The car ride is absolutely, terrifyingly silent as she sits beside Mr. Knyte and across from her mother. Beside her mother is Mr. Delmont, a stone cold look on his face and jaw tightly clenched as he stares out the window. Emilia watches as her mother almost cautiously slides her hand onto his thigh, squeezing gently in a reassuring fashion.
Something silver flashes lightly on her mother's wrist as Emilia looks away trying not to cry, trying not to get angry at the sight. She knew that bracelet, it was the one her mother had worn every single day since her father had died, the one he had given her on their fifth anniversary. The same year that she had been born.
Gently, inconspicuously she wiped at the corner of her eye with a pinky to clear away the single tear that had welled there attempting to ruin the gothic makeup. She didn't know where it came from, if it was anger at her mother at Mr. Delmont, or if it were sadness and shock that she would dare to wear something like that now. To pretend that she still loved the man that had left them, deserted them and then was murdered by the man now beside her.
Forcing herself to look away, her eyes trailed down to the shoes inches from her own feet. She could already feel the ache building in her toes from the pinch of the nude stilettoes constraining her feet visible as the silk folds brush open at the slit to see her just shaved legs.
His shoes, black as the tinted windows with thin white socks peaking just at the edges of his three-piece suit pants, layered against the black leather of the car seat with legs slightly parted and hands placed on his knees in a rather tense stance. Her eyes travel past him to the tinted window flashing with those brief lights of passing cars every now and then.
"So, where precisely is this party?" She finally asks, looking not at Mr. Delmont but at her mother, crossing her arms across her chest and feeling the cool material against her bare arms as it shifts slightly, making the only other sound in the car that of a rustling champagne silk dress.
"It's at a friend of mine's." Mr. Delmont says, not bothering to elaborate on the obvious of where precisely it is, and based on the fact they are passing through a clump of palms nearly 10 minutes outside the city and at least a half hour from the Delmont mansion.
"Thank you for elaborating, mom?" Emilia changes, not even bothering to look at Mr. Delmont with the annoyance very obvious in her voice that it was not her mom the one that answered the question.
"Like Anthony said Emy, it's his old friend's house." She said, smiling cajolingly to try and ease the tension resting between her daughter and new husband. "I am quite certain it will be absolutely lovely." Her smile turns to one of a loving longing as she looks at her new husband once more like she wants to jump in his pants at that very moment.
Emilia tries so hard not to flinch or gag, or really to react at all to this slight change of subject as she looks outside once more trying to figure out precisely where they are and if she could make an excuse for a proper escape.
The rest of the ride is left in nearly an unbearable huffy silence, only the brief whispers of shuffling feet or moving fabric dare to interrupt the unspoken hatred resting between her and Mr. Delmont, her mother sweetly oblivious and Mr. Knyte looking relaxed as always.
He reminded her of a tiger. A large lethal cat waiting for the chance to pounce, to rid the world of a terrible venomous snake that lays coiled across from him, its coils looped dangerously around Emilia and her mother. For if he were to leap too soon they would be stroke by his terrible venom from which there was no cure. But if it were too late they would be crushed beneath those constricting scales and he would have no chance to save anyone. So he must lie in wait for him to make a mistake, to have enough distraction to destroy the cobra without it having the chance to strike first.
She can feel the slowing car beneath her as she sits up straighter, hands going to the cushions as she lifts herself up ready to exit and hide as far away from Mr. Delmont and her mother as possible. If she could, she would even try to escape Mr. Knyte for the evening. She needed time alone outside of her room and that couldn't be done with him hanging over her shoulder the whole night.
As they come to a stop and the driver pulls the door open, her mother is the first one out, then Mr. Delmont, and as she attempts to follow suit Mr. Knyte takes hold of her arm holding her back for the briefest of moments as she looks to him in question.
"Miss Emilia, be careful tonight, Mr. Delmont is not the only dangerous one here tonight." He murmurs before letting go of her arm leaving only a hint of red in its place.
Swallowing hard, hand trembling slightly as she sweeps her dress to the side gently so she can step out without falling on her face from tipping over the long hem. Standing up straight once more just outside the door she looks up at the house before them, mouth open slightly in complete awe of the spread before them.
She had thought that Mr. Delmont's home was huge, but this put another meaning to the word mansion. It wasn't even a mansion, this thing was a goddamned castle. She thought, feeling that even in her elegant champagne gown that perhaps she was under dressed for this event with ballgown and diamond covered women making their way elegantly up the Cinderella style staircase.
Her eyes travel the many couples, eyes resting briefly on her own mother to assure herself that she was safe in that moment. But she had to look away almost immediately at the sight that befell her. A giddy smile lighting up her mother's polished face, while Mr. Delmont's hand rests on her lower back just below the low back and above her ass. She felt disgusted and overwhelmed at the same time.
Moving from them to the other couples she can't help but notice that most of them have one or two bodyguards with them. Paraded as chauffeurs or personal servants, but being with Mr. Knyte for the past week or so has put her on edge, not to mention opened her eyes onto a whole new world of evil and devil incarnate.
Was everyone involved? Did everyone know Mr. Delmont's great secret? Was only her mother in the dark and left to an unknowing world of danger? But did that make her safer than Emilia was? Or did being in the dark make it all the better? She could enjoy herself at a party, instead of worrying that if she made one wrong move she would end up just like her dad with a bullet in her skull.
Emilia couldn't help but take a step backwards only to be met with a familiar rock hard chest her and resulting in her heel stabbing into the top of his foot. A pained grunt resonates from somewhere just above her head, but being distracted she hardly notices.
"Sorry" She managed in a choked whisper in response, still not taking her eyes off the wandering individuals. She did not belong here, not in the slightest, and she was expected to fit in!? This was insane! She knew the kind of people that were in here, people like Mr. Delmont and based on the house alone she would say they were even worse.
Without noticing she begins to grip tightly to her upper arm, not even moving her foot from atop his as she shakes slightly trying to get a hold of herself. A warm hand atop hers snaps her out of it before the anxiety even sets in, catching the breath in her throat and forcing it out of her mouth in a soft long sigh that dried out the paint on her lips.
The other one slides down to take hold of her waist, nudging her off his foot gently as he bends down to whisper "I'm here, and I swear I shall protect you." His breath ghosts across the shell of her ear forcing her to relax in his grip, folding into his chest as she releases the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
It was only loud enough for her to hear and it caught her by surprise, forcing her to pull away and to look him in the eyes. "Of course." She whispered back, a hint of disbelief hiding in her voice. Turning away and squaring her shoulders to head up those glorious stares.
She couldn't help but think that he hadn't protected her last time, the image of the blood covered man on the ground and her own trembling body haunted her as she finally made her way toward the stairs, eyes following only her own feet as she tries to ignore the whispers of other people and click of heels on marble with their slow procession to what felt like a certain doom.
She was walking into the maw of a hungry lion and she didn't even know if she could survive it, but she would certainly go out kicking and screaming if it was the last thing she did.
Behind Emilia stands Alexander, eyes narrowed slightly and hands clenched in tight fists. His teeth are ground together slightly in his attempt to control his anger as he watches her walk away from him. He wanted to grab her, to tell her it wasn't his fault and throw her in the back of the car. He didn't want to be here, not with her, not at a gathering like this one.
He didn't even know why Mr. Delmont had her come, unless. He snarled to himself, almost tempted to take his gun and fire it directly at that man's arrogant head. He knew better though, not in front of this crowd or these people, even with what he knew was coming tonight. He had to stick by her side, closer than even she would allow him to be. He would have to keep him at bay, even if it meant his own life. He had managed to protect her from those fools with relative ease, but this was a different battle ground and he had no moves to make, no battle plan, and he needed one to protect his queen at all costs.
And with that thought, the pair enters the lion's den.