CHAPTER 28: WELCOME
CHAPTER 28: WELCOME
Florence POV
My fascination with myself only lasted for a minute. I was led outside the room to the elevator, and the descent to the dining area began. All the while, I was nervous and scared out of my mind. I began twiddling my thumbs, but even that did nothing to soothe me.
The nails on my fingers felt awkward. They weren’t my nails, after all—just artificial gel that made my fingertips feel as though they were being constantly prickled. It was strange, to say the least, but even stranger was the feeling that I might want to remove them soon enough.
There was no need to act like I knew what I was doing, even though I didn’t. I stood as still as possible, counting the seconds and wishing they could go faster. In fact, I wished time would stop altogether, ending this entire charade. Yet, at the same time, a part of me wanted to see what it was all about.
High Society, they called it. I had been thrust into it, but I couldn’t stop how I felt. I felt like an overdressed pet—but a beautiful one nonetheless.
Too late or too early, the elevator doors slid open, revealing the waiting face of Leonard .
I stepped out, avoiding his gaze for a second before my breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t help but notice how he looked. His muscular body was fitted perfectly into a midnight-black suit that clung to him like a glove.
He was handsome. Distractingly so.
His hair was slicked back, away from his face, accentuating his decadently attractive features and drawing attention to his sharp jawline. His eyes roved over me with a bit too much hunger for my comfort, his lips curving slowly into a smile.
He extended his arm, pulling me into his chest. Slowly, he leaned his head toward my ear and whispered, “This is good. I like this one. I need more of this.”
His low voice sent shivers down my spine, causing me to gasp softly in surprise. I tried to hide the sound, as well as the heat that flooded through me.
This was all a big mistake, I thought to myself.
Before I could dwell on it further, Leonard stepped back, still smiling, and led me in the direction of what I assumed to be the dining area.
Outside the dining area stood a few couples and small groups of people clustered together like school children forming cliques. The only thing missing was them pointing fingers and giggling to themselves.
Aside from that, they were decadently dressed, their eyes glancing over at us as we approached.
I noticed their gazes were fixed on me.
What did I expect? I had been dressed up like a prize, led to what felt like a lamb to the slaughter—but a well-dressed one, to say the least.
I felt my body quiver under their stares, but eventually, one of them smiled.
“She’s beautiful,” a female voice said, and soon I was surrounded by the crowd, which consisted of both women and men.
“Give us some air,” Leonard said beside me, his tone firm as he stretched out his arm. “You can ask her questions later. For now, shall we?”
He pulled me gently into the wide-open doors of the dining area, revealing a long table with two seats at its head and the remaining chairs arranged along its sides.
The table was decadently arranged, so lavishly that it made Diana’s attempts at décor seem like child’s play. She had fancied herself a homemaker or an amateur interior decorator, but this was on a far grander scale, clearly with more money thrown at it.
Leonard led me to the head of the table, gracefully lowering me into one of the chairs before seating himself in the other.
As soon as he did, the crowd quickly filed into the room, taking their places at the table until all the chairs were filled.
Beside Leonard , at the end of the table, I caught sight of Gavin and a strikingly pretty raven-haired woman beside him. She whispered something into his ear that made him smile, but soon his eyes found mine. He tapped the woman, urging her to stop, then inclined his head in my direction. She followed his lead, and once more, the feeling of being scrutinized crept over me.
“Welcome,” Leonard said easily, interrupting my train of thought.
“This dinner has been requested over the past few months,” he continued in a quiet voice that carried effortlessly to the ends of the room.
The entire table’s attention shifted to an older man with salt-and-pepper hair and crow’s feet accentuating his sharp eyes. His smile deepened the soft wrinkles on his face, making them crinkle even more.
“This is my wife,” Leonard announced, gesturing toward me.
“Many of you have asked to meet her. This isn’t because I’m caving to your whims and caprices,” he added with a small smile, “but more so to ensure you don’t fail to recognize her outside and do something stupid. Any questions?”
He turned to look at me with the same hunger in his eyes as before.
I tucked my chin close to my chest and shut my eyes slowly.
“Well, it is quite lovely to meet her,” Gavin said, his voice easily recognizable.
“I would’ve expected you to hide her from me, but if not for the presence of the present Luna, I would’ve thought something else entirely. Maybe you should, I don’t know, hide her,” he teased, meeting my eyes.
The question seemed to hold some validity.
“I’ve thought of that,” Leonard responded, “but that’ll be another discussion for another day.”
Suddenly, I was bombarded with questions—where I was born, how I was raised, where my mother was. Too many things flooded my mind at once, until the doors to the dining area burst open.
“Well, well,” Rose’s voice rang out, sending chills down my spine.
“I heard there’s a party going on,” she said, her eyes focused solely on me.