"Oh, Queen Tiffany!"
Hearing her name called, Tiffany pulled away from Nikolov's embrace. Her face flushed with embarrassment, either because she had just fallen into the arms of a stranger, or because one of the guests recognized her.
"Oh! It's really Queen Tiffany! When are you performing? What time is your group performing? I'll be in the front row!" Tiffany was a little confused, because in a foreign country like this, this beautiful young lady recognized her and spoke in a language she understood.
As an artist, Tiffany strives to maintain her public image. "Thank you, miss, for your support. We'll be performing at nine." Tiffany replied, flashing the entertainment smile she'd learned.
"Really? Then I'll wait! Big brother, you'll accompany me to see Tiffany's performance, right?" Yelizaveta shook her brother's hand, asking the tall man beside her to agree to her invitation.
Out of the corner of her eye, Athena could see Nikolov's gaze linger on Miss Tiffany, who stood before him. Unlike three years ago when Tiffany was still a small, unknown artist, the current Tiffany was much more mature and charming. She was wearing a thigh-length black dress, the top of the dress open, revealing her white, smooth shoulders and her bare midriff. It seemed like the outfit she would wear for her upcoming performance.
Not only in terms of clothing, the make up on Tiffany's face also highlights the attractive parts of her face, of course, she is an idol, singer and also an artist, from head to toe, her appearance must look perfect.
There Athena was sure that she wasn't the only one who thought that way.
"Sorry and thank you for helping me, sir." Tiffany, who was initially stunned after seeing the handsome man in front of her, brought herself back to reality.
"It's okay, next time you should be more careful."
Nikolov said in a choked voice, as if his throat was dry.
"Tiffany! You're here!"
"Assistant manager!"
Tiffany's assistant manager thought that the artist had done something wrong to one of the important guests at the party, so the woman apologized. "Has Tiffany done something that makes you uncomfortable, sir? I'm sorry!" The assistant manager pulled Tiffany's hand to apologize with her.
"Hm," Nikolov replied briefly.
"I apologize to you too, madam." Not only to Nikolov, the assistant manager also apologized to Athena and Yelizaveta.
"It's okay! This was all just a misunderstanding and an accident. No one was hurt or anything serious happened. Besides, I'm a fan of Queen Tiffany!" While Yelizaveta enthusiastically and calmly accepted the apology, Athena, on the other hand, remained silent from the start. She was Yelizaveta's bodyguard and assistant, accustomed to her position where she only needed to focus on any situation that might be dangerous for her boss.
It seemed Tiffany had just realized that Athena was there, too, when their eyes finally met. Tiffany's face was undeniably shocked when she saw Athena's face clearly. Her lips wanted to say something, but her tongue was speechless, her eyes continued to stare at her.
"If you'll excuse us, I apologize again." The assistant manager pulled Tiffany to leave immediately.
"What are you doing hanging around here? The guests here aren't just anyone; if you upset them, you're done for!" The assistant manager grumbled throughout the entire journey. Tiffany, on the other hand, didn't stop to look at the person she had just bumped into.
"Isn't that Secretary Athena? And that man... is he Director Nikolov?" Tiffany whispered to herself.
"What did you say?" The assistant manager asked, as if hearing something from the artist.
"No, nothing." But Tiffany didn't stop to look back.
....
The first hour was the formal celebration of the party. Nikolov went around meeting his colleagues, not forgetting to introduce his sister to them. "I've heard a lot about you from Mr. Nikolov, Miss Yelizaveta." was the compliment one of Nikolov's coworkers offered that evening.
"Then, this woman...?" He asked, turning to Athena.
"Let me guess, this lady must be Boss Nikolov's wife, right?" the woman who was also Mr. Bluer's wife chimed in, smiling behind her hand.
"No, no. This is Athena she—"
"I am Athena, Miss Yelizaveta's personal bodyguard." Athena took a few steps forward to introduce herself to the madam.
Although she seemed surprised at first, after that, the woman seemed unconcerned. "Oh really? I thought you were Nikolov's wife or lover because you were standing so close to the Zhestkiy siblings. If you were a bodyguard, you should dress and stand like one." In an instant, the woman's way of speaking changed.
Yelizaveta, who heard all these words, became furious, but before she could say anything, Nikolov had already spoken. "I think you should be more careful with your words, Mrs. Bluer." Although smiling, Nikolov's smile looked terrifying. At that moment, Athena felt like she was seeing Director Nikolov from three years ago.
Mr. Bluer was aware of the warning given by Nikolov and went to take his wife immediately from their presence.
Not long after, one of Nikolov's subordinates came over and whispered to Nikolov. "I think your idol is about to perform. Enjoy the party; I have something to do. I'll be back soon."
After messing up his sister's hair until Yelizaveta grumbled, Nikolov left the two of them.
"Ah! What the hell is that old woman talking to you like that?! You are my most precious friend! They think you are the same as those bodyguards out there?! I am so angry!" Said Yelizaveta angrily.
"No need to worry." Athena replied as they walked to the hotel's backyard, which had been transformed into an outdoor venue. The weather was pleasant, and the guests sat and enjoyed the performances of the invited artists.
"Do I have to invite some famous idols for my upcoming birthday too? Ahh... it's MAX! MAX! MAX! I can't see it from here. I'll watch it from the front seat. You wait here, okay! MAX!"
"Wait— Yeli…" Yelizaveta lifted her dress and hurried to the front seat. Athena had no idea who MAX was. After seeing all the guests and the tight security at this birthday party, the woman in her late twenties let the young lady Zhestkiy have her fun.
Athena stood not far from the crowd, her eyes kept watching Yelizaveta while in her left hand, she was inhaling the aroma of a glass of wine that tasted very rich.
She didn't know any of the guests, and not everyone spoke English. Athena's aura made it clear she didn't want to be disturbed. It was quite boring, but Athena had gotten used to it, from her time as Nikolov's secretary to her time as Elizabeth's personal bodyguard.
Remarkably, not everyone was afraid of the aura and walls surrounding Athena. Many were still curious about what lay behind those towering defenses. One such figure was a man with brown hair and matching eyes approaching Athena.
"Hello?" the man said in English.
Athena turned her head. "Hmm, yes? Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked, making it clear with her eyes that she didn't want to be disturbed. The man caught the signal well, but he ignored it, choosing to laugh and approach.
"You're not from here, are you?" He asked again.
"Yes. I'm from a very far away land."
"Of course, your blonde hair is the most shiny among the others." Athena didn't take the man's nonsense at face value.
"Don't most of the girls here have blonde hair?" Athena said, turning around to make sure Yelizaveta was still where she was.
"Hahaha, but not everyone sparkles like you." Athena tried to hold back a hiss. Did this man think her head was a light bulb?
"Then, do you need something from me?"
The man shook his head. "No, I just wanted to invite you to enjoy this drink with me." The man took the drink from a passing waiter and raised it high.
Athena's eyes narrowed. She didn't know this man, and she didn't want to drink with a stranger.
"No, I'm on duty." The blonde woman refused.
"Oh come on, a few drinks won't get you drunk."
"Not—"
"Come on!"
The man continued to force his hand and thrust the glass in front of her. Athena couldn't make a scene there, even though she couldn't resist punching him in the face.
"Why don't you want to drink—"
"Didn't you hear? This lady doesn't want to drink with you." The man's hand was grabbed from behind, along with Nikolov's deep voice entering Athena's ears.
....