Chapter 235 - A Spectator

Chris's hand firmly held Katherine's as they strode towards the middle of the dance floor. She was sure that he could feel her hands slightly trembling which was a result of her partly being a bit nervous about what he was up to and because she hadn't anticipated that he would be in contact with her in front of all the hundreds of guests.

The crowd paved way for them. It was like crossing the Red Sea, only it was a sea of people. Everybody noticed the star of the night because of the bold color of her dress. It was so striking that the heads of the guests naturally turned towards them as they stopped.

The dancing had already started as soon as Katherine came down from the stage earlier, so the dance floor was pretty much filled with people enjoying the live music. However, as soon as they arrived, the guests gave them a huge space, excited to see the star of the night giving them a performance. This wasn't part of the plan at all, but the crowd didn't know that, of course.

Katherine and Chris faced each other and as if on cue, the lights dimmed and a slow song was played by a live band.

"Do you still remember our dance?" Chris asked, his hand sliding up her back and pressing her closer to him while his other hand continued to hold hers in the air. 

Katherine could hear Styles hiss from her comms before he said, "Um… Queen, this is not good…"

"Shut up," she muttered under her breath, making Chris raise a brow in amusement. She already knew that this wasn't good. Styles's reminder made her annoyed. Chris didn't know she was talking to Styles so he thought she was telling him to shut up.

…

Earlier...

Damien Park was late.

He had changed his mind several times about going to the party. In the end, he decided to go. But he wasn't alone.

Walking towards the entrance of the hotel, a gorgeous woman hooked her arm with Damien's. She had short blonde hair and was in her mid-thirties. Her evening dress made her look polished and the gentle smile on her face made her look charming.

"Remind me again why we are here? Why do you think this is a good idea, Damien? Tell me what's on your mind," asked the woman.

"Eve, you wanted to know how I'm dealing with all of this. Instead of telling you, don't you want to see for yourself?" Damien calmly responded. They were approaching the entrance of the hall together with other guests who had also just arrived.

The woman named Eve chuckled, glancing at the man next to her as she said, "And… You're taking me as your arm candy for the evening? Is this part of how you're 'dealing with it'? How exactly do you think will this evening turn out bringing a date to your ex's 'Welcome Home Party'?"

The word that Eve used to describe Katherine left a bad taste on Damien's tongue. For two months that he hadn't seen her, calling Katherine an "ex" made the fibers on his body enraged.

For a brief second, he closed his eyes and composed himself. As he opened them again, they were already by the door of the venue, slowing down as the staff checked invitations. "You're not here as my date, Eve. You're here as my chaperone." He flashed a quick smile at her.

"Ah… That explains the lack of enthusiasm when you picked me up and saw me in this dress. I went through my entire wardrobe to find the best dress for tonight you know? But with only one hour notice, I had to work fast and I didn't even receive a compliment," she joked, the smile on her face widened as they entered the huge event hall.

Patting her arm casually, Damien responded, "You're a lovely woman, Eve. But you and I both know I'm not your type."

Eve stared at him for a while, studying his expression before turning away with a smile on her face. "There'd better be great booze at this party. I feel like I will need lots of it." She turned away from him and headed towards the bar.

Damien only watched Eve walk away for a few seconds before his eyes started scanning the place. It was such a grand celebration with so many people from upper-class families. He found it hard to believe that Katherine would like this kind of crowd, especially that the party was for her.

But then again, what does he know? Katherine was like a mystery box that he thought he knew. After her pandora box was opened, he found himself struggling to believe who he thought she was and that unsettled him. 

He grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and began to wander. Along the way, he met a few familiar faces but after a quick greeting, he pulled himself away to continue on his search.

Damien stopped in his tracks as soon as he spotted her standing by the stage, her grandfather standing next to her as they talked to some businessmen. He recognized some of them as he had met them back then. 

He could only see her back but he was absolutely sure that it was her. And when she slightly turned to the side, he saw her side profile. There were several meters between them but seeing her from where he was standing, his heart throbbed. She was still as beautiful as she was on the last morning he had seen her.

There was something different with her. Her aura was strong—similar to how she was five years ago, only this time, it carried a different kind of intensity.

It took a lot of guts for Damien to take a step forward towards where she was. He was already halfway to her when a man approached her from behind. Damien slowed down and observed from a distance and before he knew it, the man was already taking Katherine to the dance floor.

Damien's gaze zeroed in their joining hands as they walked to the middle of the large room. 

His jaw tensed and his eyes darkened when he got a good look at the man who was now about to dance with Katherine. Damien had the urge to rush towards them and snatch her away from the man.

But his feet were glued to the floor, keeping him in place and making him nothing but just a spectator.

He had a bad feeling. Jealousy was probably a major part of it but it wasn't only because of what he was witnessing tonight.

It's because the man with Katherine right now was the same man he saw in the hotel that night when Katherine disappeared and left him. That couldn't be a coincidence. And somehow, Damien had already guessed that the man was the 'Chris'.

"Wow, she's beautiful. The pictures in the article didn't give her justice. Hmmm… I can see why you're so into her. Tall, stunning, and sophisticated… What's not to like?" Eve stood next to Damien as she sipped on her cocktail and asked, "Are you going to talk to her?"

Damien finished the rest of his champagne, his eyes never leaving the pair that was now the center of attention. Talking to Katherine was what he had always wanted ever since she left.

But seeing her with that man now, Damien had other things in mind – wrench him away from Katherine and shred him to pieces.