Elysia's POV:
As we stepped into the brightly lit private banquet hall, the bustling crowd seemed overwhelming. A sea of unfamiliar faces turned their curious gazes toward us, making me uneasy.
"Stick to my side," Ares whispered beside me, catching me off guard.
"Huh, why?" I glanced at him, confused at his sudden demand. I honestly needed some space after what happened today in hotel and on our way here; to think for a while, away from him.
He looked surprised for a moment before clearing his throat. "It's... Um, it's because there are many me- I mean people here, unknown people, I mean, so just stay with me and don't wander around," he explained, scratching his head. It made sense, given that Knights had a prominent business presence in Spain. I nodded in agreement, adjusting to the idea of sticking by his side. It would be best to stay with him.
We mingled with various business associates of Knight Group and just as Ares said, he kept me close without leaving my side for a moment. He also somehow noticed my awkwardness around crowd and made sure to stay in the quieter corners of the room.
"Oh, look who we have here, Ares Simon Knight!" A middle aged man approached us and greeted Ares with an over friendly smile.
Ares turned to him and nodded formally. "Mr. Ashford, long time."
The man enthusiastically extended his hand and shake Ares' hand, then turned towards me, giving me a weird glance.
After exchanging pleasantries with Ares, and the man, Mr. Ashford, turned his focus to me. "And who is this young lady?" he inquired, his eyes lingering on me.
"My executive assistant, Elysia Lawson. This is Mr. John Ashford, one of our business associates," Ares introduced formally.
I was about to respond when Ares' phone rang, interrupting us. He was standing just beside me and I could see as the screen of his phone lit up with his grandpa's name. His expressions turned annoyed within a second as he excused himself, picking up the call and making his way towards the balcony. I stared at his retreating figure; even his back was stiff while walking. Did something happen with his grandpa again?
He had been receiving calls from his mother and grandpa for almost a whole week now and I heard that they even dropped by the office when he gave me a day off. Everyone was talking in the office that his grandfather gave him an earful and that there was a huge argument about something. I wonder what's the issue that made him so worked up?
"Ah, Elysia Lawson, isn't it?" A voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned towards Mr. Ashford as he suddenly stepped closer, an over friendly grin on his face. I instinctively took a step back, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Yes," I nodded barely managing a polite smile.
"Ares Simon has an eye for beautiful assistants. You sure are as pretty as the last one," he leaned in closer again, his presence invading my personal space.
"I... I need to go, Mr. Ashford. Please excuse me," I stated in a low voice, averting my gaze from his nasty stare and tried to walk past him when he blocked my way.
"Oh, come on, let's have a chat until Simon returns. After all Ashford and Knights have a strong association so you should make sure to keep good connections," he spoke as a smug smile played on his lips. His gaze lingered on me in a way that made my skin crawl.
What did this man just say?
This was the first time I faced this kind of situation since I started working with Ares. The business partners of Knights were mostly nice and educated people with prestigious background. I didn't encounter this kind of s***bag the whole time working as his executive assistant in the past month.
Is this what women face every day at work? Looked down upon by these kinds of nasty b******s with sick mindsets, who think of nothing but using women? It's absurd to think how many of these types of people exist in today's society.
I clenched my fists behind my back, feeling disgusted. He leaned in even closer, his words turning suggestive as he extended his hand for a handshake. "Opportunities like these can be quite beneficial, especially if you know how to make the most of them. You could make me very happy, Elysia."
My heart raced, and I felt a mix of anger and revulsion. I was screaming internally, wanting to respond, to shut him down, but my voice failed me. I clutched the fabric of my dress, my knuckles turning white.
"Really, Mr. Ashford? I would also like to know about this opportunity that you are offering to my person," Ares' deep, sarcastic, and cold voice sounded behind me. He gently pulled my arm back, distancing me from John Ashford.
My senses calmed down naturally with his presence as I released an inaudible sigh of relief. I looked up to see Ares standing right behind me, just a few inches away. His hand firmly held my arm, and his fierce, icy gaze was fixed on the man before us. My eyes widened at the intensity of his emotions. I have never seen him this furious except once in the past. Even his aura was intimidating, sending chills down my spine.
"M-mr. Knight, it's not–" John Ashford stuttered, caught off guard and flustered by Ares' sudden re-appearance.
"I think you forgot the first rule of my business, Mr. Ashford?" Ares' words cut through with a menacing tone. "Since you have so much free time to offer opportunities to people, I'll provide you one." John Ashford paled at Ares' stern words.
He attempted to speak, but Ares disregarded him, focusing on me with a gaze that held genuine concern, as his eyes landed on my shocked face. "Let's go," he said. I stood there, stunned by the contrast in his tone. My mouth hung open, unable to respond. I felt his warm and comforting palm rested on the back of my head when I didn't move. Ares led us away, turning us around, gently pulling my head to guide me forward.
When I faced forward again, Ares let go of my head and held my hand. We walked toward the balcony, my thoughts in disarray. I stared at our joined hands in a daze.
I'm holding Ares' hand...
I'm holding his hand once again...
I felt like my heart was in my throat as my stomach did weird flips, sending me back to years ago when he held my hand for the first time.
It shouldn't begin again...
It must not begin again...
I've witnessed enough; I have suffered enough...
My heart wouldn't be able to take it anymore...
Sometimes, when people distance themselves from their loved ones, it's not because they don't love them anymore, but it's because staying close has caused them too much pain...
It's not easy to let go of the only person you truly love. It requires immense strength and courage to silently take yourself out of the picture to make someone else happy...
Loving him was always my biggest secret, and I intend to keep it that way, not because I don't love him anymore but because I'm aware that he would never fall in love with me. I would not let my heart raise false hopes, only to have them crushed once more, just as they were in the past...
There were a very few people scattered around the balcony. Ares led us to a quiet spot near the railing. The cold air offered a respite for my flushed skin, like a soothing balm.
"Are you okay?" Ares finally spoke, his breath controlled. But his fury was still evident in his rigid posture and firm grip.
"I'm better now... Thank you, Ares," I murmured gratefully, feeling confused and complicated internally. He stilled, lips parting slightly, staring into my eyes with furrowed eyebrows.
I looked away, nudging my hand gently, silently asking him to release it. His eyes shifted to our joined hands, momentarily pausing before he abruptly let go, as if he got burned.
I glanced aside, trying to hold a bitter smile that appeared unknowingly.
That's more like it...
It had always been like this; he'd always regretted it, regretted holding my hand, regretted holding me. Nothing seemed to have changed.
The bitter realization washed over me like a cold shower, bringing my wavering heart back to a place of calm.
Facing the night view of Madrid, he slid his hands into his pockets. I, too, turned my gaze to the cityscape, sorting out the turmoil that arose within me just by his simple gesture of kindness.
"You still hate me, don't you?" I asked, unable to contain the question anymore, keeping my gaze steady ahead.
Feeling his questioning eyes bore into me, I clarified. "For everything that happened in the past. You still haven't forgiven me, have you?"
He never listened to my reasons, never looked back, not even once...
"You never gave me the chance to explain. After all that happened, I at least deserved a chance to explain my side of story, I thought we were at least friends... but that day proved you never considered me one," I spoke in a low voice and blinked back tears, fighting the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.
'I thought you were not like those people; I thought you were different. Even when she said you weren't, I believed you. I believed you damnit...! But you're just like those girls, those deceitful and manipulative girls who just use people for their own advantage. That's why no one befriended you, I should have known better.'
I closed my eyes as his parting words echoed once again in my head, piercing my heart. That day had haunted me for years.
"I..." Ares sighed heavily, turning towards me, his face held a mix of complicated and inexplicable emotions.
"You never realized, did you?" I turned to him, my gaze fixed on his deep eyes as they searched mine.
Since that day, I had desperately wanted to say at least one thing to him. "You always talk about trust; how I broke your trust by not telling you the truth. But you never realized, on that day, you also broke my trust – the trust that I had in you," I spoke in a low and soft voice.
'You shattered my belief that someone like you would never do wrong to anyone; that you would never abandon me in the middle of nowhere like everyone else did; that you would, at least once, turn back and realize that I did not deserve that, I truly did not deserve how you treated me. When you turned your back on me, you unknowingly crushed my hopes and when you left without even a goodbye, you broke the girl who had done nothing but love you sincerely her whole life.' I added to myself.
"..." Ares stared at me in shock. His eyes seemed to redden slightly, and his jaw clenched tightly. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, likely unsure of how to respond.
I offered a small, almost bitter smile and looked down, hiding the hurt that I felt, instantly regretting my words. He probably thought I was a hung up loser who couldn't let go of the past. "You don't need to say anything. I understand that the past is behind us and holds no importance for you now. I... I just wanted to say it," I stated, feeling foolish for getting emotional and blurting it out like that.
"It's cold out here. Let's go back inside," I suggested hastily, turning to head back to the hall before he could reply.
This was by far the most personal and longest conversation we had since we began working together. But surprisingly, with a turmoil of different emotions swirling inside of me, I didn't feel nervous at all.
I mentally scolded myself. Just because I felt at ease around him, it didn't mean I had to bring up the past. He had never mentioned it; it probably did not mean anything to him and I just embarrassed myself by bringing it up.
I quickened my pace and reentered the hall, relieved that he hadn't followed me. Releasing a heavy sigh, I picked up a glass of water from a nearby server and took a few sips to moisten my dry throat and calm my senses.
After a few minutes, I casually scanned the room, looking for Ares. My eyes suddenly caught sight of a figure standing on the opposite side of the hall.
It's....
I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a clearer view of his face, sensing a strange familiarity.
It's... him!!!
I could never forget him; his dangerous eyes with blood all over his face still etched in my memory.
My breath hitched, and my eyes widened in shock. A dark intimidating aura was excruciating from him which could be felt even from so much distance. His subordinates surrounding him as he stood in the middle, talking to someone with a glare that could bury the whole person alive.
Had he been there all along?
But then, he didn't seem to notice me; his attention wasn't on the crowd around him.
What if he sees me here?
He... He would chase us and then he will take her....
Oh no!
I need to leave, immediately!
Abruptly, someone grabbed my elbow from behind and spun me around. My lips parted in horror, and I held my breath for a moment.
"Elysia, I've been looking for you everywhere, I– Are you okay? Why are you so pale?" Ares' voice held a mixture of anxiety and concern as he approached, his expression shifting from worry to relief and confusion. He was about to say more when he halted, his gaze scrutinizing my face with a puzzled expression. I released a silent sigh of relief.
It's just Ares!
"I... I'm not feeling well. Can we leave, please?" I asked hurriedly, turning my body to face him fully.
"Did something happen?" He enquired with furrowed eyebrows.
"No, I just... I'm not well. I'm sorry, but I really need to go," I replied, trying to mask my panic and sound as normal as possible. Ares nodded, creases forming on his forehead.
"Then let's leave!" He said, motioning for me to follow. With hurried steps, I moved toward the exit, and Ares joined me, confusion evident in his expression.
When we were near the hall exit, I cautiously looked back to see him still busy in a conversation with a man beside him. Just when I was about to sigh in relief that he didn't notice my presence at all, my eyes landed on one of his subordinates surrounding him, just to see him looking back at me with scrutinizing eyes.
Turning around in panic, I almost ran towards the exit, leaving the hall after Ares. Once we were outside, I glanced back inside the hall through the glass door one again, just to see his subordinate whispering something into his ear.
We are doomed!
We are definitely doomed!
I have to call beastie, we need to move again...
I quickly jogged, surpassing Ares and sat in the car that valet brought, glancing outside the window to check if he followed out, all the while holding my breath. Ares sat in the driver's seat with a confused look all over his face.
While Ares deftly maneuvered the car out of the hotel's premises, a black SUV passed us and parked by the entrance. A man in a classy tuxedo stepped out, adjusting his coat as he stared toward the hotel.
I'd seen him before!
Yes, I'd definitely seen him somewhere...
Oh...
He was the same man I had seen outside the mall.
He must be a prominent figure in the business world as well...
As our car drove past them, I got a close-up view of his face as he walked into the hotel.
Wait a minute!
Him....?
No way!!!
In a rush, a memory from years ago flooded my mind as his familiar face from that day resurfaced.
**************
Hey my beautiful lovelies! I have finally got a grip of the story and overcome my writer block, so expect quick updates from now on, probably twice a week and surprise updates if I write more.😉
Who do you think the man was, whom Elysia saw inside the banquet hall?
And the other man she saw outside the mall?
Just after a few more chapters, we would be diving into their past, and a lot of secrets would be revealed. Are you ready?!😉
Please share your feedback and thoughts in comments for me, I love to read your opinions and views.😍