PROLOGUE (Continued)

Anna froze where she stood. The MC had called on the Vice chancellor to present her award, and he was already waiting on stage. Everyone was looking at her, wondering why she didn't move.

“Miss Anna Bennett.” The MC called into the mic again. It was then she snapped from her reverie.

“Please come up to receive your award.” He gestured to the waiting vice chancellor.

Anna took a step, surprised that her feet still obeyed her brain. She moved mechanically to the stage, collected the award and barely waited for the photographer to capture her before she walked back. Everyone was looking at her now, for her behavior was not normal.

Jessica, who had been pacing near the front, caught her as soon as she descended the stage, but she shrugged her off and continued walking. Jessica followed her, and when she grabbed Anna again, she turned and gave Jessica her plaque.

It looks like the alcohol was working now because she took bold, determined steps to where Casper was standing with Bella and her friends. The two stopped laughing when they saw her approach them. She stood before Casper, looked him straight in the eye, raised her hand high above her head and slapped him hard on the cheeks. When Bella tried to hold her back, she slapped her too.

Everyone watched as she walked back to her table and sat with a straight face as if nothing happened. Lewis, who had watched the entire exchange where he stood outside, was very impressed with Anna's aggressiveness.

Stefan was dumbfounded. That girl—he'd heard the MC call her Bennett—didn't look like she was capable of violence, but he'd seen color drain from her cheeks in shock when the overall winner called her boyfriend. He leaned in towards his secretary. "What's going on?"

“It looks like a love triangle. Her boyfriend must have jilted her for the overall winner.”

“Are you sure?”

She shrugged, “My guess.

“Find out,” he said.

“I didn't know you liked gossip this much.” She gave him a surreptitious look before turning to some students sitting behind them to confirm her suspicion was correct.

“It's as I suspected.” She informed him.

“I can't help wondering why he'll dump her.” He mused. “She’s the most beautiful lady I’ve seen here tonight."

Clara cleared her throat. “That's a glowing compliment, coming from someone like you. Are we going home with a trophy tonight?" She winked at him. "She's single now, you know."

Stefan pinned her with his gaze. "I need to find a way to glue your lips together."

The third-place award was presented, and as the chief guest, Stefan was invited to open the dance floor. The dance was the main reason Clara accompanied him to parties (he doesn’t dance with any other person.) 

As Clara stood, he pulled her back to her seat and whispered. "I'm going to break your heart this evening, darling.” He stood up and said, “And you'll be busy dealing with the press for a few days."

Clara watched in astonishment as he strolled confidently towards Anna's table and held out his right hand, palms upward, with a smile, "will you do me the favor of dancing with me?"

Anna was shocked for the second time that evening, but the alcohol egged her on, so she took his hand. He smiled and led her to the center of the dance floor in front.

Everyone in the room was stunned. Even the DJ lost himself, and the music stopped momentarily. When they recovered from the shock, phones were held up to capture the moment. The journalists that were present busied themselves clicking away; this scoop was definitely going to fill the gossip column in every magazine.

At the side table near the front, Clara buried her face in both hands, her shoulders shaking with a soundless laugh. “Oh, Stefan,” she muttered under her breath. “You’ve just made headlines.”

Fascinated, Lewis smiled. He wouldn't put it past his brother to miss any opportunity to flirt with a beautiful girl. Especially at such a time when he knew his chances of being accepted were high.

They danced in silence for several long minutes before he looked down at her. She wore a brown silk dress that clung softly to her body, accentuating her curves. Her auburn hair had been swept up, the reddish-brown strands woven into a braid that hugged the side of her head before folding into a voluminous bun at her nape. Tiny pearl pins adorned the braid, catching glints of light with every turn of her head

She tripped, and he drew her close to steady her. He caught a wisp of her breath as it fanned his collarbone. The smell of Bailey's chocolate and cream was faint but he recognized it. "No wonder you're unsteady," he smiled to himself.

"What'd you say?" She looked up at him briefly and he saw her blink rapidly to keep tears back but they escaped, forming streaks down her cheeks. He deftly wiped it with his thumb.

"You know," Stefan said, his voice low enough that only she could hear him above the music, "you should look cheerful and victorious right now."

Anna tilted her head up, confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

His lips curved into a knowing smile as he spun her gracefully. "Look around you, half of the persons in the room are watching us, but most importantly," Stefan guided her into a gentle turn that gave her a clear view of Bella, where she stood close to the refreshment table with a face frozen in amazement. Casper stood beside her, his mouth agape as if he could not believe his eyes, his palms clenched into fists at his side.

Stefan dipped his head slightly and murmured into her ear, "Did you see them speechlessly watching with pained looks? That's what real victory does to your enemies."

She looked down. "Thank you," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

The music stopped, and he led her slowly away from the dance floor back to her seat. Jessica was no longer there now; she must have found a dance partner too.

"Thank you, she bowed again and continued walking."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to use the ladies." She said over her shoulder.

The Baileys, now fully absorbed by Anna's system, made her thoughts fuzzy when she came out of the restroom. She decided to get some fresh air.

The back exit door creaked open behind him. Lewis glanced up, thinking it was Gilbert. He saw a girl step out, her heels wobbling on the stone path, one hand clutching the wall for balance. She stopped and exhaled shakily. She took another step and staggered.

Lewis was quick, his arms caught her in time before she fell, and she placed a hand on his shoulder to support herself. He looked at her face and recognized her as the second-place winner who had slapped the first-place winner and a guy.

"Are you okay?" His voice was smooth, deep and unfamiliar. She blinked up at him, her senses dulled.

Something about her felt grounding and intoxicating all at once.

She didn't answer. Her eyes were filled with tears, her blue eyeballs gleaming like diamonds. Her lips quivered, and her fingers trembled slightly where they rested on his shoulder.

Lewis didn’t move, he continued studying her: her milky, porcelain skin, the thickness of her brows, the slope of her nose, the sharp curve of her jaw, and her lush lips that mesmerized him. She appeared fragile and fierce at the same time.

And then, without thinking, he leaned in. His hand moved to her jaw, his fingers brushed the skin behind her ear as if asking for permission. She shivered but said nothing. When she didn’t stop him, his lips met hers in a kiss.

It was nothing like the brief, hesitant kisses Casper had given her. Ethan's kiss was bold and demanding, as if he'd been thinking about doing this all evening. His lips were firm and warm, one hand tangled in her hair while the one at the small of her back pressed her closer to him, until she could feel the steady beat of his heart through his shirt.

Anna's hand that rested on his shoulder slid down his chest to grab the lapels of his jacket. She was uncertain at first, but later, her lips moved with his, matching his bold rhythm. She felt like she was floating in the air, a soft sound escaped her lips—half sigh, half moan. It was that sound that brought Lewis back to his senses. He broke the kiss and pulled back, his fingers still cradling Anna’s jaw like something precious. She was drunk and he had just taken advantage of her. Lewis cursed.

She was breathless. Eyes wide, chest heaving, and face flushed.

"I'll drop you home," Lewis murmured in her ear before releasing her.

Just then, footsteps approached from around the corner. Gilbert appeared, brow raised. “Sir, the investor is...” He paused mid-sentence when he saw Anna.

Lewis straightened, his face returning to its usual stone expression. “Give me a sec,” he told Gilbert without looking at him. Gilbert nodded and vanished back into the hall.

Lewis gently took her by the elbow. She didn’t resist, just leaned slightly into his side, still dazed from the kiss. They walked in silence down the side path to where his car was parked. His driver had gotten out and opened the door as they approached. Lewis helped her in gently, making sure her dress didn’t catch on anything. She slumped back into the leather seat, eyes closed.

He didn’t sit beside her. Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Gilbert,” he said, when the call picked up. “Find out where the second-place winner's belongings are. She must have a purse or phone inside. And get me someone who knows where she lives.”

“Okay.”

Lewis ended the call and stood by the car, staring at the stars. What the hell had just happened?

A few moments later, Gilbert returned, with a breathless Jessica behind him. Her makeup was slightly smudged, and she looked disturbed.

“Where the hell is Anna?” she demanded, before catching sight of Lewis and the open car.

She marched forward, glaring at him. “Who are you, and why is my best friend passed out in your backseat?”

Lewis didn’t flinch. “She was unstable and staggered. I caught her before she hit the pavement.”

Jessica looked down at Anna. Her eyes were closed, and her fingers curled loosely in her lap. “She’s drunk.”

"Yeah. You should have paid more attention to your friend when you knew she was drunk." 

His words made Jessica feel a bit guilty. He was right, even more so because she was the one who gave Anna the drink, knowing full well that she couldn't hold her liquor.

"Get in the car, I'll have my driver take you home."

"We came here in my car." Jessica protested.

“Are you sure you are sober enough to drive?”

“I had just one glass and that was hours ago,” she snapped.

“She can’t walk,” Lewis said. “And you don’t look strong enough to carry her if she passes out again.”

Jessica hesitated. "But I can't leave my car behind."

"Give the driver your keys. He'll make sure it's safely parked at your doorstep."

"Thank you," she muttered and got into the car beside her friend.

Lewis closed the door behind her. He then turned to Gilbert. "Let's go meet the investor," he said, fastening his suit button.

* * *

Lewis sat stiffly in the back seat after meeting with the investor, arms folded. Gilbert drove because his driver took Jessica's car home.

He mulled over the events of the evening and sighed. She shouldn’t have looked at him like that. She shouldn’t have kissed him back. And he sure as hell shouldn’t have kissed her at all.

He leaned his head back and shut his eyes, but the image still burned behind his lids: Anna’s quivering lips, the tears on her lashes, and the warmth of her mouth on his.

He swallowed hard.

She was drunk, and he'd taken advantage of her. For the first time in a long time, he had acted on impulse, and that unsettled him more than anything.

He doesn't know if Anna would remember the kiss or not, but if she did and contacted him afterwards, how would he explain his action?