Capítulo 40: CHAPTER FORTY
Rose clenched her fist tighter as she watched her father mix and interact with his guests. He looked the part of the happy celebrant, laughing out loud and clapping people on their backs. Looking at him, it was impossible to know that anything was wrong.
She, on the other hand, knew she looked off. And if her face wasn't enough to rebuff people, she was seated at the bar area, her back to the rest of the hall. The bartender had still not forgiven her for earlier, so she just sat with her chin in her hand, staring at nothing in particular.
"Hi," a sweet, syrupy voice came from her side and she looked up with a frown. She shot the cheerleader a glare, and went back to just looking up at nothing.
"Hey," the voice was hesitant this time. "Are you…"
"Yes, I am," she snapped, already regretting her decision to say something. "Now that we've set that out of the way, why don't you go back to wherever you came from? If I wanted to talk, I obviously won't be here."
She bit her lips in regret, but the damage was already done. There was a stutter behind her before the sound of heels clicking away rapidly echoed in her ear.
At least she was alone once more. Apparently people couldn't really tell social cues because not less than ten minutes later, a man came to sit beside her. She kept her gaze to her front.
"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked in a voice he probably meant to be charming. She eyed him from up to down, smirked and then ignored him.
From behind her, she heard someone coughing. Great, now she had an audience.
She fel him lean closer to her, "You look a lile stuck up, how abou a little somehing to loosen you up, babe?"
She finally gave him her full attenion. From his dressing, she could tell that he wasn't one of them, he was in a dark green hoodie and trousers that looked like they'd seen better days.
She looked him in the eyes and leaned closer o him, whispering "Get lost." in his ears.
"What?" he stutttered, and she leaned back and said in a slightly louder voice. "I said you should get lost. Is that too hard o understand?"
He went red, and hurriedly stood up, shooting her a glare and a middle finger before he left.
She wasn't normally so rude, even though he'd been one of the reporters who had nearly trampled her outside.
She felt someone else sit on he just vacated stool, and she turned immediately to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. Her eyes met that of Laurent's, and everything she wanted to say wen flying out of her head.
"Two glasses of wine, please," he told the bartender, and she rolled her eye when the man rushed to get it. Neither of them said anything until Laurent was sliding the second glass in front of her. She ignored it.
She saw him take a small sip of wine, and then carefully drop it, taking the time to clean his lips with a handkerchief. She rolled her eyes again., and his eyes flashed to hers with disappoinment.
"What?" she evenually growled, the suspense was making her uncomforable. "Just say wha you wan andf get the hell ou of here."
He smiled at her, almost all his teeths in view, it wasn't a nice smile.
"How do I say this?" he started in a polite, low voice. "You're ruining the party, dear. If you don't want to be here, make up an excuse and leave. Otherwise, grow up."
She turned to him in shock. "You can't chase me out of my father's party."
"Then grow the fuck up if you don't want your face turned into a sticker on every magazine out there."
He was right, of course he was. Laurent Ricco, master manipulator and thief of her happiness. Of course he was right. It didn' make her any less furious, though.
"I'll take my chances," she muttered, and he laughed out loud. Assuming what she'd even said was funny, it certainly didn't deserve that type of laugher.
"What's funny?" she asked, confused and he held her wrist, moving even much closer than her last guest had dared. Her heart pounded in her chest at his proximity.
"What the hell, Laurent?" She asked as he leaned his face closer to hers. She went to jerk back but he only put his palm on her face.
"Listen to me," he whispered, still maintaining that creepy smile. "You can't ruin today for me, sweetheart. I won't allow it."
She tried to jerk back again, but his hands tightened on her nape.
"You're hurting me," she whispered as tears filled her eyes, but if he heard it, he gave no indication.
"I don't know about you," he continued, "but I'm tired of whatever it is you're planning to do. Yes, I took something that was yours. Either do something about it, or ignore it but stop acting like a baby."
Her tears overflowed and he wiped it gently. "Now, this is what is going to happen. Your father will give his speech soon, but before he does, we're going to go out there and dance. When we're done, he'll give his speech and then you'll be free to continue whatever it was you were doing."
"Laurent," she whispered and stopped there. The man holding her hostage by her neck wasn't someone she knew. This man looked desperate for something, that should have been her first clue.
His hand gentled on her neck, and he carefully adjusted the necklace on her. "So what do you say, Rose?"
She swallowed.
"Great. Let's go."
He stood up suddenly and she was glad there was nothing in her hand. He held out his palm and she took it, her hand trembling in his. He ignored it, leading her to the dance floor, playing the part of a perfect gentleman.
She was scared, but she was angry too. Part of what he'd said was true. She'd planned to take her revenge and then spent over a week in a funk, giving in to depression. When the hell did that?
If he could choose to change his coats every moment to please himself, she'd do the same. She needed to know one thing first.
"Laurent," she asked against his chest.
"Hmmm."
"People are staring and taking pictures. What are you playing at?"
He stopped their motion in the middle of the dance floor and looked straight into her eyes.
"I want people curious. That way, when your father finishes with his speech, I'll become a figure of intrigue."
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