Dahlia Wellburg hates her misery as much as she loves it. She sees herself as a stone: ordinary and unwanted. Yet, they know her to be a rose: soft, but with thorns.
. . .
Mature Content. Check the tags.
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"You look beautiful."
Hedeon looked dangerously handsome as he stood behind me, his hands on my hips and his eyes scanning all of me in the mirror. I was wearing a dark green dress which hugged me just a bit. I couldn't really wear anything skin-tight. My mom would lose it.
"Thank you."
"You seem tense, Dahlia."
"I feel like Dad will be mean to you."
He chuckled. Actually chuckled. He rarely laughed at things. "Darling, I can handle him."
I nodded. "Okay. And Emilia will try something with you."
"How can you be sure?"
"Have you not seen your face recently?" I asked, looking at him through the mirror. "You're...gorgeous, Hedeon."
He looked at himself and a slight tinge of redness came on his cheeks. "I've never felt this flustered by a compliment before."
I smiled. "Glad to be the first."
. . .
Emilia hugged me. I hugged her back, sighing. Even though no one really believed it, I cared about her. "How are you?"
"Good," she said as she pulled back. She was wearing a fitted black dress with silver jewelry. Her earnings, in particular, shone.
And looked familiar.
"Your earrings," I whispered.
"Birthday gift. Dad bought them. They're really pretty. You have immaculate taste."
I picked up my champagne flute and took a huge gulp. "I do, don't I? This is Hedeon, Emilia. My boyfriend."
Emilia was already looking at him. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a gasp.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Wellburg."
"Likewise, and my last name is Davis."
A slight movement of Hedeon's eyebrows. "Dahlia is a Wellburg."
"Yeah, she never took Dad's last name."
Never took?
"Oh." Hedeon looked down at me. He rubbed my back and it relaxed some of my tense muscles. "That is weird."
"What is weird?" My dad effortlessly entered the conversation. We were all in the living room. It was a whole dinner party. Alexandre was yet to arrive.
"Dad," I said. "This is Hedeon Kozlov."
"The boyfriend you have been hiding." Dad sized him up and only lifted his hand when Hedeon lifted his for a handshake.
"A pleasure, Mr. Davis."
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr Kozlov. It's good to know who has been keeping my daughter so occupied she turned off her phone." Dad's eyes were accusing. "How old are you?"
Hedeon showed no emotion. It was a bit concerning how he could just...turn it off. "Thirty."
"Dahlia is twenty-one. You're a lot older."
"Dahlia is twenty-two," Hedeon said.
Dad chuckled. "Of course." He looked at me, his eyes filled with a bit of anger. I gulped, looking away. "Let's go to the dining room, Mr Kozlov. We have a lot to talk about."
Fuck me.
. . .
Hedeon Kozlov.
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Dahlia's father was a cunt.
It was a wonder this man was related to her and Noah. I had met many men I'd wanted to punch in the face, but I had never felt that urge to do it without them opening their mouths.
He made Dahlia sad. She had made herself smaller as soon as we entered this showy manor.
Alexandre arrived soon. Dahlia's father was an angel to him, but I could see the tightness of Alexandre's jaw as he talked to Davis. Davis didn't know who I was. And even though he had appeared smug while talking to me, I saw the bastard shake.
I knew what I looked like. Menacing. And gorgeous, according to my sweet Dahlia.
Dahlia who wouldn't lift her eyes off the table.
I watched as Emilia, Dahlia's bitch of a sister, talked Alexandre's ear off. They were sitting across from us. I couldn't hear their conversation.
Soon, the dinner ended. Alexandre and Emilia stood up and headed away.
Dahlia's eyes followed them. I saw them water.
She stood up and walked out. "I need some air. Please don't follow me."
