Spilled Wine, Stolen Glances (Part 2)

The ballroom was a blur of noise and light, but Evie felt like she was moving through a fog. Her hands trembled as she clutched the remnants of the shattered champagne glasses, her cheeks still burning from the humiliation of Sophia's taunts and Alexander Grant's unexpected intervention. She couldn't shake the feeling of his gaze on her, the way his piercing blue eyes had seemed to see straight through her defenses.

As she made her way toward the exit, the whispers of the crowd followed her like a shadow. She kept her head down, her heart pounding in her chest, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the event. But before she could reach the door, a sharp voice cut through the noise.

"You. Stop right there."

Evie froze, her stomach sinking as she turned to see a tall, impeccably dressed man striding toward her. His expression was stern, his eyes cold and calculating. She recognized him immediately—Alexander Grant's assistant, the man who had been hovering at his side all evening.

"Do you have any idea who you just spilled wine on?" the man demanded, his voice low and menacing. "That was Alexander Grant. Do you understand the kind of trouble you're in?"

Evie's throat tightened, and she shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I—I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

"An accident?" the man repeated, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you think that matters? You've embarrassed one of the most powerful men in this city. Do you have any idea what that could cost you?"

Evie's heart raced, her mind spinning with fear and regret. She wanted to explain, to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat. She felt like a child being scolded, small and insignificant in the face of his anger.

But then, a voice cut through the tension, cold and commanding. "Enough."

Evie looked up to see Alexander Grant standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable. His presence was overwhelming, his sharp features and icy demeanor sending a shiver down her spine. He didn't look at her, his gaze fixed on his assistant.

"Leave her alone," Alexander said, his voice calm but firm. "She's had enough for one night."

The assistant hesitated, his jaw tightening as if he wanted to argue. But then he nodded, his tone clipped. "Of course, Mr. Grant."

Alexander turned to Evie, his gaze finally meeting hers. For a moment, she thought he might say something—apologize, maybe, or offer some kind of reassurance. But instead, he simply nodded toward the door. "Go home," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "You don't belong here."

Evie's heart sank, her cheeks burning with shame. She wanted to protest, to explain that she hadn't meant to cause any trouble, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she nodded, her throat too tight to speak, and turned to leave.

As she walked toward the exit, the whispers of the crowd followed her, their judgmental stares burning into her back. She could feel their eyes on her, their laughter and murmurs a constant reminder of how out of place she was. But she kept her head high, her jaw clenched in determination. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.

When she finally stepped out into the cool night air, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. The city lights sparkled in the distance, a stark contrast to the suffocating opulence of the ballroom. She took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she clutched her bag.

But as she walked away from the hotel, her mind raced with questions. Why had Alexander Grant intervened? Why had he told her to go home? And what did he imply when he said that I didn't belong there? She didn't have any answers, but one thing was clear—this wasn't the end. 

Meanwhile, the party continued and murmurs rang aloud with people partying and trying to form social connections and climb up the social ladder. 

In the presidential room of the hotel, Alex had just taken ha shower and was gazing into the night view of the city from the top floor of the hotel. A knock sounded stirring Alex from his thoughts.

"Enter" he said.

"Sir, you asked for me" Martin asked with a slight bow and a hint of reverence in his voice. It was clear that Martin Hayes highly respected his boss and was his capable subordinate.

"Do one thing for me tomorrow" Alex ordered while going to the wine cabinet for he just felt like drinking tonight.

"Sure" Martin replied but after a slight hesitation asked "Sir, uhm… may I ask something?"

Alex while swirling and gazing into the red wine replied "I know what you are going to ask, but you will know when the time comes for it. Go now and I will mail you the task with an hour".

"Understood" Martin replied as he took his leave from the room while wondering why his boss acted like that as those who had offended him previously had obviously met bad ends but he let that girl go. Having been by his side for many years, Martin know that his boss had something in plan and his only job right now was to execute the order which his boss will give him.