Adam was about to ask her to shut her babbling mouth and leave as he held no interest in her or her Dad. He could feel the death glares that were being thrown by Stella at her. He was about to shoo the pestering fly off him, but stopped when and idea cropped up in his devilish mind. He had never seen Stella getting jealous, it wasn't too late for that, was it?
"Adam?" Clara called his name slowly, seductively bashing her fake lashes, when she didn't hear a reply from him.
Adam who was lost in his own thoughts, came out of his dream world when he heard his name. Realizing that it was the shameless woman sitting next to him, he furrowed his brows before questioning her. "Were you saying something? I didn't get much of it?"
The woman's face flushed in embarrassment when she registered his blatant words. It was obvious that the man couldn't care less about what nonsense she was spouting. She was about to give up on trying to converse with him, but what she heard next, gave her some courage and changed her mind to give.
"Are you alright, Miss?" Adam asked her. Even though his voice was devoid of any emotion and his face was as blank as an untouched art paper, his mere plain words of 'concern' were enough to make her heart do a somersault in joy.
"Uh--Y-yes." She replied, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.
Adam cleared his throat as he tried to suppress the smile which was threatening to embrace his lips. He could feel the shift in the direction of the death glares. Earlier, they were being directed towards the woman but after his query, they were being directed at him. 'Let's see how long can you stay quiet.' He smirked inwardly.
"I couldn't quite catch your name, miss, what was it?" He asked her as one corner of his lips raised up.
"Clara, Clara O'Neil." The woman replied to him gracefully. She was taken aback by his charms. He heard so much how the personality of the Adam Levinson, but having a bite of it in person, was definitely something else.
"Clara. A lovely name for a lovely lady." He gave her a polite smile.
Stella who was watching the woman from the moment she had come to their table, felt her blood began to boil when she saw that Adam was replying to her. It was out of his usual self. 'May be he really finds her attractive.' A thought popped into her mind and she felt something crushing her heart. Pushing that hurtful thought aside, she clenched her fists.
'No, no, no. It's not the right time to think like that. I need to do something to send that pestering fly away from my man.' She gathered up her courage.
Picking up her wine glass from the table, she took a sip before setting her eyes on her target.
"I am looking forward to working with you." The woman, named Clara, added giving him a bashful smile. "Dad praises you all the time. He's right to do so. You aren't even half of his age, and yet you have achieved so much, that too in such a small amount of time." She continued to talk even though Adam was barely paying her any attention. All of his attention was on the woman sitting next to him, adorning a cream colored frock.
He felt the chair next to him move. He could see her silhouette move from the corner of his eye. He was expecting her to interrupt the woman who was spouting God knows what nonsense. But to his disappointment, she walked passed by them towards the other end of the hall where the band was playing. His eyes trailed her movements, not leaving her slender figure even for a single moment.
He saw her walking up to the band leader and mutter something. The band leader frowned as her words made their way into his ears, but not long after he nodded his head, probably agreeing with whatever she had told him.
All this while, Stella only had one thing in her mind. 'When you need to cut a diamond, you use a diamond.' When she turned around, her eyes met with Adam's who was glaring at her. But she could see that he was curious at the same time. She shifted her gaze away from him and walked towards a long counter where some light snacks were served.
The music echoing inside the hall changed. Though it was slow as well but one could dance to it.
She picked a small acrylic plate for herself and passed it to the waiter who was standing on the other side of the counter. She asked him to serve her some cheese balls who complied with her wishes. She picked up a small fork and began to enjoy her food.
Adam was observing her movements all this while, her actions confusing him. 'What is she up to?' He thought inwardly. Seeing what was happening on the other end of the hall, his gaze darkened as realization dawned on him. She was trying to beat him at his own game. Little did he know, he had already lost half of this game as his attention was diverted from that blabbermouth woman.
"I was hoping to see you two here." A voice interrupted him, making him turn his face to his right where a couple was standing, Katherine and Scott.
Katherine was in a jovial mood which was obvious by the smile resting on his face. But her bright mood was ruined the moment her eyes landed on the woman sitting next to him.
Looking at her darkened expression, Adam began to explain. "She is over there." He added pointing his chin towards the counter.
Katherine moved her glaring eyes in the direction he was pointing at. She relaxed a bit when she saw her standing on her while enjoying her food.
"What is she doing there?" She questioned Adam making him gulp a mouthful of saliva in anxiousness. There were only two women in this world who could make him feel him queasy. One was Stella, his girlfriend, and the other was Katherine, who was like an elder sister to him.
He looked towards Scott who was standing next to her with his arm resting around Katherine's waist, silently asking him for his help. But his so called 'friend' just shrugged his shoulders at his silent pleading before turning his attention to the woman in his arms.
Adam glared at his friend who had betrayed him so easily, but his expressions took a 180 shift when he heard her voice again.
"I am still waiting for your answer. What is she doing there all alone? And why are you sitting here with this b***h?" Katherine threw a series of questions at him, not forgetting to send a deathly glare towards Clara.
Clara, who was sitting there with a confused expression marring her face, was at a loss for words. She wasn't stupid enough to not recognize Katherine. But was confused her more was how she was treating Adam and moreover he was allowing her to treat him like that. The Adam Levinson she knew about wouldn't let anyone treat him like this. 'Moreover, who exactly is that woman?' She thought to herself as her eyes moved on their own to look at her.
Stella was enjoying her cheese balls as she looked at the scene unfolding before her eyes from a distance. She couldn't hear their conversation but it wasn't hard to tell by their expressions that Katherine was giving Adam a hard time.
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