All Chapters of I was more than pretty: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The music from the ballroom struck him like a slap the moment Julian re-entered.Bright lights, flittering laughter and champagne flutes clinking against crystal.Everything gleamed, perfect and expensive — and he hated it.He moved through the crowd like a man possessed, jaw tight, eyes unfocused, rage simmering beneath his immaculate composure. Every sound grated against him. Every whisper, every burst of laughter seemed to mock him. He couldn’t erase the words.“How dare you say that to my woman.”My woman.It played in his head again and again, each repetition cutting deeper. Soren Bellandi — the untouchable chairman, the one every man in that room feared and every woman desired — had called Evelyn Morgan his woman.Julian almost laughed at the absurdity of it, but it wasn’t funny.It was humiliation. Pure, blistering humiliation.He reached the edge of the hall and stopped, running a hand through his hair, his reflection flashing briefly in the mirrored wall — his face pale, his e

  Eve hadn’t even reached the door when she felt it—a sudden, firm force that lifted her effortlessly off the ground. For a heartbeat, she thought she was falling, her breath caught halfway between shock and disbelief. But then she felt the warmth of strong arms around her, steady and unyielding, and her world tilted into stunned silence.It was Soren.Before she could even blink, he had scooped her up into his arms—just like in those fairytales she had never believed in. By now every gaze in that glittering hall had turned toward them—toward her, dripping in smoothie, and toward him, carrying her as though she were something precious, something that had to be shielded from the cruelty of the world ( Is not like the gaze went away after the smoothie was accidentally poured on her). The atmosphere was now charged up like something that was ready to explode, it is just a matter of time.Eve’s heart hammered.

The first thing I heard was birdsong. Soft, layered melodies drifting through my open window like a gentle reminder that the world hadn’t stopped spinning, even if mine felt like it had crashed and was still trying to rebuild itself from the pieces scattered on the floor.Light filtered through my curtains—soft, pale gold that rested on my skin like a hesitant touch. I blinked slowly, staring up at the familiar cracks on the ceiling. For a few seconds, my mind was blank, quiet, blessedly empty.Then everything came crashing back.The gala.Julian.Serena.The smoothie dripping down my hair and dress.Soren lifting me.His hands.His voice.His eyes—dark, angry, protective.His presence like a force of gravity I couldn’t fight.I shot upright in bed, the blanket tangling around my legs as if trying to pull me back down.“Oh God…”A groan escaped my lips before I even realized I was speaking. My palms flew to my face, covering the heat rising there.What was going to happen to me now?I

It is the next day of work.So, we go again today. Hopefully, it will be different.The elevator doors slid open with a soft metallic sigh, and I stepped inside, clutching my bag a little too tightly. The morning light filtered through the glass ceiling of the lobby, but all I could see were my own nervous thoughts bouncing inside my head like a restless bird. Every step I took, every click of my heels, felt heavier than the last.I pressed the button for the floor where my department was, and the doors closed with a subtle, familiar hum. The gentle vibrations beneath my feet usually went unnoticed, but today they seemed like a warning drum echoing my heartbeat.I leaned against the wall, pretending to be calm, pretending to read an email on my phone. I tried to distract myself, reciting the countless excuses I had used over the last few days to avoid Soren’s presence. The elevator was small and quiet, just me and my overthinking. For a fleeting moment, I thought I might survive this

Weeks had passed, and the day that seemed distant and almost unreal had finally arrived. Julian and Serena were getting married. The city hummed with anticipation, streets lined with luxury cars, flowers, and glimpses of carefully orchestrated grandeur.Invitations had been sent, announcements made, and the social elite whispered their expectations in the salons, cafes, and private clubs that made up the undercurrent of the elite circles.The wedding preparations had consumed months. Florists worked tirelessly, arranging delicate blooms in cascading displays; designers fussed over satin and lace, adjusting seams to perfection; chefs tested cakes and pastries repeatedly to ensure that nothing less than perfection would grace the tables.Every detail was scrutinized, every moment timed, rehearsed, and polished until even a whisper of imperfection was impossible.Julian’s former colleagues had not missed a beat in turning the event into a spectacle. Gifts were carefully selected, each mor