It was him

CHAPTER 3

Ariana's POV

I instinctively held my breath the moment I saw his face.

There was something about him that I couldn't place my hand on....

It made my pulse quicken.

Still unaware of my presence noticing me, he reached up and loosened his bow tie before shrugging off his suit jacket and draping it neatly over the back of a chair.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and let out a quiet sigh of exhaustion

I remained frozen behind the clothing rack, I didn't dare move.

Please don't find me, I prayed silently

He sank onto the leather sofa, and the room fell silent then after a moment, he reached for a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back, exhaling slowly.

The faint scent of tobacco drifted through the room invading my nostrils.

My began to ache from standing in the same position. Hoping to shift my weight without making a sound, I carefully took a small step backward.

Then, my heel brushed against something on the floor.

Clink.

An empty ashtray rolled across the polished floor before coming to an abrupt stop.

Every muscle in my body froze

The man slowly lifted his head "Who's there?" he asked, his deep voice calm but unmistakably commanding.

Oh, my luck.

I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the clothing rack with my face lowered.

He stood up and looked over to me.

I could feel his eyes on me, studying me without saying a word.

"I'm... I'm sorry," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I got lost looking for the restroom."

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he took a step closer.

"This is a private room," he said, his voice calm and composed.

I couldn't look up, my face was probably red at this point

"I know" I admitted. "I panicked when I heard someone coming. I wasn't trying to invade your privacy."

The corner of his mouth twitched, almost as if he was suppressing a smile.

"You have an unusual way of asking for directions."

I nodded and hurried out of the room, hearing his quiet chuckle behind me.

I rushed down the hallway until I finally found my way back to the ballroom, nearly colliding with Lily.

Lily caught my arm before I could walk past.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere." She frowned. "Ariana... are you okay?"

I forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Then why are you blushing?"

I ignored her took a seat back at the table

Soon enough,

a wave of murmurs swept through the ballroom.

Every head was turned towards the grand staircase.

I turned to see and I saw two tall men dressed in perfectly tailored black tuxedos descending the stairs with unhurried confidence.

Their black masks concealed the upper halves of their faces, but somehow, it made them look more commanding.

The room seemed to part for them as they made their way down.

Guests greeted them with respectful nods, while others simply stepped aside to make room.

There was something strangely familiar about the way they walked.

And the younger one looked oddly familiar...

Have I seen him somewhere before?

Before I could dwell on the thought, Lily leaned towards me with a bright smile.

"He actually managed to come."

He?

Who?

As the men full descended, conversations resumed, but in hushed voices.

It felt like everyone was watching their every move.

They eventually separated, and the older man went about acknowledging a few people with brief nods, offering polite handshakes here and there, but he never lingered long enough for small talk.

"Good evening, Mr. Kingston."

"It's an honor to see you again."

"Welcome, sir"

"Pleasure to see you, sir"

The greetings came from every direction.

My brows furrowed.

Mr. Kingston?

I slowly turned to Lily.

She was smiling proudly, her eyes fixed on the older man.

Then, without another word, she slipped away from my side and walked towards him.

She stopped in front of him.

He lowered his gaze, and despite the mask hiding part of his face, I could tell his expression had softened.

Lily wrapped her arms around him in a brief hug.

"You're late" she teased.

He let out a quiet chuckle.

"Business," he replied simply.

She rolled her eyes.

"You always say that."

"Hello, Sister"

A dramatic male voice called from behind me.

The other man had started walking towards us, a smile spreading across his lips.

Lily rolled her eyes. "And you're late too."

He didn't answer.

Instead, he reached her and gave her a light smack on the forehead.

"Oww"

She whined, rubbing her forehead, glaring at him.

"You didn't have to do that!"

He chuckled.

"I think you deserved it."

I couldn't help but smile at their exchange.

Their exchange was so natural that I immediately knew there was a closeness between them that went far beyond what I've seen between Lily and most people.

Lily returned to my side with a small smile.

"Ariana," she said, gesturing towards the two men, "Meet my dad and my brother."

I stepped forward nervously.

"It's nice to meet you, Sir," I said to her father.

He turned towards me, and a small smile appeared beneath his mask.

"Pleasure is all mine."

I nodded politely before turning towards his son, and the moment our eyes met, time seemed to stop.

Even with the black masquerade mask covering part of his face, I recognized those eyes instantly.

It was him.

The man from the dressing room.

For the briefest second, surprise flickered across his face before disappearing behind the same composed expression I had seen earlier.

He remembered me too.

"Nice to meet you, Ariana," he said, extending his hand.

His voice was steady.

As though we had never crossed paths before.

I slipped my trembling hand into his.

His grip was firm and warm

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Kingston" I replied, hoping my voice sounding steadier than I felt.

His eyes lingered on me for a heartbeat longer before he released my hand.

"Call me Damien," he said calmly.

"Lily speaks highly of you."

I blinked in surprise.

"She does?"

A faint smile touched his lips.

"She doesn't make friends easily" he said.

"That's because most people annoy me." Lily said casually

Damien let out a quiet chuckle.

"I've noticed."

The tension eased slightly, but I couldn't shake the strange feeling twisting inside me.

Why did it feel like those eyes had already memorized my face?

And why couldn't I stop thinking about the way he'd looked at me in that dressing room?

I pushed the thought aside.

It had been an embarrassing misunderstanding.

Nothing more,

Or so I had desperately hoped.