chapter 20

Chapter 20

The program was being held but it was just my body that was present.

We had an emcee who announced in forced jubilance that we were taking a short break.

Side by side I and Danike stood in front of the heads of Montego's and Wells hotel.

Grandma was already eyeing Danike like a gum under her favorite louboutins.

"How humourous that people will buy this shallow declaration of affection" she said with a pleased smile and I immediately felt sick to my stomach.

I must have lost my mind hearing how coldly she analyzed what just happened.

Her words were settling down any possible misunderstanding and I was seeing into the poison river clearly.

I was part of the crowd we needed to fool.

It was a game.

And I was a fool to forget that.

Grandma and the Blackwell's were all in the same class.

The degree of wish to manipulate the power play was only others in their circle which to try.

They could turn tables with a few words.

They both had the money and name to back it up.

They could rally support wearing a mask and the crowd will swallow it as the truth.

This was what my family expected from me.

This was what they wanted me to learn and apply to Danike.

I couldn't imagine steeling myself enough to do this for the rest of my life.

But if I didn't learn to use my strings quickly, I was going to be a puppet in their hands.

Worst case I will be the most pitiful of casualties.

I can't let that happen.

"The guests are waiting in the hall for the couple of the year in the hall, it is very disrespectful to keep them waiting even with my wife and Mrs porter catering to them" he said with a bored expression.

I nodded and started turning to the door but a hand held my elbow "let them go first"

I barely resisted shivering at the whisper. It was from disgust not fear I tried to remind myself but my mind screamed to run.

My grandma left the room without a second glance my way but Mr Blackwell eyed his son's hands on my elbow before leaving.

My hands turned to fist and a practiced smile made its way to my lips. " The guests are waiting for us Blackwell , whatever you want to say, you can say it after the event."

I didn't wait for a reply to that.

I flung the door open and stomped out as gracefully as I could in my gown.

It took barely three steps and Danike was already in front of me, he was glaring at me but I stood my ground with a cold smile plastered on my face

"Out of my way Blackwell"

"Don't tell me—"

"Sir Danike"

A female hotel staff member was coming in our direction.

Danike quickly fixed his expression for the benefit of the staff.

If rumors spread that we were quarreling in the hallway it will put all the efforts inside the hall to waste.

" What is it?"

I stared at the red fabric of the clothes as he leaned in to hear whatever the staff apparently needed to whisper in his ear.

It was too low for me to hear and I could see their faces to read the situation.

He was already straightening up and the staff was walking away.

Danike turned back to me, his green eyes indescribable.

I merely raised a brow.

"We will talk about your attitude later, I have important work to attend to in my suite, something went wrong with the project we have been working on, You can go back to the hall"

He walked off following in the direction of the staff.

The smile dropped from my stiff face and I let out a breath I didn't know was holding.

I had to go back to the hall and pretend to be the happy fiance people expected me to be. I had to pull it off.

I walked back into the hall and immediately shifted into the needed persona.

It was numbing how people gushed at Danike, his appel to the crowd was undeniable.

I had a fake-laugh at a few slightly inappropriate comments made from some older women about how endowed the man was.

The also wanted an introduction with him.

More fake laughter.

I spied Danike's secretary at the other side of the hall in a very reveal Greek- wrap evening gown with sliver silk while her blonde hair flowed freely in waves talking to three older men that was undressing her with their eyes.

I adverted my gaze from her, because she was too little to be a bother to me.

But it seemed like I can't catch a break because she ditched her audience and was coming in my direction.

She sat on the bar stool close to me and order a glass of wine before turning to me

"i haven't seen Danike this whole time. I thought he would be with you see as it's you day"

I had to catch my expression.

My smile was sweet, " my mistake did I say you could speak to me, you are only in attendance to this party because I am merciful, nobody in this hall are in your class except the waiters and hotel staff after all you are all employees"

I eyes went wide and her face went red with embarrassment but I wasn't done.

" Next time you are pitied to be invited to a gathering of this caliber, look decent and don't dress like the slut we all know you are" I said, eyeing her from head to toe before walking away.

When I was sure that little miss secretary wasn't looking at me, my feet changed direction and I headed for the exit.

Almost miraculously on one saw me get out the door.

But as soon as I got out the door I realized it was a miracle.

It was a pave way to meet with the devil.

I heard clapping behind me.

"What a performance, don't you think so?" Someone said in a mocking tone.

My back stiffened.

I whirled around to see a man leaning against the wall with a glass of wine in his right hand.

"Christabel" he whispered in shock.

But I still heard him nonetheless.

I decided to maintain my composure and work past him but before calling him a creep.

But sadly before I could fully work away he grabbed me by my wrist and his grip was tight.

"Let go creep, do you know who I am?"

But he held on to my wrist and kept looking at me but not in a good way he looked crazy.

His hands on my wrist made my skin crawl.

" Christabel l,I thought you were dead"

"Huh"

"so you kind you could leave me in pain"

Then he laughed, his laugh was not the normal laugh I was used to hearing from people in my circle.

His laughter was loud and crowing, it racked his whole body and brought tears to his eyes.

Was that the effect of alcohol? But then why did it sound like pain and disbelief?

And his unsteady gaze was fixed unto my figure, it held love? And pity at once.

But it also held the dark humor of knowing something bad was going to befall me and he was going to entertain himself.

This stranger was going to watch whatever evil I was going to go through and he would muse himself with how it would tear me down.

It was promised...