The Mistress: Her revenge [18+]

Ch. 28

ESMERALDA BERTILLON

Stepping out of the car, I felt a wave of unease wash over me. The venue was everything I expected—opulent, grand, and filled with people who seemed to belong to a world far removed from mine. Golden lights cast a soft glow over the entrance, and the red carpet beneath my feet felt almost surreal, like I was walking into a dream—or maybe a nightmare.

Beside me, Kyle was a dark figure in his all-black biker attire, a defiant contrast to the sea of sleek suits and polished shoes that surrounded us. He didn't just stand out; he practically demanded attention. Part of me worried that he'd draw too much of it, but another part of me—an unexpectedly grateful part—found comfort in his presence, in how unapologetically himself he was.

I was just about to link my arm with his, needing that comfort more than I wanted to admit, when my gaze wandered across the crowd. And then I saw him.

Sebastian.

My heart stuttered as our eyes locked. He was as striking as ever, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that made him look every bit the part of the successful man he was. But it wasn't just him that held me captive—it was who he was standing next to.

Dani.

She was smiling, her lips curled into that all-too-familiar smirk, the one that always seemed to say she knew something I didn't. She looked stunning, of course—every inch the picture-perfect woman she had always been. But it was the way she leaned slightly toward Sebastian, the way they looked so damn comfortable together, that made my blood run cold.

For a moment, I couldn't move. The world around me blurred, the noise of the crowd fading into a distant hum. It was just the three of us—me, Sebastian, and Dani—locked in this twisted triangle of betrayal and hurt. And it hit me, all at once, just how deep I was in this mess.

My hand hovered in the air, inches from Kyle's arm, as if I'd forgotten what I was doing, why I was even here. The sight of Sebastian and Dani together was a cruel reminder of everything that had gone wrong, of how tangled up my life had become.

But then I felt Kyle beside me, his presence grounding me in the here and now. I forced myself to look away from Sebastian, to break free from the hold of that moment. I wasn't here to fall apart. Not tonight.

I reached out, linking my arm with Kyle's, drawing him closer. My grip tightened as we began to walk forward, past the point of no return. 

I was just about to step forward, my eyes locked on Sebastian and Dani, when a shadow fell over me. I looked up, and my breath caught in my throat.

Derrick.

He was standing right in front of me, blocking my view, his presence almost overwhelming this close. My heart skipped a beat as I took him in. He had changed so much since that night—the night I walked in on him fucking Dani. The memories of that betrayal, once a raw, festering wound, now felt like a scar that I could still feel aching beneath the surface.

Derrick's eyes met mine, and for a split second, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of us. His expression was hard to read, a mix of something I couldn't quite place—regret, maybe? Or was it disappointment? Either way, it unnerved me.

"Esme," he said, his voice low, "can we talk?"

Before I could respond, Kyle stepped forward, his presence like a shield between Derrick and me. "She's got nothing to say to you," Kyle said, his tone cold, protective.

Derrick's jaw tightened, but he didn't back down. He kept his eyes on me, waiting, as if he knew I would eventually give in.

"Kyle, it's fine," I said, placing a hand on his arm, trying to ease the tension that had suddenly thickened the air around us. "I'll talk to him."