White Vow

Chapter 14 - A thorn from the past

The ballroom in the mansion glittered under the light reflected from several large golden chandeliers filled with the best diamonds. The room, with guests over a hundred, had such flair and elegance. Emmanuel, allured by his surroundings, felt like he was in one of those old, Victorian-styled parties in Europe.

High-class ladies were dressed in their extravagant gowns, sporting the finest jewelries and stones, while the gentlemen were in suits and ties, which made them look very sophisticated. Emmanuel was wearing the suit Mrs. Diona gave him, but he wasn't sure if it was enough to make him fit in. Nevertheless, he felt confident and proud because of the woman by his side.

Julienne was wearing a strapless blue silk chiffon dress with a shimmery poly satin bodice and asymmetrical pleats. The dress itself was beautiful enough, but Emmanuel told himself that Julienne only made the dress look fantastic. She simply blew his mind away, a sight to behold. And Emmanuel could see that he wasn't the only male that feasted his eyes on her.

"You nervous?" Julienne asked, hooking his arm with hers, as she drew herself closer to him.

"A bit," he answered, glancing around the ballroom. He spotted Mr. Diona speaking with men his age, which were possibly his business partners. "It's nerve-wrecking that I'll be criticized by your dad."

"It's gonna be fine," she said, squeezing his hand.

He wasn't completely comforted, but it sure felt nice to get this kind of love and attention from Julienne. He knew people would have questions. After all, Julienne was the heiress of a rich company. Her status was completely different from his.

Still, he knew Julienne loved him, and their feelings for each other were strong. Julienne's warm hand was reassuring as he faced Mrs. Diona and her friends. They were all standing next to the table where they would be seated for dinner in a short while. Julienne's mother was beautiful in her pure white evening gown. Her hair was swept up, and she had a white, translucent shawl nestled on arms, round her back. Her youthful appearance made her stood out from her friends there.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Diona," Emmanuel greeted, taking the woman's hand and planting a soft, sweet kiss on the back of her palm. He had a crash course on how to be the perfect gentleman with Angelo a few hours before the party. He wanted to make sure not to embarrass Julienne in front of an audience during the party.

"Happy Birthday, mom," Julienne greeted.

"Why, thank you, Julienne, Emmanuel," Mrs. Diona replied, smiling elegantly. She then turned to her friends. "Oh, ladies, this is Emmanuel Rios, my daughter's fiancé."

"She mentioned you were one of the Elite Three when you graduated from Ruby High," a woman, whose auburn hair was tinged with gray, said.

"But he was from the 3rd section," another woman added. Her green eyes were stern and scrutinizing. "It must have been challenging to start at the bottom and still graduate with the same rank."

Emmanuel could tell that this woman was looking down on him.

"Yes, but rewarding," he responded. "I'm a little bit unorthodox when it comes to it, but I always fight with my heart and soul." He was speaking fluently and confidently, despite feeling those anxiety bugs fluttering inside his chest, and he was happy about it. He made a mental note to thank Angelo later for the lessons.

"Although he is given a lot of chances to join the 1st section, he backed down. He's the living proof that rank doesn't define your skills," Julienne explained, gracing Emmanuel with a smile.

"Emmanuel is such a fine young man, who's sweet and caring towards my daughter," Mrs. Diona said. "I could not have asked for a better man for Julienne."