Chapter 34
Chapter 34
The location for The Vanderbilt Fundraising Ball had finally been revealed. It was taking ce at the Vanderbilt’s state of the art
conference centre. It was their newest built location which had been kept hidden until tonight. The big reveal was saved for this
evening’s ball making it an added
bonus.
The entire building was quite a spectacle with the exterior being made out of ss from floor to: ceiling and the structure forming
in to unique shapes making it unusual to sight. The entire location was brightly lit but also super secured.
The invitation was spared for the wealthy and elite only and a select hand picked at that all in the hopes that they woulde
out and donate generously to the cause deemed fit by the Vanderbilt''s.
In addition to that that, it was apetition especially since two head strong rivals were in attendance like the steel
manufacturing tycoons. They both usually went head to head to out bid the other in their egotistical wake to be the best as
opposed to their counterparts bringing in a huge winnings for the causes. It was a show of money than the less fortunate that
rugged generously at their
purse strings.
| approached the security guarded gates right where the conference centre was situated. The array of bright lights that shined
from the awaiting cars to be let in through the gates had causedbmild chaos enough to have passerby cars slow down to make
sense of it all but the the line was moving swiftly and the valets were efficient in guiding the cars through the gates once they
were screened.
The glossy back jaguar in front of me slowed down until it came to aplete halt catching my attention. Aman went to the
window at the same time one came to mine. | rolled down my window and gave my name and shortly was let through at the
same time as the car in front. A valet dressed in his uniform had pulled open the drivers side door and stepped aside.
Being next in line, | was quite intrigued to observe whoever it was that would emerge from this ck beast looking car but | took
my thought back when I saw exactly who it had been.
Dante had emerged from the ck beast looking the image of the most notorious billionaire of the city. He wore an all ck tux
that clung to his muscr b*dy and wide shoulders like a secondyer of skin contouring itself to his rippling b*dy. His dark hair
had been styled to the back with the sides of it a little shorter.
To my surprise, his sharp jawline was not cleanly sha ven. Instead, a visible stubble had grown but it was easy to notice that he
cleaned it up a bit but kept it on. In some unexinable way, it had given him a more alluring intensity to his look and, | dare say,
it made him look a whole other type of appealing. Some thing that | did not think was possible.
He stood proud and tall as he threw the key to his Jag in the air and the valet caught it with excitement brimming in his eyes
eager to get behind the wheel. Dante told him some thing to which the valet said something back causing Dante tough. His
perfect teeth had been in full disy, his eyes
had gentle creases at their edges, and the expanse of his chest was only brought to attention but his straining jacket. The valet
had got in to his car, atst, and drove off.
It was about then that he happen to turn and immediately caught sight of me in my car with my attention clearly fixed on him. The
moment his eyes had locked with mine and he gave me a very
Chapter 31
knowing look before his expression turned hard. | knew that his expression was because of me avoiding him so hard all these
days. | stuck my chin out defiantly and it was just about then that he had been guided further down the red carpet so that he
could pose for a few pictures whilst the backup valet had seen to me. | noticed that Pheobe was not in attendance and was
surprised that she did not insisted oning to such an event like this. She would kill to be in such a gathering.
Dante had begrudgingly tore his eyes away from me and moved further down the carpet but he was still quite in full view. | pulled
up onto the designated spot and waited for my door to be open before | undid my seat belt and was helped out.
lon the other hand had not moved an inch seeing as Dante was still in the same spot that | would be in if | moved further down
the carpet. It was the order of things. One pulls up then poses for a photo by the back drop where two photographers clicked the
pictures then proceeds inside.
| knew that he was aware of me standing where | had been because the photographers were looking at me to move forward.
Naturally | had expected him to move along but | inhaled sharply when he had turned fully in my direction and did not hesitate to
take a few confident strides until he stood right in front of me. His dark gaze had ran over my face before it dipped lower to doa
sweep of my entire length. Even though it had been a swift look, | felf like each part of my b*dy had been brought to my attention
beneath his gaze.
The shes of the cameras had stopped for a moment and my eyes had widened as | tried to silently indicate to him to move
ahead and get away from me. However it was quite idiotic of me to assume that this man would listen to anything | ever said. |
saw his I*ps press in to a firm line as his tall figure towered over me and he looked down at me with the nk look. | clench my
jaw together and told him to move away from me and get going into the conference centre.
Instead he had held out his arm for me to take knowing full well that there was no possible way that | could refuse him when we
were quite in the middle of all the attention especially the shing cameras and the guests behind.
| forced out a smile purely for the cameras and wound my hand around his arm and | could not help but noticed just how
prominent and firm his bicep had been.
“Have you ever tried smiling?” | muttered through clenched teeth as we were been waved through to exit the carpet but a grunt
was all the response | got.
We began making our way through the grand entrance doors and | was waiting to break away him. | did not want to be seated
next to him if | could help it.
from
“You have been avoiding me, Sophia.” He said in a cl*pped tone just as we both nodded in acknowledgment of people giving us
surprised stares before they would whisper to the person next to them.
“Of course, you’d think so. It was a busy week and | didn’t have time for friendly chit chat.” | turned to tell him but found his face
rmingly close to mine.
“Pretending to be busy and actually being busy are two different things.” | gasped at what he had just insinuated.
linhaled as | prepared myself to retaliate but | had only got a nostril full of his intoxicating cologne. | swallowed and for the first
time after a long while | have found such a simple task to be
Chapter 31
so testing.
n
“Are you saying that | pretend to be busy?” we were now entering the banquet hall where circr tables elegantly set with name
tags along each table.
“Not precisely but seeing by how defensive you''re getting, it makes me reconsider.” He shot at me and my nostrils red.
m not defensive. The fact that | was given an invite to tonight''s even proves how fruitful my efforts have been.” 1 boasted
knowing that even he couldn’t deny it.
We paused and patiently waited for our turn to be ushered to our seats and | could not wait for him to leave me be and move
away to his seat which | hoped would be as far away from where where ever it is that | was supposed to be seated this evening.
The less | saw of him the better.. | would be more at ease knowing that | would not be clutching onto my better judgement.
“It only proves that you secured Vanderbilt as an investor.” He shrugged like such an achievement meant little when | knew other
wise.
“Right this way Mr Crawford. “The usher who had appeared in front of us had said before looking back down onto the cl*pboard
that he had in his hand.
| was already removing my hand from around Dante’s arm when the usher had looked up me again. My eyes darted from side to
side like | was refusing to ept what he was about to say to
me.
“You as well, Miss Miller. This couldn''t be happening. The Vanderbilt’s would have known better than to seat is at the same table.
Dante had reached for my hand and repositioned it right back where it had been on the crook of his arm before he practiced
sympathetically even though he wore the most annoying grin over his face.
Aaron had all but dragged me along seeing as there had been a crowd umting behind us also waiting to find their seats
and | was not going to move on my own ord.
“Did you have a hand in pulling this stunt.” it certainly was not some thing that | would put past
him.
Dante had scoffed at my question as the both of us had settled into our seats. He had done so fluidly whilst | had done so
begrudgingly.
“Why would you think that | would have any thing to do with it? sometimes luck is just on the side. of those who are good. “He
said sarcastically.
| bit back augh. “If that was truly how it had worked then you would certainly be the most unluckiest of them all. “he ced a
hand over his heart dramatically and | rolled my eyes at him.
“you truly say the most sweetest of things. “he said sarcastically and | turned my attention away from him to do a sweep of the
room.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.
“you see this is what happens when you avoid me for no eptable reason.” Dante’s deep voice had
Chapter 34
said from behind me and | turned to face him with a straight face.
“It is for a good reason and you are well aware of it. “I pointed out calling him out on his feigned innocence.
“Nevermind the specifics but it only goes to show that luck is on my side here. You finally have no choice but to face me.” he
pointed out smugly almost like he was also satisfied with the situation right now.
“Perhaps you
ire correct about this, after all | certainly don’t see how all of this could have happened if it were not for luck because there’s no
way that | would willingly be in yourpany. “he scoffed at that as if my words had meant absolutely nothing to him.
“That is what you would like to think.” | gasped in disbelief.
“so you suddenly have me all figured out. “I raised a sardonic brow at him.
“Not suddenly but gradually. It has taken me a lot to rediscover you.” He said on a t tone and | felt my nostrils re in anger.
“And yet you are still so far off. | mocked but his eyes narrowed at me.
There was an instant shift in the air based on how he had began looking at me. His face was serious, his jaw firmly set and his
orbs looked in to mine like he could read me like an open book.
“Is that so? So | would be wrong if | said that ever since my arm wrapped around your waist outside, your pulse hadn’t been
beating faster, that your mind hadn’t been racing with all things you want to do but are too afraid to let yourself indulge, that if |
recreate the events of thest time we were in your living room, | wouldn''t find you as wet and eager for me?” His voice was a
low husky whisper and my cheeks immediately turned scarlet.
| swallowed audibly and his eyes darted to the movement of my throat. He didn’t smirk or grin or show any indication that he was
mocking me. All | saw in his eyes were red, hot desire that bubbled and boiled like an inferno with no hopes to an end.
| didn’t know how the rest of the evening had gone on or how | managed to bid for a piece of jewellery that caught my eye but it
was all a blur with Dante constantly touching me through out the night. It was small touches but it reached to my depths begging
for me to seek salvation from him.
Hf