Gerard looked completely deflated. At this point, he just wanted to go home.
Just then, the clatter of carriage wheels echoed outside. A middle-aged man in a butler uniform stepped inside. The clock on the wall pointed precisely to 6:30 pm.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The gala is about to begin. Please follow me," said the man respectfully.
Vespera and the others got up and boarded the carriage outside. The ride to the gala was quiet.
Halfway through the journey, Vespera felt an intense stare. She turned her head and saw that Evelyn was staring at her with her chin propped on one hand.
"Vera, you look thin, but who would have guessed you had such an incredible figure?" As Evelyn spoke, she reached out to brush aside the strands of hair covering Vespera's chest.
Vespera instinctively grabbed her wrist, shocked.
Evelyn added, "You would look even better if you put your hair up."
Vespera said quickly, "I prefer it down. It's warmer."
"Warmer?" Evelyn was surprised, then burst out laughing. "Vera, you're so cute."
Vespera forced a tight smile and replied, "You're pretty cute yourself."
Vespera released Evelyn's wrist and subtly edged away, putting more space between them. It wasn't that she had a problem with physical closeness between women.
In fact, it was far from it. She and Rebecca linked arms all the time. They had gone to hot springs together, shared beds, and hugged without thinking twice. Yasmine liked to cling to her, too.
But this was different. Neither Rebecca nor Yasmin had that look in their eyes.
The bridge swayed with every step. After they carefully made their way across the bridge, they finally reached the grand entrance.
Inside, the castle was nostalgic and extravagant. The massive crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling shone brightly, blinding people.
Ahead, a small group of guests was already entering the venue. More people were arriving behind them. They were all guests at this gala.
As they stepped into the venue, Vespera spotted Dominic almost instantly. It wasn't that he was tall or ridiculously good-looking. He just stood out from the crowd, mainly because his suit was eye-catching. He looked like a luxurious eggplant.
A slightly old woman approached Dominic and struck up a polite conversation. He turned slightly toward her, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the people who had just entered. In the next second, his gaze faltered. Then, he turned his head fully.
Across the hall stood Vespera, dressed in a white gown that clung in all the right places. Dominic's eyes trembled ever so slightly. The warm light in the hall couldn't thaw the sudden frost that crept into his expression.
"Please excuse me," said Dominic, cutting the middle-aged woman off mid-sentence. And without another word, he turned and began walking straight toward Vespera.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Drunk and Daring I Kissed a Tycoon