Chapter 33: Runching Party


    "We are here" Austin deep voice call out to me as I turn to look at him then around my surrounding. I


    still can''t believe that Lilian talked me intoing, left to me alone I wouldn''t be here right now. I don''t


    feel like partying anyway.


    I walk out of the car and stood beside Austin on the red carpet linking my hand on his arm. Today is the


    "Are you sure, you really want to do this" Austin said to me, his voiceced with concern? I look up at


    him and offer him a small smile as I nodded. I feel so guilty for using him right now but I will do anything


    for me not to be with Michael right now.


    "Okay, let''s do this" Austin said smiling as we walk into the hotel. I was thankful that there was no one


    to announce our names just to check our invitation and this was no masquerade ball, just a regr


    dinner night party but even at that there were still ssic cars scattered around the premises.


    Immediately, we enter the lobby, I was confronted with the memory of my night with Michael I gulp


    nervously as I tighten my grip on Austin''s arms.


    "Are you sure you are okay?" He said still looking at me as his eyes scan the lobby like he was


    searching for someone. People going to the party,zy around in the lobby conversing.


    "I''m alright" I reply smiling as he walks me into the elevator that will take us to the hall where the party


    is held. I look around the hotel surprise that a lot has changed, the receptionist has been reced and


    the lighting has been upgraded to a chandelier. I smile sadly to myself, I never knew Michael was the


    owner of this hotel then, it''s no wonder we didn''t check-in.


    We both step out of the elevator to behold all beauties in the world, differentdies were dressed in


    tight-fitting dress clinging to the arms of their husbands or dates.


    Some couples were older than the women, I couldn''t care less as we both walk past them into the hall,


    the sound music greeted me immediately we walk in.


    I search around looking for Lilian and Danny but my eyes found Michael, he looks handsome in a white


    linen suit and blue tie. Deborah was with him holding his hands. Her stomach was starting to show, she


    was dressed in a white flowing short gown which provided some sort of space for her stomach hiding it


    perfectly.


    My eyes slowly made their way to Michael''s face as I drank in the sight of him before I''m caught "I


    missed you" I whisper as I watch him hungrily.


    As if on cue, his eyes found me, his mouth open slightly as he sucks in a breath, his eyes scan my


    body from my head to my toes as he smiles appreciatively at my outfit which was a long white strapless


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    gown with a nude stiletto heel.


    The butterflies in my stomach dances in excitement as I look into his eyes, drowning in their depths, my


    chest tightens as my eyes darken with desire.


    "Danny and Lilian are over there" Austin''s voice pulls me out of my trance as I break eye contact with


    Michael and turn to look at where Austin was pointed to.


    Immediately, I  saw Lilian and Danny, I walk over to meet them while Austin excused himself to go to


    who knows where. I couldn''t care less, I''m so happy right now that I''ve found Lilian and Danny.


    Lilian looks at me and gasps when she saw me walking to meet her. I guess she never believed that I


    will be here, even though she spent a whole day trying to convince me to.


    "I''m so d that you are here, Nina," She said hugging me as soon as I reach them.


    "I''m so d too. How was your trip?” I said hugging her back as I turn to smile at Danny who also


    greeted me with a hug.


    "It was okay though stressful with your niece who was disturbing me in the ne" Lilian smile at me as


    she lovingly rubs her belly with her hand. I smile back at her as I sat down beside her.


    "Nephew. How many times do I have to tell you that it''s a boy in there" Danny said as he gazes at Lilian


    who stuck out her tongue at him yfully. I smile at their antics.


    "Whatever, either way, I''m still their godmother," I said excitedly, I couldn''t wait to hold little Lilian or


    Danny with my hands.


    They both smile as we all turn to listen to what the emcee was saying. I look at around searching for


    Austin but he was not yet back from where he went, my eyes automatically went to Michael he was


    talking lowly on the phone to someone while Deborah was surprisingly not by his side. I break my gaze


    from him just as he was about to look up at me.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, join me as we invite the man of the hour, CEO of Thompson''s Empire for a


    speech" We all ps as Michael quickly hang up and stood up to go the stage.


    "Oh my God! He''s so cute!!" Somedies scream at my back as I rolled my eyes at them.


    "Cute? No, he''s so fucking hot" Another one counter back. I was tempted to shout at them but I hold


    my breath.


    "Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for honoring my invitation to grace our runching of hotel Italia"


    Michael said as he scans the room before his eyes finally rest on mine. Hotel Italia holds a very special


    ce in my heart and I''m very excited to know that it has been renovated to thetest standard"


    Everyone ps as he held my eyes “It holds a special ce in my heart too" I whisper to myself


    "Before we continue, may we rise and toast for sessful refurnishing of hotel Italia” We all stood up


    and raise our sses as we all murmur"hotel Italia".


    Danny, Lilian, and I click our sses together as we murmur "cheers" before we all drank and sat


    down.


    "Thank you," Michael said getting off the stage just as the manager of the hotel took over again.


    Deborah was back again by his side smiling up at Michael as he introduced her to everyone he came


    across on his way to us.


    My heart skips a beat, as I watch him getting closer to where Lilian and I were. I gulp nervously as I


    look everywhere but him.


    Lilian notices my agitated state and holds my hands as she smiles sadly at me "You can go to the


    washroom if you are ufortable with him" Lilian whisper in my ear.


    "No. I''m good," I told her smiling just as Michael and Deborah walk up to where we are "Good evening


    Lilian, you are looking more beautiful since Ist saw you," Michael said as he peck Lilian on her


    cheeks.


    “  Oh! Come off it Michael, " Lilian said smiling as she swatted Michael lightly on his arm giggling " you


    and I both know that I''m getting uglier each passing day that your beautiful niece here is getting closer


    to the world"


    "Who told you that? Is it this guy here?" Michael asks her as he pointed to Danny, who scoff at them


    both, I felt like a flour-wheeler in their midst as they all ignore me, tears pooled up into my eyes as I


    fought them back, wouldn''t want to break down in front of Michael and Deborah.


    "You are still as beautiful as ever and I just can''t wait to hold her in my hands" Michael continues


    charming Lilian who continues giggling.


    "Hi! Nina, I heard you are now working for your father. How does it feel like to be making shoes"


    Michael stiffens beside Deborah but she ignores him, looking at me expectantly.


    "It''s okay and fun. I don''t have to be on edge trying to please anybody" I reply sweetly smiling at her,


    she res at me as I ignore her, I''m not in the mood to y games with her right now.


    "Miss  Miller, I''m so happy you could make it," Michael said as he stretches forth his hand to shake me,


    I ignore him, wouldn''t want our hands to connect.


    "Thank you" I reply smiling tightly at him" if you would excuse me, I need to find my date," I said and


    turn back on my heels walking away from them. I could feel his eyes burrowing holes at the back of my


    neck but I refuse to look at him as I search around for Austin but I still couldn''t find him.


    I climb up the stairs to the third floor where Michael and I had sex that night, now looking at it, I


    discovered that it was a penthouse floor, I was so naive back then that I couldn''t differentiate between a


    normal suite from a penthouse one. If only I knew he was so rich, I would have taught myself not to fall


    in love with him.


    Now standing in front of the room, I smile sadly as the memories wash over me. I close my eyes trying


    to savor the little time I had left.


    "I see you are reliving memories, just don''t know if it''s bad or good for you" Michael''s cold voice breaks


    me from my trance as I stiffened and turn slowly to look at him.


    I shiver nervously, I was not scared of him but scared of the things that he still made me feel " I don''t


    know what you are talking about" I said feigning ignorance


    "Really?" He cocks his eyebrows at me as he tilts his head to one side to look at me" trying to


    y smart, are we?”


    I ignored him as I try to brush past him, he held out his hand to stop "Nina, I__________" He ran his


    hand through his hair loss for words.


    I turn slowly to look at him, our hands still joined together, now that I was closer to him I could hear his


    heartbeat raggedly as he tries to control it.


    I lick my dried lips as I try to recall what he had said before I was lost in his ocean blue eyes"


    You_________what?"


    "I______" He looks at me with so much emotion that I tremble, he looks so beautiful right now even the


    dimmest light from the blue chandelier across from us couldn''t do justice to his handsome face.


    I inch closer and closer to him until my front was pressed at his chest. He gasps surprised by my bold


    move" It''s evident that we both want each other, so let''s quit with this game and take me to bed" I said


    wantonly as I pressed my hips to his bulging manhood.


    Michael looks at me shocked, with a slight hesitation in his eyes, he regards me curiously. Just then, a


    janitor walks up to the floor, I quickly remove myself from his hands embarrassed.


    The janitor looks everywhere but us shy " I''m sorry, I didn''t know someone was here. I wille back


    another time to clean" she bbers on embarrassed.


    "Get out" Michael screams, as I raise my eyes to look at him, his muscle was popping out due to his


    excessive control. I have never seen him this annoyed before, even when we were at the club.


    The woman scrambles up on her feet, scared. I didn''t know she was on her knees, she pushes her


    trolley containing her mop and bucket with a duster. I avoided her eyes scared of her seeing my face


    "Come back here?" I raise my eyebrow at him, he smirks at me." get me the key to this room. And I


    want it right now"


    The woman ran down the stairs scared of her life, I turn to look at Michael, surprised about what he is


    nning to do.


    Michael move up closer to me the smile still on his face, I took a step back from him scared of the look


    in his eyes "


    “Be Mio! You shouldn''t throw a challenge at me when you know you are not up to it" He said, now


    close to me, he dips his head and kiss me passionately as I wrap my hand around his neck excited for


    the things he made me feel.


    "Who said I''m not up to it," I said breathlessly after we''vee up for air.


    He cock his eyebrow at me surprised " Really, let''s wait and see then" I smile at him as we both waited


    for the cleaningdy toe.