"Now step aside," the assistant continued sharply, "or you might have to pay for wasting my boss’ time. For every second he wastes here, whatever company your family owns, would have to pay for that loss. This is not an empty threat. If you still doubt me, check your finances tomorrow morning."
But Lily, defiant and unrepentant, couldn’t resist one last sneer. "You may be rich, but you’re blind when it comes to women," she scoffed. "Such a disgraceful and immoral woman you’ve bid on. What a waste of your wealth! The entire city knows who Natalie Ford really is. She’s already married to a nobody, yet she seduced Ivan Brown. I’m sure she learned those tricks while surviving in that filthy Xyron city. Who knows what kind of men she—"
Slap!
A sharp, resounding slap cut her words short. Lily stumbled and fell to the ground, stunned and in pain, her cheek as if on fire, her jaw seems to be dislocated.
One of the bodyguards who had been standing nearby had delivered the blow without hesitation and had already returned to his place, standing as though nothing had happened. His face showed no emotion, as if slapping Lily was just part of his duties.
The entire hall went silent, disbelief and shock hanging in the air. Lily, clutching her cheek, stared in stunned humiliation. No one dared to move or speak as if this new comer was the one who commanded everything here.
The assistant’s voice, still calm but laced with an icy edge, echoed through the room. "No one insults Ms. Natalie Ford in the presence of my boss. If you not heed warning, I dare you to try."
’What the hell is going on?’ Natalie felt like her mind would explode. Was she dreaming that someone truly taking her side this boldly?
The organizer hurried over, his face flustered as he addressed the mysterious man. "Sir, my deepest apologies for not welcoming you personally. I was caught up with an emergency." He then glanced at Lily, still reeling from the slap. "Security, escort this woman out."
Without hesitation, the security guards dragged Lily out of the hall as everyone stood in stunned silence. The masked man had yet to utter a single word, yet his authority was unquestionable. His people were executing his orders effortlessly, leaving everyone stunned.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Rowan muttered under his breath, his confusion mirroring the crowd’s.
Steve, Mia, and many others shared the same thought, but Mia turned to Rowan with a wry smile. "Whoever he is, he’s got great taste in women."
Ignoring the whispers around him, the masked man made his way toward Natalie. She stood frozen, her mind racing, trying to piece together what was happening. This man had come out of nowhere, bid an astronomical two billion, and now stood before her for the first dance, her heart pounding.
’He is about the same height as Justin, the build could be similar but not clear because of his trench coat. Well who wears a trench coat in warm weather? Okay, focus on the main things, Nat.’
By then the man stood facing her, his calm and determined gaze met with Natalie’s doubtful one, who was observing him keenly.
’His hair is styled differently than Justin, who always style his hair neatly while this man seems to like it more casual. His eye colour is different from Justin’s as well? Is he wearing lenses?’
The lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight illuminated the pair standing in the center, heightening the moment’s intensity.
"And now," the emcee’s voice echoed through the hall, "we present the first dance of the evening, one that has already helped us raise a remarkable two billion!"
The music started and the man offered his hand to Natalie, prompting her to accept it. Natalie accepted him and found him step closer, his other hand settled at the small of her back.
She instinctively put her other hand at his shoulder, while both of them were still looking into each other’s eyes. Both moved in perfect sync at that delightful soft, pleasant and romantic sounding melody.
The man simply wanted to look into her beautiful eyes while she was trying to satisfy her curiosity.
Entire event hall watched them dance, with different emotions. Some were indifferent like Steve and Rowan who didn’t really care, some envied that included young women, some felt angry and unhappy like Briena and her companions, Someome felt betrayed once more and that was Ivan, a few were happy that included Mia and those who came with this mysterious man.
Meanwhile, Natalie was lost in her own thoughts. His scent... familiar, yet different from Justin’s, a different perfume maybe. And this closeness... it feels similar, but I’ve only ever been this close to Justin. What if it feels the same with other men? Shall I just ask him directly? Will he feel offended if I call him by another man’s name? I shall wait and observe more.
They continued to glide across the floor effortlessly, the dance between them natural, as if they were long-lost partners. Every move was seamless, almost as if their bodies knew each other in a way their minds did not.
"When did she learn to dance?" Clara mumbled, unable to hide her surprise. She turned to Sephina. "Mother, didn’t you deprive her of learning any skills?"
Sephina was equally shocked as well.
Natalie was multitalented from a young age. Her mother, Caryn had started teaching her most of the things at a very young age like Piano, Dance, paint and so on. It was as if Caryn was training her daughter to be a princess of some kingdom.
After Caryn’s death, Sephina had gone to great lengths to suppress Natalie’s potential, determined to make her seem incapable. But it seems like she failed.
Time passed by, Natalie was still battling with where their man was Justin. ’I can’t yank off his mask. It would be a terrible mistake to go against his privacy.’