Chapter 28 BLUE DRAGON PARTY
The hours had speedily crept away far from when I had had that conversation with Leah. I had gone selectively mute till the day of the party.
I only gave out necessary orders and Leah was agreeable enough to understand that I needed space and time to process what she had said to me.
Rafael had also tried to put me on, unsure for what reason I wouldn't speak to him. He had been restless as I barely said a few words to him— only when I deemed it necessary.
He had turned to Marco to consult him about what the problem with me could possibly be, but Marco was just as clueless as his boss was.
My sudden silence has stirred up a hurricane of worry within Rafael and the longer it took for me to speak to him willingly, the more difficult it got for him to set his emotions in place.
I also had my emotions everywhere and I didn't have the courage to make another feel better when I had found myself in the deepest shithole.
“About tomorrow, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to anymore. You should take a rest if you want a break from me.” Rafael had said to me during dinner with him on the night of the eve of the party.
Like an unbothered sulking princess, I took the last bite of the onki mushroom at the tip of my fork, picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth clean before saying-
“No, I'll be coming with you.”
And with that, I got up from my seat and headed back to my room. I could feel his eyes etch a stare at me as he watched me leave and in his head, he repeated the questions of what fault he had in my sudden behavior.
He was the Genesis of my lamentations, so it was required of him to deal with this new nature of mine if he could.
—
Early the next morning, the collection of custom made dresses he had placed an order for arrived in a trolley packed with a variety of choices to select from.
Leah had done my hair and she helped me get into the dress when it was time to head out for the party which was apparently hosted by another mafia family— The Don family.
They were also a powerful family in Italy who were on par with the Devereaux family, but with a truce already set in place, the chances of both families turning rivals had been written off.
—
Our arrival at the party was grand, our appearance alike collecting the attention of the already arrived guests from every corner of the society, politicians, and underworld figures mingled amidst the grand decor, sipping champagne while stealing obvious glances at us as we walked in.
Some were already making deals and spreading their wings for a broader connection with certain VIPs.
The air was alive with whispers and quick gossips also filled with fragile gasps of surprise and even a hint of envy.
The banquet hall seemed to pause, everyone drawn to the charisma emanating from us.
Rafael stood tall, his tailored black tuxedo a perfect fit, his piercing brown eyes scanning the room with confidence. I was by his side, my hand tucked in the crook of his arm as he led me through the crowd.
My long dark hair cascaded down my back over my fitted, strapless gleaned gold dress that hugged by curves moderately.
“Who's she?...” “She looks so feisty…”
I could hear the women whisper to themselves.
“Santiano Rafael Devereaux shows up to the Blue Dragon Party with a woman?” Another chipped in, scoffing in surprise.
“Huh! One lucky woman she is.” Another huffed, rolling her eyes at me before turning away to chug more champagne down her thick throat.
Gossips— more gossip, very typical of women.
“We won't be here for long, Nessa.” Rafael said as he led me towards an empty table.
“Why is that?” I asked calmly.
“ijve I'm done with the business I have here, we have no reason to stay.” He replied right away, his eyes searching through the crowd for something— someone.
I nodded, and he opted out to get us drinks while I waited for him.
Out of nowhere, someone pulled my arm from behind and I was forced to look, pulling away at once.
A man— an Italian, handsome just like Rafael was standing right there, with a grin playing on his lips as he had finally gotten my attention.
I stared back at him, wondering what the problem with him was. His chiseled features seemed chiseled from marble, his dark hair slicked back, revealing a strong jawline.
He inarguably had the same build as Rafael, but something about him was different. Despite the luxurious tuxedo he was wearing, I could still see his tattoos which stretched over his neck on his right.
“Rumours have it that a beauty walked in here with Santiano Rafael Devereaux.” His husky voice bellowed, slowly and calm.
I was going to roll my eyes at him and turn away, but for a moment, I decided against the thought of that.
“How do you feel now that the rumors seem to be true?” I said, playing along.
He pushed his lips forward, giving his head a little shake as he took his place beside me.
“Glad,” he paused, tapping his fingers on the table."But this woman is not Italian.”
“Would that be a problem for someone?” Rafael's bold voice asked, breaking into the conversation without notice.
His gaze had turned sour as he began setting the glasses in his hands on the table that I began to think it irked him to see me speak with another man that was not him.
His hand reached for my waist and he pulled me closer to himself, marking his territory with that subtle act.
“You shouldn't have any business with another man's woman, don't you think so?” Rafael sneered at him.
The man scoffed, slattering his tongue on his lower lip, then he said,
“Technically, legally, she's not your wife yet and this means I can have every luck in the world to try my chances with her— you know what I mean…” he raised a mocking brow, “steal her from you just the same way you had stolen her from another man.”
I could feel Rafael's grip on my waist tighten and the tension between both men became palpable.
The man wasn't wrong about Rafael, but what had he just said about me?