Chapter 22
Odeth’s harrumphing causes me to shudder, bringing my attention back to her. “Effic, are you listening to me?”
“Ah I’m sorry….” I said quickly.
“Miss Genevieve.” I heard my name from behind me and before I could turn around to see who was calling me, Mr Miles Moretti stepped out in front of me, a delighted smile tugging at his lips.
“Oh hello Mr Moretti.” I said courtly.
“Oh call me Miles,” he said with yet another vey pleasant smile “care to have a little chat with me?”
Awkward.
A little chat with me? I didn’t know what he intended to speak about with me. I’ve never been in the same room for this amount of time for connecting days too with this man, so chances of acting standing with him and talking about something of interest has never really happened before.
Turning back at Odeth who was already nodding her approval, I said “um…. Can you just wait here for me? I won’t take
long.”
“Of course.” Odeth mutters softly.
With a warm yet very sly smile, Mr Moretti put out his hand for me and I very reluctantly took it. He walks me away towards a table in the middle of the room before letting go of my hand.
I stood awkwardly on the other end of the small circular table separating the two of us as Mr Moretti looked around the room, as if looking for someone to call over to join us.
“Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?” I asked before the silence could get any lengthier.
Mr Moretti looks quickly back at me. Just then, one of the cocktail servers walks up to us with cocktails on a tray in one hand.
“Yes Miss Genevieve. But first, I would like to give you a taste of my very own favorite mix.” He said as he reached to the tray and picked out a glass of cocktails. He hands it to me before picking the second glass.
His
eyes
and sipped.
falls on the cocktail in my hand before he gestured for me to take a sip of it. I gently put the glass to my lips
I tried to savor the taste for a few seconds. And it did have a very unique taste. Unlike the very regular cocktails I’ve had on few business occasions, this one has a lot of flavors in it.
Nodding approvingly at him, I commented “this really taste good.”
He smiles with content. “I made this myself.”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yes,” he replies, taking a sip from his own glass “apparently when I was a young human like yourself, I used to be a very much alcoholic. So I end up mixing cocktails at our family vacations every time. I guess I mastered the art over the years.”
Nodding with much delight, I said “that’s really great Mr Moretti.”
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“Thank you.”
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Chapter 22
I take more sips from my glass but decided to slow down so don’t get too intoxicated before the night even began. “I must say that I was greatly disappointed when my son told me you had turned down his business proposal.” He said.
I looked away from him, casting my eyes down on the content of the glass in my hands
“But I do understand now,” he adds “you are something else Genevieve. I mean, look at what you did with that dress. Look how many people you reached out to their souls, compelled them to come here for that outfit just because you put it
on.”
I felt my check burn slowly at his kind words.
“You knew what you were doing by turning down the contract with my son. Blogwood was your place to be and now it has all paid off. Now you’re the talk of the entire London.”
I chuckle softly before replying, “you flatter me sir. But all this was made possible by these two great companies.”
“Tell me, miss Genevieve, why do you think Mr Cain over there bought that dress for such huge amount of money?”
I glanced towards where his eyes were directed past me to find Cain standing with Mr Blogwood and Yuki Kim, all seemingly involved in an interesting conversation.
“Wired isn’t it?” Mr Moretti said before I could reply to him, his eyes still fixed on Cain “how Mr Yuki seems to have taken a sudden interest in Cain Malachi.”
Looking back at him, I said “I don’t understand….”
“I was hoping to get some insights from you actually. You two seem to have developed a very fast friendship after that small ad you did together for the company.”
I was dumbfounded for a quick second there. I didn’t know what exactly he was asking me to say to that.
“I mean, obviously he wasn’t purchasing that fine dress for himself.” He adds.
“Mr Moretti, are you suggesting that Mr Malachi and I have something other than friendship as you have said between us?”
He shrugs his shoulders, followed by a chuckle before saying do forgive my intrusion, Miss Genevieve. That is not my business and it is not the reason why I took you away from your friend.”
“I understand Mr Moretti. But I think you should know that there’s nothing going on between the two said yourself, we are merely just acquaintances.”
of us.
As you
have
“Very well. How did you like the suit room I arranged for you
“Oh where are my manners?” I quickly recalled the beautiful suit room Madeline took me to and informed me was in courtesy of him “I forgot to thank you. I never realized the owners of Matté Del Mansioné gave suits out to people.”
“They don’t. But Yoko San and I go a very long way, you see. Growing up, our families used to go on joint vacations-
about.” together as I’ve mentioned earlier. So getting a special room for you wasn’t such a big problem. In fact, we are having another one of our famous vacations next month. Which is what I wanted to talk to you
Tlooked at him, my mind trying to go a step ahead of him wondering why he would wanna talk about his religious family vacation with me.
“My son, Nathan, hasn’t been much involved with us since the last two vacations. Business and travels. But this time he is considering coming with the rest of the family. And I wanted to extend a personal invite to you.”
I was stunned.
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Chapter 22
C
He was inviting me to his family only vacation? Why would he do that?
“Please, don’t say no. He adds before I could say a word.
Looking up, I caught sight of Nathan standing far away, his side turned to us. I had an inclining feeling that he was eavesdropping on our conversation, or rather, knew what this conversation was all about.
Did he put his father up to this? Was he the one extending the invitation to me?
Something inside my stomach churned. And it made me feel this excitement. And this feeling felt good.
Looking back at Mr Moretti, I gave him a small smile and replied “I will think about it.
“You do that.” He said with a small smile of his own before nodding and walking away.
I turned quickly to find Odeth where I left her but didn’t see her.
I didn’t know what I’m supposed to say to her pertaining our last conversation when I see her but I suppose finding her first would be a head start.
I hurried towards the back of the room after finding her in the crowd for a considerable amount of time and not seeing her. Knowing Odeth, she would find a place away from everyone to stay alone while waiting.
Odeth wasn’t a very social person. She was more interested in reading and learning things about the supernatural, things that were out of this world, things that would keep her wondering for months.
As I stepped away from the party, I wondered into my own thoughts. Odeth was the only human who I let into my life. She was the only person in London who knew exactly who I was, who knew my past.
But I still kept something from her. The same thing that I kept from the two people who deserved to know most. Ace and Cain.
Before I could reach the sharp corner towards the end of the hall, I was forced into an abrupt stop as a strange scent hit my nostrils.
I turn around quickly to see if someone was somewhere behind me but I didn’t see any. I didn’t feel a presence, but I didn’t perceive a strange scent.
I felt my heart pick a quick race, my head wondering why the sudden change.
I quickly bring my phone up and tried calling Odeth’s phone. It goes straight to voicemail.
I stopped for a moment and looked straight at the sharp corner. I didn’t think Odeth would be there. This was a very vast building, I didn’t know where I would go to find her.
Better I remain at the party so we don’t miss each other when she comes back from wherever she went to.
Turning quickly, my heart stopped as I pumped into somebody’s hard chest, fear gripping me.
“Oh my!” I gasped in surprise.
“Are you okay?” Cain’s voice is full of concern as he tried to steady me.
I pull away from his chest quickly and tried to balance myself.
“Yes I’m fine. I’m just….”
“I saw you walk out. I was worried something happened.” He said, his eyes watching me closely.
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13:01 Sat, Nov 16
Chapter 22
“I was just looking for… a friend.” I told him.
“The one from earlier? I saw her walk out.”
“Through the front door?” I asked him as I quickly tried to walk past him and back into the room.
Before I could, his hand grabs hold of my waist, holding me in place.
“She just went to use the bathroom, Effie,” he says “I suppose.”
04零70%的
Ignoring the fact that he has his hand wrapped around my waist, I raised my brows questioningly at him and said “possibly.”
Cain’s grip tightens around my waist as he moved me away from the exit door and further into the narrow hallway, his face inching closer to mine.
I froze his forehead made contact with mine, forcing me into a quick stop. “You look beautiful in that dress, Effie.”
Where was this coming from? Not after what he said to me earlier.
“This is what I should have said to you earlier. Instead of pissing you off like that and hurting your feelings.”
Pulling my face away from his, I blurted out “hurt my feelings? You didn’t hurt my feelings, Cain. You had your money and you spent it on what you wanted to. That’s totally fine by me.”
Instead of a reply, he chuckles softly. Did I not sound convincing enough?
“Now can you please let go of me? I need to be somewhere….” I said as I tried to wiggle out of his arms.
“Effie, I need to talk to you. I just wanna talk to you.” Cain said.
“Cain, there is nothing there to talk about. If you think that I’m upset, sure, maybe I was. But I don’t really care anymore. You should do whatever you want and….”
“Effie, your eyes…..”
“What…?….”
“Your eyes color, they’re changing,” he said “you’re shifting, Effie.”
Panick sets in my chest. What did he mean that I’m shifting? I’m not doing it by myself. And why are my eyes changing?
“Effie, what’s going on?”
Suddenly, I felt that very strange scent hit my nostrils again. There was someone around this building. A lycan.
“Do you perceive that?” I asked Cain, even though he was the last person I wanted to confide in right now.
But I was too confused about this entire thing.
“Perceive what? Effie, I don’t…..”
My breathing intensifies quickly.
“Effie, you need to calm down, you’re–hyperventilating….. What’s going on?”
Looking up to find Cain’s worried eyes gazing down at me, I said, “someone’s in danger.”
13:02 Sat, Nov 16
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