114. He is My Bodyguard Miss Overacting
**114. He is My Bodyguard Miss Overacting**
Eirene’s gaze drifted unconsciously toward the spot where Samuel had been standing, drink in hand. But now, his figure was gone.
A slight frown crept onto her face as her eyes scanned the hall. It wasn’t difficult to spot Samuel in a crowd full of different types of people, his presence was too commanding to simply disappear. Now, she understood why he had gone to such lengths to disguise himself when entering Beatrix’s mansion.
Her gaze briefly landed on Victor, who was engaged in conversation with a group of investors. Though, from the way they eagerly leaned in, it was clear they were the ones trying to impress him rather than the other way around. But Samuel was nowhere in sight.
A strange pang settled in her chest, just for a brief moment before, she quickly pushed aside.
*Was it disappointment?*
The thought startled her. But she had already made a decision long ago, never to expect anything from anyone. And Samuel was at the top of that list.
Just as she was shaking the thought away, a familiar voice called out.
“Eirene!”
She turned to see Finn approaching, his wide eyes filled with disbelief.
“I never knew you were the daughter of the woman my mother has been searching for all this time.”
Eirene arched a brow.
“For a second, I forgot you were Aanya’s son.”
Finn exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
“Look… about before, I…” He shook his head.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter now, does it? Especially where you are standing now…”
Eirene gave him a small, unreadable smile.
*Does it matter?*
The answer was simple, she had far bigger problems than playing childish games.
Still, she knew better than to let herself be tangled up with Finn. Especially after what Anna had tried to do to her at the competition. But it was already too late.
“Eirene."
Another voice, laced with thinly veiled contempt, cut in, The saccharine voice behind her made her spine stiffen.
Anna!
Anna stepped forward, coming to stand beside Finn, her arms crossed as she leveled Eirene with a sharp, disapproving gaze. There was no attempt to hide the jealousy simmering beneath her carefully crafted expression.
Eirene held her ground, meeting Anna’s scrutiny with quiet indifference.
Finn shifted uncomfortably beside Anna, clearly sensing the tension. He had ended things between them after everything that had happened.
Anna’s grip on her clutch tightened as she stood beside Finn, her gaze settling on Eirene with barely concealed hostility. She had prepared herself for this moment, but seeing Eirene standing there, poised and graceful, only deepened the resentment churning inside her.
For years, she had held onto Finn, no matter how strained things became between them. No matter how many mistakes she made, he never left. But the moment Eirene appeared in his life, everything fell apart. And now, here he is standing closer to Eirene, his expression unreadable but lacking any warmth towards Anna.
Her nails dug into her palm as she forced a smirk.
“I see you’re still good at stealing things that don’t belong to you.”
Finn exhaled sharply beside her, shaking his head.
“Enough, Anna.”
His voice held none of the patience he used to have with her.
Anna stiffened. That dismissive tone just now… he had never spoken to her like that before.
But before she could snap back, her gaze landed on the small figure standing silently beside Eirene. A child. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
“And who is this?”
she asked, her voice thick with suspicion.
Eirene said nothing, but Finn answered without hesitation.
“Her daughter.”
Anna’s breath hitched. For a moment, she simply stared, as if trying to process his words. Then, her lips twisted into an ugly sneer.
“A daughter?”
she repeated mockingly.
“So, the great Eirene Beatrix, daughter of Alice Cooper, is an unmarried mother? And here I thought you were supposed to be the perfect little heiress.”
Murmurs spread through the nearby crowd, drawing even more eyes to them. Anna, fueled by the attention, took a step forward, her voice rising.
“How scandalous. A single mother with no husband in sight or the party tell me, Eirene, who was careless enough to leave you behind? Or do you even know who the father is?”
Lucy’s small fingers tightened around the fabric of Eirene’s dress. For a moment, there was only silence, but then…
Lucy took a bold step forward, staring up at Anna with her blue wide, unblinking eyes.
“You’re loud,”
she said plainly.
“Too loud.”
Anna’s nostrils flared.
“Excuse me?”
Lucy tilted her head, her tiny face a mix of innocence and sharp observation.
“You’re talking like you know my mother,”
she said, her voice unwavering.
“But you don’t. You don’t even know my grandmother, Alice Cooper.”
Anna’s jaw clenched.
“And what would you know, little girl?”
Lucy’s brows lifted. “A lot,” she said confidently. “Like how my grandmother was amazing. She built her acting career from nothing. People still admire her. That’s why everyone is here, isn’t it? Because of her and my mother.”
She smiled sweetly, but her words carried an undeniable weight.
“But you’re not like her. You’re just the daughter of some man who isn’t as famous as my grandma, and you’re not as talented as my mother.”
A flicker of shock crossed Anna’s face, quickly replaced by embarrassment as whispers spread among the surrounding guests.
“Lucy, darling, don’t talk like that,” Eirene gently chided, placing a protective hand on Lucy’s shoulder as she subtly guided her behind her, shielding her from the curious stares.
Then, turning to Anna with calm composure, Eirene met her furious gaze head-on.
“You’re angry with me, but why?” she asked, her tone almost puzzled.
“Because Finn doesn’t like you anymore? Because he broke up with you?”
Finn shifted uncomfortably, coughing as if to clear the tension, but Anna’s expression darkened, her hands balling into fists.
“You—” she started, voice rising in fury, but Eirene cut her off before she could cause more of a scene.
“I have no interest in other people’s children,” she said coolly, her voice steady. “So stay away from mine.”
Anna’s face turned red, her frustration boiling over.
“You spoiled little brat—!”
She suddenly stepped forward, as if ready to grab Lucy, but Eirene moved instantly, her arm coming up to shield her daughter.
“Enough.”
Eirene’s voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the steel beneath it.
Anna let out a breathless laugh, her anger twisting into desperation.
“Look at her! She’s just like you… thinking she’s better than everyone else! Well, let me tell you something, Eirene, no matter how much you pretend, you’re nothing without Alice Cooper’s name!”
Her voice echoed through the hall, eyes locking onto them from every direction. The whispers grew, the tension thick.
But Eirene remained unshaken.
Lucy, still clutching her mother’s dress, tilted her head and let out a small sigh.
“You’re really loud”
She repeated, shaking her head in disappointment.
The casual remark only added fuel to Anna’s anger, but the murmurs among the guests made it worse.
Lucy’s presence was impossible to ignore specially, her striking blue eyes, delicate features, and confident posture set her apart. People were beginning to piece things together, Yet, whenever anyone attempted to openly address the subject, Aanya’s hired staff subtly redirected the conversation, preventing any concrete answers.
Anna’s outburst had drawn unwanted attention to Lucy, making her the center of discussion. Eirene clenched her fists, resisting the urge to react. She had endured insults before, but she refused to let Lucy be subjected to verbal abuse. It was time to leave.
But Anna wasn’t ready to let them go.
She stepped forward, sneering.
“Your mother never taught you manners, little devil—”
Her voice abruptly cut off, her eyes widening as she took in the man now standing between her and Eirene.
He was tall, imposing, dressed in a sleek three-piece suit, his expression unreadable beneath dark sunglasses. The way he carried himself sent a clear message, he wasn’t just a guest.
“Miss Whitmore,”
the man spoke, his tone calm yet commanding.
“I suggest you maintain a safe distance from Miss Lucy.”
Anna’s face twisted in confusion and fury.
“Who the hell are you?”
She had attended enough high-profile parties to recognize when someone was important, and though he looked like a bodyguard, this wasn’t the kind of event where personal security was necessary. Even Eirene, with her newly acquired status, shouldn’t have a bodyguard of this caliber.
Before anyone could answer, Lucy peeked out from behind Eirene and smirked.
“He’s my bodyguard, Miss Overacting.”
Anna’s lips parted in shock. *A bodyguard? For a child*?
Anna scoffed, masking her humiliation.
“You hired a bodyguard? Tell him to step back. Do you even know how influential my father is?”
Eirene opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Lucy cut in.
“My daddy hired him for me,” she announced proudly.
“He’s rich and influen… influ… whatever that word is. And Dobin only takes orders from me.”
As if to prove her point, Lucy gave a small tug on Robin’s sleeve, grinning mischievously.
“Dobin, make her disappear. I don’t like her.”
The word disappear carried a far darker meaning among the wrong people, and one of those wrong people happened to be standing nearby.
Victor, who had been watching the scene with mild amusement, instantly stepped in. He knew Robin or rather, Dobin… the meathead man, well enough to realize that the man took Lucy’s words far too seriously, he would really make Anna disappear from the world’s surface.
“Miss Whitmore,”
Victor said smoothly, his voice laced with warning.
“It would be wise for you to leave before you ruin the atmosphere any further.”
The moment Victor spoke, the murmurs shifted. People who had been neutral now openly sided against Anna. No one in their right mind wanted to challenge Victor Park, not when he held so much influence in the business world.
Finn, his face burning with embarrassment, grabbed Anna’s wrist and dragged her away before things could escalate further. He knew that if Aanya got involved, Anna wouldn’t just be humiliated, she would be blacklisted from Aalan’s Fashion altogether.
With Anna gone, the tension in the room settled, but the curiosity surrounding Lucy only grew. If she had a personal bodyguard, then her father had to be someone powerful.
And in the middle of the murmuring crowd, a lone woman quietly stepped aside, pulling out her phone.
The moment the call connected, she spoke in a hushed voice.
“Lucy might have found her father,”
she murmured.
“And it’s probably the man helping Eirene.”