"Thank you. The Energy Tower will be built on capacity. Partners capable of crafting a new working model of the Energy Tower will have a secured place at Skypower Corporation, as you all know…"
Llewllellyn continued his speech, for the first time, Diane looked at him with open admiration, not bothering to hide it. She smiled at him as he spoke, and he seemed to notice, because each time their eyes met, he smiled mid-speech, just slightly, as though she alone existed in the hall.
"What a party," a voice rang from behind her. "You must be Diane. I've heard… whispers."
Diane turned. A man stood there, elegantly composed, the kind who knew exactly how to smile and when to use it. He extended his hand.
She hesitated, unsure whether to take it, but his charm was convincing. She placed her hand in his, and he almost kissed her knuckles before she gently pulled away.
She felt it instantly.
Llewllellyn paused in the middle of his speech.
When Diane looked up, his eyes were already on her, sharp and offended, as though she had done something wrong. The smile he had been wearing vanished from his face.
Diane exhaled slowly. "Let me guess. She doesn't belong here?"
He laughed softly. "No. More like… he's never brought someone to his side. Ever."
"Do you know him that well?" Diane asked.
"Of course I do," the man replied, lowering his voice. "Haven't you heard? They call him the Bulldog." He let out a quiet, almost historic laugh.
"I have," she said.
"Then why are you on a date with someone like him?" he asked.
Diane had no answer. She couldn't even name what she felt toward Llewllellyn.
"You deserve someone far better than him," the man added with a mischievous smile. "May I get to know you more?"
Before she could sort out the chaos in her mind, a hand closed around her shoulders gently but burning with heat.
She didn't need to look to know who it was. He never asked for permission.
Llewllellyn stood beside her, his gaze sharp, and jaw tightened as if he had just stepped into a fight.
"Llewllellyn, my man, it's been a while," the man said, acting as though he had no hidden agenda.
Llewllellyn didn't respond. He only fixed him with a cold, threatening stare.
"I see you brought a date," the man continued casually. "Who is she?"
"Mine."
Diane turned to look at him, startled by the single word.
The polite man lifted his hands in surrender and stepped back, a defeated smile on his lips. But Llewllellyn didn't spare him another glance. His attention was fully on her now.
His voice dropped low and dangerous, the kind that sent a shiver through her
"Don't talk to other men like that."
Diane's shock snapped instantly into irritation. "Like what?"
His eyes darkened, something possessive flashing through them.
"Like they matter."
She had no answer. She couldn't. She simply stared at his handsome face, unable to look away.
His scent reached her; spicy and cold all at once, and it wrapped around her senses. She felt it everywhere, a strange warmth spreading through her chest as butterflies surged uncontrollably inside her. Under his gaze, she felt seen… special. And somehow, she knew he felt it too.
She shifted back slightly, needing space, but he followed the movement effortlessly.
"Why, Diane?" Llewllellyn asked softly.
"You're too...much," she replied, forcing herself to keep a safe distance from his captivating presence, afraid she might fall into something she didn't understand or know how to escape.
It was a compliment, whether she meant it to be or not.
A mischievous, charming smile curved his lips. "I know," he said confidently, as though he wasn't the very reason her resolve was crumbling.
She turned away and started to walk.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"To the restroom," she whispered, though she knew he didn't hear her.
She walked through the hallways, searching for the restroom, her steps growing more hurried by the second.
"Why is it so hard to find a restroom?" she muttered, her voice betraying her unease.
Then she collided with someone.
"I'm really sorry," she said quickly.
"It's okay," the man replied calmly. "I'm Brian. And you are?"
The sudden shift in tension caught her off guard. Diane blinked, unsettled by how composed he seemed. "Diane," she answered quietly.
A slow, unsettling smile touched his lips. "Well, Diane… this won't be the only time we bump into each other." He said darkly and left.
Before she could respond, he stepped past her and disappeared into the crowd, leaving her frozen, confused, and faintly terrified.
It took her a moment to breathe again before she finally found the restroom. Inside, she turned on the tap and washed her hands, her fingers trembling slightly as Brian's words replayed in her mind.
The sound of heels pulled her back to reality, they were slow. Each click echoing like a taunt against the tiled floor.
"So we finally meet."
The voice smooth but edged with threat.
Diane turned, and recognition struck instantly. The woman from the institute. The one who had rushed to Llewllellyn after she slapped him.
His fiancee. Ana.
She was tall, breathtakingly beautiful, perfectly styled in a peach dress that clung to her like she belonged in this world; his world.
Her heels clicked to a stop directly in front of Diane.
"Interesting," Ana said, lips curving into a polite, poisonous smile. "So you're the girl he picked tonight."
Diane blinked not intimidated or impressed.
"Picked?" she repeated calmly. "Is that the word you want to use?"
Ana's smile tightened.
"Yes. Because men like Llewellyn don't choose," she said coolly. "They use."
Her gaze slid over Diane's dress—elegant, expensive, far beyond what Diane would normally wear. The insult was silent but sharp.
'You don't belong here.'
Diane lifted her chin.
"He bought the dress?" Ana said, not asking but clearly shocked that Llewellyn would go that far.
Diane said nothing.
She simply allowed Ana to stare, to unravel quietly, while she held her head high despite the tremor in her chest.
"I don't know what kind of relationships you're used to," Diane said evenly, "but he asked me. I didn't chase him."
Ana's eyes hardened, a crack in the expensive mask.
"If you think he actually cares, think again," Ana said coldly.
"What if he does?" Diane replied, refusing to back down.
Ana's eyes narrowed. "You really don't know your place, do you?"
Diane said nothing. She didn't need to.
Ana scoffed. "Fine. I'll show you exactly where you belong."
She turned sharply and walked out, her heels striking the marbled floor in anger.
Diane released the breath she'd been holding.
As the silence settled, anger bubbled up at Ana's words, at the judgment, and strangely… at Llewllellyn too.
"I've had enough of this," she muttered.
She stepped out of the restroom, intent on leaving the party altogether, even though she was supposed to return for her scarf.
She walked through the hallway, thinking the chaos of the party was finally behind her. But then again she bumped into someone.
It was Brian.
"Where are my manners?" he said with a smile, while reaching into his pocket.
Diane froze. His words from earlier echoed in her mind: "This is not the only time we will bump into each other."
Before she could react he pressed a handkerchief against her nose and mouth. A sharp chemical scent filled her senses. Her knees gave out, and the world blurred.
She hit the floor. Above her, the ceiling and a glittering chandelier swam in and out of focus. Panic surged as she struggled to breathe, to move, to think.
Footsteps pounded fast and closer. She barely opened her eyes, and through the haze, a figure in black from head to toe loomed over her. The face was obscured, but the scent of cologne hit her, sharp and familiar.
"Diane… Diane," a voice called, shaking her gently.
"I…" she tried to answer, tried to fight, but her eyelids grew heavy, her strength fading.
The last thing she saw before everything went black was a hand reaching for her—strong, unyielding, and impossibly close.
And then... darkness.
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