” Esther shouted in a low voice.
“Don’t you want to meet your Mr. Ball? I take you to see him!” Elijah mocked with a cold smile, his deep eyes flashed a trace of gentleness and some mixed complex.
Sure enough, as soon as she heard ‘Mr. Ball’, Esther quietened down immediately with a dim face.
At the Banquet!
Esther dropped her head, leaving the stylist to help arrange her look. The lovely silver and gray color strapless dress together with the lovely bow on the chest, no need of any additional decoration. Esther put on the dress and suddenly became a little princess that everybody loved. It was simple and elegant, a wisp of hair hanging down, it outlined a trace of beautiful vividness on her face.
Maybe this was so called ‘pink face and peach cheeks’. She looked very happy after the makeup.
Esther sighed again while seeing her delicate facial features herself in the mirror. Her heart beat fast, she wondered whether she would really see Mr. Ball?
After a few days, she really missed him! She lost her mind, and her thoughts drifted away. There was no way to go back, as she was no longer the pure and innocent Esther Price! All sorts of things were entangled in Esther’s mind and her little face were instantly infected with deep sorrow.
Elijah walked in and saw the woman in front of him, he was shocked for a while—he was shocked by her beauty. After a short while, he suddenly calmed down, and his eyes looked as deep as the bottomless sea.
“Mr. Perry. Are you satisfied?” the stylist asked diligently.
Elijah just nodded, he then turned to Esther who was still absent-minded and said, “we can go now.”
Esther came back to her mind; her feelings were messy because she had been thinking of Mr. Ball. Wearing a silver high-heeled shoes, Esther did not stand firm when crossing the door and she fell forward.
Suddenly Esther was dragged by a strong arm stretched out to her.
“Be careful!”
Esther raised her head suddenly, and she looked at Elijah complicatedly. “Is Hudson really going to that party?”
Elijah looked into her black eyes with his cold and sharp eyes, he sensed the hidden vulnerability under the black eyes. She really cared about Hudson.
“Will his wife also be joining the party too?” Not aware of Elijah’s cold eyes.
Esther laughed at herself, “Can I not go?”
She didn't really know why Elijah made her go to the party, since all the men would bring along their partner. Mr. Ball would certainly take his woman companion. But would she be brave enough to face Mr. Ball? Especially when Mr. Ball were coming with his wife joining the party intimately together. She felt her heart ached once she thought about this.
“Are you afraid of going there?” Elijah asked coldly, his eyes looked deep.
Perhaps it was because of the desire of competition. Esther glared at him, “That’s not for me! Let’s go!”
She stretched her thin body and said, “Go!”
Seeing her restored vitality, Elijah blinked his eyes and remained silent.
After arriving at the destination, Esther just came to know the party was a birthday party. As there was a huge cake at the party food area. On the cake it was written ‘happy birthday’.
In a daze, Esther was thinking whose birthday it would be.
“Hudson, this is my brother Elijah!” Winnie said peacefully, looking at Hudson with infatuated eyes. But Hudson had been always cold, he was polite to her with some distance.
Hudson nodded, “This is my friend, Esther Price!”
Friend?
Esther smiled bitterly. Yes, she was his friend for ten years, just his friend.
She did not dare to see Hudson, as she was afraid that she could not help crying out. She just smiled, brightly. “Mr. Ball and Winnie, I’m not going to disturb you, I will look around.”
She pulled away Elijah’s hand once again and turned aside to walk to a corner. She was stubborn and she kept her back straight. She would not cry. No.
“Hudson, Miss Price is your friend. She is the first female partner brought back by my brother. Ah, it seems my brother’s wedding will be coming soon!” Winnie smiled and looked at Hudson. His face was cold with no emotions, but his eyes had been looking at Esther who had left. She felt uneasy in her mind, “Hudson, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing!” Hudson turned back and walked to the table, he took a glass of wine and drank it in one go.
In the corner, Esther held a deep breath. Elijah walked over.
Looking into Esther’s infatuated and sad eyes, her despair eyes gave Elijah a trace of unexplainable complex, which also made his eyes look deeper.
His heart softened suddenly, and he held his arm around her.
Elijah saw Esther’s astonished eyes, for a moment her helpless bright eyes made him lose his mind.
“Mr. Ball’s wife is your sister?” she asked softly. “so, you knew Mr. Ball!”
Elijah’s eyes sank, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, he nodded, “Yes!”
“Your sister is really beautiful!” She said with a bitter smile, “She really matches well with Mr. Ball, they will be happy together!”
“Yes, they will!” He said and hugged her tightly in the corner.
People were looking at them and were speculating what relationship were between Elijah and Esther.
“Let go!” Esther realized that she was held by Elijah, she struggled but she gave up when she saw Hudson was looking at her.
Mr. Ball was looking from afar, and she could feel his attention. Esther’s heart ached.
She could not tell whether it was sadness or heartache, or bitterness or sorrow, She felt the mixed feelings and she gave up the struggle.
She lowered her head and her tears fell on Elijah’s hands. She was filled with sadness. Since Mr. Ball married someone else, why did he look at her with that eyes? His eyes will make Esther have fantasy in her heart.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Moment in Destiny