Chapter 13

*AURORA* I was still frozen in place until I started to hear some older women’s voices around me. “If I wasn’t married, I’d have loved to be owned by him.” “You wish. I don’t think you’d stand a chance, Mrs Gordon.” “You can say that again, I mean, look at how magnificent he is, I wonder if the ladies still have the nerves to chase after him. A man like this would be surely hard to please. He would surely want a lady as great as he is.” “Any woman who has ever succeeded in even having a few minutes alone with him, breathing the same air as him is so lucky.” I zoned out on the conversation and chose to focus on the crisis I had going on right now. No! It can’t be him. I didn’t want it to be him because how on earth was I supposed to face him? I stared at his face again, he had a powerful and icy aura around him. The man I met last night didn’t had this much aura. Granted, it was dark and I felt he was just an ordinary man at a bar, plus his dark hair had fallen messily on his face but right now, he had his hair in order and permed sideways, making him insanely attractive. No! Maybe that man from last night was just someone that looks like him. There is no way the man in this hall was the same one that called me last night like a creep. Oh. The call. Yes! I should use that to confirm if it was really him. Guests began to take their seats and I hurriedly sat down. I was so nervous right now that my legs were getting weak. I brought out my cellphone and slid down the call logs. I knew when he called last night, I hadn’t saved the number but I was able to find it in my call logs. Taking a deep breath, I dialed the number and then searched for him at the hall. My heart stopped when I found him staring straight at me. No. Maybe he wasn’t staring at me. Could be someone behind me but that didn’t stop the stirring in my chest. I continued looking at him, hoping he won’t bring out a phone. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t mistaken. I knew he was the man from last night but I was too embarrassed to face him and I was holding onto a tiny glimpse of hope that it wasn’t him. When he didn’t bring out a cellphone, I started to mentally celebrate. I was about to hang up when the phone suddenly connected. The moment it connected, I reflexively looked up again. And there he was, holding a phone to his ear. My heart was pounding like a drum, beating faster and faster. I slowly brought the phone to my ear. “Aurora.”He began, staring straight at me. I swallowed. His voice was deep and husky and so good to listen to. Why did this man have so much attractiveness?! Even his voice was sexy. “You can’t wait to speak to me? Don’t worry, we’ll talk soon.” And then he hung up. Gosh, he had been staring at me. He knows I’m here! I was struggling to breath. Why was he the man from last night?! Ugh! I shouldn’t have gone to the bar yesterday. It was all Lucien’s fault! I was finding it hard to stay calm. I dimly felt Lucien coming to sit beside me. “What is it? You look pale.”He noted. I ignored him, thinking of how to deal with this situation. “Did your mother or Isobel bother you?” I glanced at him. He usually didn’t care about me so I’d greatly appreciate he shut his mouth right now and allow me think. Wanting to calm down, I started to drink. As I poured myself the third glass, Lucien took the glass away. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to get drunk?”He whispered. “Mind your business.”I snapped. “Tonight is very important. We’re yet to have an audience with Mr Dumont. Do you seriously want to leave a first impression on him as a drunk?!” I glared at him.”I’m bored. I’m not going to get drunk so stop bothering me.” I grabbed my glass from him. “I’m warning you, Aurora. Tonight has to end, perfectly.” I continued with my third drink. Everyone makes mistakes, right? I thought he was an ordinary man and I just wanted a good time. I changed my mind and I paid him off so he’d feel good as well. How was I supposed to know that he was a freaky billionaire?! Did he feel very insulted by what I did? He wasn’t too mad at me, right? Halfway through the banquet, the guests went to the main table to make a toast. Lucien stood up. “Let’s go make a toast to Mrs Dumont.” Taking a deep breath, I stood up, holding my wine glass. Soon, we arrive at the main table. We made a toast to Mrs Dumont and soon, everyone around were chatting. I could tell that Lucien were looking for an opportunity to approach Mr Dumont while I, on the other hand was avoiding that opportunity. Suddenly, Lucien tugged at my arm. “Let’s go.” I shut my eyes accepting that this wasn’t something I could run away from. The Sullivans needed this project. I decided to play dumb. I should act like I’ve never met him and everything will be fine. We walked up to him and Lucien introduced. “Mr Dumont, I am Lucien Sullivan and this is my wife, Aurora Sullivan, I have heard great things about you, let me make a toast to you.” Mr Dumont’s eyes fell on me and I felt a weird jolt of electricity, so strong, it made me shiver. Lucien handed him a glass of wine, seemingly waiting for Mr Dumont to clink his glass with it. I also wondered why he wasn’t clinking his glass with Lucien’s. He had been politely doing so with the others. Lucien’s hand was hanging in the air and it felt as if I was about to suffocate from the awkwardness in the atmosphere. I saw Lucien was starting to get nervous and then Mr Dumont asked, dryly. “Sullivan? Of T&S conglomerate? I’ve heard about your great construction company.” And then I saw Lucien’s mood lighten up. “Yes, yes. That is my family business. My father actually holds you at high regards. He calls you a heavenly genius in the business world. He really hoped to work with you someday and somehow, the opportunity has arrived, it’ll be an honor for the Sullivan to work on the Paradise resort project.” I felt Lucien was too forward but then again, it had been hard to have this opportunity to talk with Mr Dumont. So maybe, after this, he’ll make us prove that we were worthy of being in charge of the project. That was when I would get involved and speak. So far, he was acting as if we had never met and I was relieved. Maybe he decided to let it slide. I patiently waited for his response to what Lucien had said. His fingers twirled the wine glass. Though, he was seated and we were standing, he seemed to have this ability of making everyone feel below him. “Paradise resort, huh.”He drawled and then stared up at Lucien. “I don’t want the Sullivans to handle that project.” I was surprised to hear that. I looked around to see the people around us were equally surprised too. Everyone knew the Sullivans were the best in the construction industry. He just couldn’t bluntly say he didn’t want to work with us. Lucien sounded frantic.”Mr Dumont, you didn’t even give us a chance to show your our plan and proposal, you’ll be impressed by what we’ve laid out with the budget.” Mr Dumont snapped.”I’m not interested.” And Lucien grew more frantic.”If you don’t mind me asking, do you have anything against my family? If the Sullivans has ever offended you, we would make sure to resolve the issue on our part.” Mr Dumont’s eyes fell on me. Lucien followed his line of sight and stared at me as well. My breath got stuck in my throat. “Why don’t you ask Mrs Sullivan what she did to me?” Oh boy. I was wrong. He wasn’t letting last night slide.