Chapter 8

“Where the hell have you been?” Brenda rushed to me immediately she saw me coming, and pulled me aside from the guests.

“I was getting dressed upstairs,” I cleared my throat, trying hard to hide my nerves.

Brenda looked at me, her eyes narrowed.

“I didn't find you in your room. I looked everywhere,” she didn't hesitate to call me out.

I was nervous she knew what I just did with her father, but I know Brenda, she wouldn't be this calm if she did.

“I knew you were out there hooking up, but definitely not at my dad's…” I couldn't seem to hear the rest of the words she was saying. My heart beat increased rapidly and my face turned pale immediately. I really cared about Brenda but I couldn't seem to leave her dad. He knows the exact spot to hit in a woman.

“What's the matter? Are you shocked that I know you hooked up with that Stephen,” she blurted out and rolled her eyes at me.

“Your taste in men always reduces every year that passes by,” she kept talking, not realising the inner battle I was fighting. Eww, I wouldn't want to fuck Stephen again but thank God she thought he was Stephen.

I had to make her continue to believe in what she believed, and played on. “ Yeah, I just had a brief talk with Stephen.”

“Hm, brief talk indeed. Now, let's hurry, we need to meet some guests and I haven't seen my dad. Y'all seem to be disappearing!” She kept ranting, walking far ahead of me while I tagged behind her like a puppy.

But, before I joined the guests, I saw Damien speaking to some guests, his eyes met mine, he smirked as if he noticed my glance, but didn't look in my direction.

My mood got ruined when I saw Stephen glaring at me with a knowing look on his face, did he know? I hope not.

Music filled the Steels’ grand ballroom, with guests meeting and making connections. I just wanted to leave, all I could hear was the frantic beating of my heart in my ears. I tried to focus on Brenda, who was still laughing and introducing me to some family friends. I wasn't feeling comfortable and wanted a corner to sit or hide, I hated the attention.

Suddenly, I noticed from the corner of my eyes someone approaching me, Stephen!

He moved through the crowd straight toward me.

Before I could slip away into the safety of a bathroom hallway, Stephen caught up with me.

“Hey, again,” Stephen murmured, his voice laced with an annoying, smug confidence. Before I could tell him to get lost, he slid his arm around my waist, pulling me firmly against his side. His grip was entirely too tight, I was not able to deal with his shenanigans again.

I wiggled, trying to move away from his hold, but this evil boy wouldn't just bulge, “Stephen, let go of me.”

“Why? Brenda just told me you said you were with me, I wanted to make that true,” he whispered, leaning down so his lips brushed my ear. The smell of his cologne made me sick and weak.

“Funny thing is, Laura… I haven't seen you in an hour, I left you upstairs, so who were you really upstairs with?”

Panic struck me like a physical blow. My face paled, and my breath hitched. He seemed to know.

I glanced past Stephen’s shoulder and saw Damian. He had been deep in conversation with a group of high-profile business investors, but his gaze was now locked entirely on us. The smirk he wore moments ago was completely gone. His jaw was clenched so tightly a muscle ticked in his cheek, he looked more like a calm sea with a brewing storm.

Without another word to his guests, I saw Damian turned his back on them and began walking directly toward us. His strides were long, powerful, and deliberate. Oh no! Don't come here, it will fuel Stephen's suspicion.

“Stephen, seriously, back off,” I hissed, trying to wrench myself away, and escape from there but Stephen only tightened his hold, completely oblivious that Damien was coming close.

“Make me,” Stephen challenged.

“Is there a problem here?”

Damian’s deep, I heard his deep voice and I could feel a sense of relief.

He stood facing us, a certain calm, dangerous aura around him.

Stephen blinked, caught off guard by the sheer hostility of the older man, he was shocked, this man again. His hold on me relaxed.

“Mr. Steel. No problem at all, just catching up with Laura.”

“Take your hands off her,” Damian said, the authority in his voice couldn't be ignored.

Stephen dropped his hand immediately.

“What's with you man?” he was irked.

Brenda’s high-pitched voice cut through the tension.

“Hey, what’s going on over here?” She trotted up, holding a glass of champagne, looking between her father’s furious expression, me and Stephen.

Damian didn't even look at his daughter. His eyes remained locked on Stephen, his arm instinctively reaching out to pull me away from him, to shield me behind his body, I couldn't help but feel safe at his possessiveness.

“Dad! I have been looking everywhere for you. Laura, what is going on” Brenda asked, her eyebrows furrowing in sudden suspicion. She looked at Damian’s protective stance over me, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you getting in between them?”

The question hung heavily in the air.

I looked at Damian, my heart hammering against my ribs. If he kept acting like this, like a jealous lover in front of his own daughter. Brenda could piece it together.

I had to stop him. I backed away from Damien and stood in between Stephen and Brenda, I tried to fix it before it escalated. Stephen seemed pleased, his smirk so evident.

“It’s fine, Mr. Steel,” I stammered quickly, giving Damian a pointed, pleading look. I prayed he got it and listened to me.

“Brenda is right. Stephen and I… we’re together tonight. We were just having a little arguement.”

“Yeah, exactly. I don’t know why your dad is acting this way.”

“What way?” Brenda asked, surprised.

I held Stephen and dug my nails in his arms, he winced to my satisfaction.

Damian froze. I could feel his displeasure, as he stared at me, forced to watch another man hold me. He seemed to want to rip Stephen apart, but my pleading look and his daughter's inquisitiveness forced him to hold back.

“I see,” Damian said, his voice tight. He gave me one last, piercing look that promised severe consequences later.

“Dad, come meet someone, please!” Brenda whined beside him, holding his hand.

“Carry on then.”

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me alone with Stephen and a simmering fury.

“Leave me alone,” I turned away from the annoying, smirking bastard.

“Interesting.”