51

51
Katia reached out to him and took his hand. This gesture made him look at her in surprise, but he eventually smiled at her.

Then she said:

"You should know me by now. I'm very stubborn.”

"The problem is, we're both very stubborn," he said with a smile.

"Maybe…" she let go of his hand and sat up straight in her seat.

Stefan gazed at the young woman who was sitting a few inches away from him. He noticed that she wasn't wearing anything around her neck, ears, or wrists.

He closed his eyes, smiled, and then leaned forward slightly. He pulled out a square blue box and then two smaller ones. He wasn't sure if she would accept to wear them, but he had to try.

He leaned back in the car seat.

"Katia," he called.

She looked at him with a smile but had a puzzled expression when she saw the three boxes.

"What 's this?"

"This is for you, to complete your outfit. I would have liked to give it to you before we left, but... I forgot," he replied.

Katia took the boxes and opened them.

In one box, there was a Swarovski bracelet. In another box, there was a Swarovski bracelet as well, and in the large box, there was a V-shaped integral necklace set and a pair of earrings.

All these jewelry pieces were rhodium-plated and boasted timeless and romantic silhouettes, adorned with countless sparkling clear crystals. The bracelet and the bracelet were adjustable in size.

She looked at him more surprised than before. Stefan couldn't stop smiling at her.

"Why...?," She began to ask. "How...?"

:Don't ask, just put them on. I'm sure they'll look great on you," he said with a smile.

She hesitated while looking at the jewelry.

"Will you help me put them on?" She asked with a smile after a few minutes.

Gretchen and Jürgen stood waiting alongside other men and women for all the guests to arrive. The woman looked around, searching for Stefan, which didn't go unnoticed by Jürgen.

He closed his eyes and continued his conversation with those men. One of those men was Mr. Friedman, the host of the dinner party, who was a middle-aged man with a bit of a beer belly and a receding hairline at the top of his head. He was also tall.

Another man was Mr. Heinz, also middle-aged, with a lot of gray hair slicked back, a comical mustache that partially covered his upper lip, thin, and tall.

The third man, perhaps a bit younger than the first two, was tall, of average build, and wore glasses. All four men were dressed in expensive suits, and their wives were too.

"Will Mr. Schmidt be coming? He's usually here by now," Mr. Heinz's wife commented.

"Yes, he told us he would come, and he mentioned he'd be bringing his wife," Mr. Friedman replied.

"His wife?" Mrs. Friedman and Mrs. Heinz asked in surprise.

"Yes, we saw her the other day when we went to meet him at his house," Hoffman said.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her..." Gretchen muttered sarcastically, glancing toward the door. "There they are..."

The rest of the people with them turned their attention to the door and stared at the woman accompanying Stefan.

Everyone gazed at her and at the dress she was wearing.

Katia wore a blue dress made of petit tul with lace appliques. The dress had a yoke on the bodice, and the sleeves were made of sheer illusion tul. The V-neck was both in the front and the back. The skirt featured tulip-shaped godets.

She had her hair styled in a 1960s diva updo, and the earrings, necklace, and bracelets added to her beauty.

The women raised their chins while keeping their eyes fixed on the young woman. Gretchen looked at her with narrowed eyes and a serious expression, clearly displaying her haughtiness.

Jürgen smiled slyly. Katia held onto Stefan's arm as she walked carefully, trying not to hurt her foot.

"Welcome. We were starting to think you wouldn't make it," Mr. Friedman spoke when the couple reached their side.

"We're sorry, but you know how women are. They always take a while to get ready," Stefan remarked playfully.

Katia gave him a disapproving look.

"Who is she, Stefan?" Gretchen asked with a haughty tone in her words.

It was clear she didn't like Katia.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Katia West," he presented her with a big smile.

"Nice to meet you," she said politely, with a small smile.

"The pleasure is mine to meet you," Jürgen said, taking Katia's hand and kissing it while looking into her eyes.

She withdrew her hand, feeling uneasy under his gaze.

"Great!" Mr. Friedman announced with a clap, drawing the attention of the people he was with. "We can start dinner now."

Everyone nodded. Mr. Friedman got the attention of the other guests, and then they all headed to their respective tables.

Stefan pulled out his wife's chair. Initially, this gesture puzzled Katia, but she ended up smiling and took her seat. The German sat on her right, with Gretchen on her left.

Katia and Gretchen exchanged serious looks, clearly indicating that neither of them was pleased with the other's presence at the table.

"That's the girl from the photo...," the brunette thought.

Mrs. Friedman asked:

"And how did you two meet?"

"Katia was my secretary at one of the companies I have," Stefan replied, placing the napkin on his lap.

"You're wearing some beautiful jewelry," Mrs. Heinz commented.

"Stefan gave them to me," Katia said, looking at him.

"You hit the jackpot marrying him," Gretchen remarked.

Katia gave her a sharp look, her expression serious.

"Have you been married for a long time?" Jürgen asked.

"Long enough to know she won't leave me just because you get in the way, Mr. Hoffman," Stefan reluctantly replied.

"Oh, please... We've known each other for a lifetime, and you still call me by my last name... Schmidt..." he retorted sardonically.

Katia glanced at the German sitting beside her and, seeing his clenched fist, she reached out and held his hand.

Stefan looked at his wife when she made that gesture.

"Seems like you're not a fan of this guy either," he thought, closing his eyes and smiling.

"Tell us, what did you see in Mr. Schmidt? Because I don't think you only saw money in him," Mrs. Kruger inquired. 

She was the wife of the younger man who wore glasses.

"He always cares about me even when I don't ask. Besides, he's very stubborn," Katia looked at him. "Sometimes he drives me crazy, but he knows how to make me smile when I don't feel like it."

"That's good," everyone turned their attention to Mr. Kruger. "If a man knows how to make a lady smile, he's genuinely interested in her."

"It doesn't have to be that way. Some men do it just to get a woman into bed," Gretchen said maliciously. "And if she's a gold digger, they play right into their hands."

Katia and Gretchen exchanged hostile glances.

"You were his secretary. It's normal for him to think you're only after Stefan's money," she tried to justify herself. "You probably want to take everything you can from him and then leave him with nothing."

"If I were a gold digger, we would have never gotten married. He's not foolish enough to be deceived," Katia spoke with anger. "As strange as it may seem to you, there are people who don't seek only money or status from others for their benefit. I could manage on my own before marrying Stefan, and I can still manage without his money."

Gretchen glared at her, biting her lower lip.

"What an impertinent woman! If she thinks she's going to stay with Stefan, she's very wrong. Stefan is mine!" Gretchen thought, glaring at Katia with narrowed eyes, fueled by her anger.