Engaged to the Heartless Heartbreaker ✔

Chapter 29 - Fiancée

To @mikanyuki, for one particular message that gives hope to my heart...
----------------------------------------------------------------------

~~~ CHAPTER 29 - FIANCÉE ~~~

Nigel and I were not talking as the private elevator carried us to the 9th floor where the social hall was located. We stood side by side and I still tried my best to not mind him.

The elevator door opened and I immediatedly headed out. Several people were visible when we reached the lobby. There were like four usherettes, five guards, and more or less six other people, probably employees or guests attending calls. I saw an information kiosk by the doorway to the social hall.

Everything in this area in this floor was carpeted. I was mesmerized with how everything in this building exuded wealth and power. You wouldn't believe that the President and CEO of this Corporation, owner of this building, was just residing in a modest condominium unit in the capital. You wouldn't believe how much Nigel had attained two years after his college graduation. You wouldn't believe that at his age right now, he was already earning millions, no, probably, billions... You just wouldn't believe...

When we appeared in the lobby, all people there acknowledged his presence. Some greeted 'good evening'; others greeted him 'Happy Birthday'. They also accosted me warmly and I managed to offer them a smile.

I heard one usherette whispered to her colleague, "That must be the señorita."

"Good evening, miss," they both said to me later, smiling.

Well, it was my first time to appear in this building... and right now, hearing them say that I was the young mistress of the corporation, I felt something was wrong. It just didn't feel right anymore.

"Good evening, too," I said anyway.

They looked at Nigel and they both giggled. He smirked at them.

What? Would even his employees act like lovestruck teenagers in front of him?

Brushing that thought in my mind, I noticed that we had finally entered the social hall. I felt my jaws dropped to the floor when I discovered how large was the hall and how many people were there. Instantly, flashes of camera flooded around when Nigel and I were finally in. He held my elbow and leaned to me as he whispered, "Smile, princess."

I faked a smile.

Well, it looked like I was going to see my face tomorrow on the front page.

I suddenly felt creepy thinking about seeing my face on the front page. Well, good luck to me.

An usher guided us to the presidential table. All eyes were on us. So, this was what we called limelight. This was his life. This was Nigel's kind of life. My knees trembled as I walked at the thought of Nigel's celebrity status.

He was still holding my elbow until we reached our table. Mommy Carol was already there waiting for us.

Flashes of cameras gleamed every now and then.

I was silent the whole time but, all the while, tried to catch a glimpse of him. I wanted to give the longest gaze at him to ponder if he really was the Nigelito Joaquin Sarmiento that I knew. My brain made me recall and imagine a simple boy, in backpack, walking towards the Forest Garden; a painter, in his painting studio, spending his Sundays in his sacred sanctum; a man, in simple tank top and sweat pants, promenading in the condo; a man, in suit, arriving late and exhausted from work.

I knew he was a big time.

I didn't know he was this big... as in this big.

The event was well-attended. I could estimate about two hundred people in the hall including the media men who were quite visible.