397 The rising resentmen

Lillian drove till she found a decent spot to park the car. It appears that they were the last ones to arrive since finding a good parking spot was challenging. Stepping out, the ladies could hear the distant singing notes of the band vocalist. They were playing classic hits, and Lillian noticed a shadowy figure approaching them from the front of the house. She observed to find it was none other than the host of this party.

"I saw the car and thought your three finally arrived!" Shane greeted the ladies in his oxford shirt and a thick cable knit sweater. He dressed casually and cozier for the party.

"Are we late?" Lillian asked.

"Not much! But, hey- everyone arrived early than you guys, so I would say you are the last people to show up!" Shane laughed and glared at Lillian while remarking on his words.

Giselle stepped in to defend Lillian, but it was clear from her judgment that this was merely a silly quarrel between two friends. Lillian brushed off Shane to relax. The two glared at each other intensely before quitting their game from scaring the onlookers.

"Welcome, Giselle, Welcome Jenna!" Shane greeted afresh in his pleasant tone.

"Where's my welcome?" Lillian interrupted.

"Weren't you roaming here from morning?"

"So? I don't deserve your minty-fresh welcomes!"

Shane grunted against Lillian's fit and begrudgingly welcomed her inside his beautiful house, guiding his guests to the backyard. Lillian and Giselle, the experienced ones, who had the pleasures of visiting this lovely abode, walked without an ounce of astonishment. On the contrary, it was Jenna's first time. She had multiple occasions to meet Shane at the office, outside the office, even maybe in a restaurant, but she had never visited his place. So, it was only she who walked through the house in absolute awe.

No wonder the big boss of the publishing house owns such a beautiful place to live. She kept thinking while passing through to get to another surprise. The court spread out wide enough to hold an outdoor party.

The whole backyard was covered in a string of bright lights. Also, there was a separate stage for the band to perform in front of the audience. The space was left free and mowed smooth for unexpected dancers. Decorations aside, there were a few snack stations loaded with eatables and a chocolate fountain. The waiters passed around carrying their plates of drinks to the guests. Lucy had the time of her life. She enjoyed this party and its jolly atmosphere.

Diego looked at the incoming crowd and quickly recognized Lillian Grey. He naturally smiled to greet her but stopped midway when he noticed Giselle by her side. The other one was Lillian's editor, Jenna. The three, along with Shane, stood facing him.

Diego's smile faded with disappointment. Still, he endured acting casual.

"You're late-" Diego greeted in his rough tone. He didn't much care for Jenna and kept his gaze fixated at Giselle, staring at her indifferently.

Giselle could feel him gawking at her intentionally, but she cared not to react. If granting the attention can make him feel like an alpha, then she won't do it. It was hard, but Giselle tried her best not to give Diego the attention he'd hoping to get from her. In her struggle to remain calm through this silent battle, she saw someone step in between their sight, a tall figure protecting Giselle from Diego's intimidating aura.

"Hey, Diego!" Lillian greeted him back with a small smile.

"You're here!" she added, cutting him off from his stare contest.

Diego's gaze shifted from Giselle to Lillian. He looked at her in bafflement.

Lillian had distinguished his change of expression. Not sure what forced Lillian to do so, but she acted to her intuition and stepped in between to protect Giselle as if it was required.

Giselle exhaled quietly behind Lillian's tall frame. She felt glad for the cover, wondering if Lillian did it intentionally or not. Regardless, she received timely aid, and it gave her the encouragement to keep her head high and not succumb to foreign pressure.

**

Why did Lillian step in between?

Did she do it intentionally, or was it a plain coincidence?

Diego rattled his head from witnessing his dear friend choosing to protect a sick woman. It made him appear bitter at Lillian.

Lillian could feel the silence thicken through the tension. Shane, who was a fellow spectator, witnessed the change in the atmosphere. Not sure if he needed to meddle, but like Jenna, Giselle, and Lillian, he too felt apprehensive under Diego's hostility.

Lillian read the situation, and since they've just entered the backyard, she could come up with an excuse to disperse the crowd and ease the unnecessary intimidation.

Without holding back, she grabbed Giselle's hand tightly, and yelling Anna's name- Lillian took off with Giselle.

Diego watched his dear friend fleeing with his enemy. His eyebrows twitched in hatred from seeing them together. Shane perceived his disapproval with a grain of salt, wondering why did Diego react this way. Seeing him study his face, Diego faked a smile. Shane dismissed it to his negligence and saw that Jenna was left alone. He sighed at Lillian's behavior. She could have at least grabbed Jenna, too, on her escape.

**

From the looks of it, Shane noticed that Jenna did remain anxious until a while ago, but otherwise, all of her attention returned to admiring his house. Shane then realized it was her first time visiting.

"Do you like this place?" he asked out abruptly.

Seeing him read her mind flustered Jenna. She nodded shyly. Shane added that if she wishes, he can give her a tour around the house. Jenna hesitated before admitting. Shane almost laughed at her honest reaction and promised to fulfill his agreement soon. Meantime, he inquired if their ride was hassle-free. He asked a couple of questions, inquiring about their late arrival. While Jenna answered patiently, Shane noticed that Diego's figure still hadn't moved an inch following Lillian's departure. He stood by their side, listening to their talk. Nothing suspicious yet!

Shane ignored his presence and listened to Jenna talking about Lillian's docile behavior at Giselle's place. Shane jokingly added that he would like to see Lillian as such. As they chatted along, Jenna couldn't help but mention how sweet Giselle's daughter was, from how she told her mother to have fun to how she interacted with Lillian Grey.

Jenna's comments moved Shane to meet this character sooner or later. He had only been hearing about Lia and maybe seen pictures of her on Giselle's desk at the office. However, hearing all the good things about this lovable child made him assume that if they met, they would instantly become good friends.

Jenna assured him that Lia is the most loving kid to approach. The little girl, unlike her shy mother, always displayed her best behavior in front of strangers. Shane, Jenna, and even Diego realized it must be a trait she received from her father.

Right then, they all heard Lillian's voice, loudly calling for Jenna. She kept waving her hand in the air from afar and signaled her editor to join her. Shane signed in relief that Lillian didn't forget about Jenna. He urged her to enjoy the party, and before he could step away, he saw Diego still settled at the same spot.

Shane's gaze caught Diego's unwavering attention at Lillian. Recognizing his eyes on him, Diego posed a smile again. The same expression from before. Shane gave a plain nod and then took off in doubt.

Diego stood where he was like a planted weed, angrily. He least expected to meet Giselle in this place. Ever since their Christmas dinner when Lillian expressly stated how she sees him only as a friend, Diego couldn't wrap his mind to it. It was noticeable that the two spoke less than often. When Diego called Lillian to discuss Shane's party, she never said a word about bringing Giselle. It annoyed Diego so much to the point where he was going crazy in his head.

He couldn't stand the image of Lillian with Giselle together, and that brought madness to his conscience. For the first time in his life, he resented both Giselle and Lillian. Until now, he never included his dear friend in it. But the voice in his head screamed louder, 'go ahead, do something,' and Diego listened to it.

The inner demon demanded that he do something.

It desired to separate those two from spending another minute together. However, Diego realized that he was at a party. He can't have anyone see his ugly side. But, the voice inside confronted him for hiding his ugly side all these years. It demanded what good came from hiding his true sentiments and why he never admitted his feeling for his dear friend openly.

As if the devil and angel fought hard, Diego's head was in terrible pain from the constant noise. He could no longer hear the music playing and an aching silence took over to replay all his failures. Not once did he achieve in expressing his love for Lillian. Even when he tried at that Christmas dinner, Lillian objected harshly to even assuming such an act.

The more Diego's inner demon displayed his ugly side, the quicker Diego began to surrender himself. Maybe for once, it could work, he thought.

When at midnight, the clock hits, everyone will find a partner to share a kiss. Diego knew that the wench Giselle might be plotting such plans with Lillian. Diego's inner voice whispered,

'I'll break you two apart!'

His ugly side came out in the worst way and demanded to break up those two, even if it meant he'd use force or pulling dirty tricks.