She Could Talk Back

She Could Talk Back

Jennifer wrapped her arms around Aaron’s broad frame without hesitation, flashing a dazzling smile as if the cameras were still trained on her. She clung to him with a practiced ease, as nothing had changed between them.

Aaron didn’t respond. His muscles coiled beneath the sleek fabric of his tailored black shirt, his expression hardening instantly. The scent of her perfume hit him. And it's worsening his temper to the south.

When Jennifer tried to pull him into a fuller embrace, he stepped back sharply. His hand met her shoulder, not gently. pushing her away with enough force to make her stumble in her designer heels.

She gasped in surprise.

Before she could utter a word, Aaron leaned in, his face inches from hers. His voice, low and sharp, cut through the music like a blade.

“Touch me again, Jennifer… and I’ll make you regret it.”

The color drained from her cheeks. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her confidence flickered.

She gulped down her fear as could see she had gotten clingy at the worst time. she quickly acted up and smiled brightly, playing it off as if nothing had happened. She laughed softly, angling her body in distance, keeping up the performance for the onlookers.

The push, the threat, it went unnoticed by most. The whole hall was busy clicking glasses.

Yet a few steps away, Alina stood frozen in place, unaware of the storm that had just passed.

Her gaze had caught the moment Jennifer threw her arms around Aaron, and she hadn’t looked away since. From where she stood, she hadn’t seen his expression or heard the venom in his voice. All she saw was them. standing close, heads tilted together, the kind of proximity that twisted her insides.

Aaron wasn’t pulling away. He wasn’t pushing her off. That was all she could tell. and that was enough to make something sharp coil in her chest.

A familiar voice drifted from behind her.

“Oh, Jennifer and Aaron look good together, don’t they?” one of the high-society women murmured.

“Such poise. They’ve always made a striking pair,” another said.

“They were meant to be. Maybe they still are.”

Alina’s grip on her clutch tightened.

She blinked quickly, trying to look composed as she nodded at an older couple she was halfheartedly greeting. Her lips curved into something polite, but her focus was elsewhere. fixed on Jennifer's proximity to Aaron, on the way people were already weaving romantic stories around them.

Yeah she is not in the status to get angry over these or question his behaviour. There is still nothing permanent between them. At least that's what she believes.

So she smiled through the burn in her throat and excused herself to refill a drink.

Then came the cake cutting.

The hall dimmed for a moment, all attention drawn to Merlin. The guests clapped. Champagne flutes lifted.

Aaron, composed and quiet as ever, stood beside his mother. When she extended her hand and insisted on a dance, he didn’t hesitate. He nodded, took her hand, and led her onto the floor.

All eyes watched them, all smiles and admiration.

Alina lingered near the edge, making sure everything ran smoothly. timing the next rounds of drinks, checking in with the staff.

As she was about to turn, out of nowhere Jennifer bumped into her, a little too perfectly timed to feel accidental.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” she gushed, grabbing Alina’s arm dramatically.

Alina wipes off the drink she spilled on her dress. She gave a tight smile. “It’s fine.”

“Didn’t mean to spill your drink. These heels are a nightmare,”

Jennifer added, then tilted her head with a faux-sweet smile. “Alina, right? Didn't get to talk to you earlier.” She coated her words while flashing her eye-catching necklace around her neck.

“So, how’s life as the Knight family’s special guest? Or are we calling you daughter-in-law now?”

Alina straightened, she quickly guessed her tone, choosing silence with a polite smile.

But Jennifer wasn’t done.

“You know,” she continued, brushing invisible lint off her dress, “there was a time I really thought Aaron and I would end up married. Everyone did, actually. We were perfect for each other. He even said so, once.” As she said, her tone was getting sweeter and fake polished.

“It's so bad, I broke the relationship for my ambition. Well it's not that I don't have another chance. But I guess some people just… force themselves into places they don’t belong.”

The words hit sharper than Jennifer’s perfume. Alina’s pulse spiked. She knew where she was hinting. Her blood rose up due to the rage of insult. Yet she still maintains the silence.

Alina's lips curled into a calm, composed smile, the kind that never quite reached her eyes.

“You’re right, Jennifer. Sometimes we find ourselves in places we never imagined being…”

She paused, her gaze dipping over the glittering hall before settling sharply on her.

“…Not because we forced our way in, but because we were meant to be there. Life doesn't hand things to those who want. it gives them to those who are worthy.”

Jennifer blinked, her smirk faltering.

Alina took a slow step forward, voice still soft, polite, but razor-edged.

“And sometimes… no matter how much someone tries to squeeze themselves into a place… it just doesn’t fit. Not because the place is too small. but because the person never belonged there.”

With that, Alina turned around gracefully, her gown swaying like liquid silk as she walked away. poised, untouched, victorious.

Jennifer stood frozen, words lost on her tongue.She hadn’t expected that.

Not from her.

Not from the woman everyone has addressed as meek, voiceless.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, she quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd. desperate not to draw more eyes.

She might need a break as this is the second embarrassment of the night.

…

Alina got herself out of the party hall when she felt it's getting suffocating to be around the people who even breathe fake. She hoped to get herself touched with a comforting air. She needs a short break before attending these guests again.

And that’s when a firm hand grabbed her wrist.

“Ahh!”