DARK SEDUCTION (BOOK 1) (Slowly Editing)

Chapter: 27

I was thinking hard on how to get Max's attention because the couple seemed too in love with themselves to notice anyone. What was this pang I was feeling when he kissed her? Shaking my head, I pasted a small smile on my face and sought the face of the one I was here with, my date. He was grinding his jaw and staring at the couple. I couldn't determine what was wrong, but following his gaze, it landed straight on Leila.Why was he staring at her that way? Did they have a history or something? Inwardly, I groaned. The song ended, and even the couple had to exchange partners. Before I could even blink, Ethan already had Leila in his arms, and she didn't look too happy about it. I must have been staring too intently because Leila turned to look at me. I waited for the flicker of recognition which never came. Biting my lip and pouting like a child, I decided all this was no use. Even the person I plotted so hard against didn't recognize me.I quietly went to the bar, seething. I ordered a glass of the strongest alcohol they had. I poured it down my throat and felt the comforting burn of the alcohol. I kept drinking until my head felt light and I began to feel tingly.Giggling, I went back to the dance floor, and I danced with abandon. The music was fast-paced. I was so engrossed in the music that I didn't even feel when the pin holding my hair fell off, and my hair fell in thick red waves to my back.❄MAX❄I stared as her hair fell in waves to her waist. It was so pretty; it caught the light and gave out blond highlights. I was still admiring my new dance partner when the smell of rose water and alcohol hit me. Startled at my response to her, I stared into her blue-green eyes and smiled to myself. So she came, and she had changed her hair from blond to auburn and the makeup too. I danced with her as I kept wondering what she was up to, why she was at my engagement party, and why she was stirring such a response from me.She is really putting on a good show considering she was here on a stolen invitation, I thought grimacing at the pain she caused me. I had thought I had actually lost my family jewel for good.Anna wondered why Max was staring intently at her. Did he remember her? No, she doubted that. Maybe because she looked really pretty. That must be the reason.She flashed him a dazzling smile as he spun her round the dance floor. Oops! Max thought. Compared to Leila, Anna was a terrible dancer. I could tell she was beginning to get worried again by his incessant staring. She made a few outrageous moves, like clapping and dancing more energetically. Everyone turned to stare as Max cut down on the observation in order to keep up with her.❄ANNA❄I was so surprised when Max started dancing with me, so I decided not to waste the incredible opportunity which had presented itself. I thought to myself as I deliberately stumbled and tried to fall on Max, assuming he would catch me, in fact, sure he would; he's always the perfect gentleman.I was shocked to my marrow when Max allowed me to crash to the floor. The next minute, Max tripped on my shoes and landed in a heap on top of me, knocking the wind out of me."What do you think you're doing, you little devil?" he whispered fiercely. I was shaking with anger and indignation as I struggled wildly to push him off.This is obviously a lost battle, I thought. I opened my mouth to scream at him; he covered it with his lips, and I fainted partly due to being half-drunk and mostly due to shock. All hell broke loose. Other dancers ran to the scene to find out what happened, and the party was thrown into disarray.Everyone saw Max and me on the floor. Emma gasped. She quickly dropped to her knees near the duo and pummeled Max with her fists."Get off her, you brute!" she kept shouting.While Leila stood transfixed, gaping at the drama unfolding on the floor, as if wondering how it started and how it would end. Of course, she knew. Her being happy with Max was too good to be true. Who the heck gave that woman an invitation, she thought, gripping Ethan's arms to keep from falling. The guest list was carefully screened, and only the creme de la creme of society were invited.Flashback (a few hours before the great fall)While Ethan danced with Leila, he paid her a compliment, and she couldn't help the heat that stole across her cheeks. Asking the question that she was curious about, she turned, facing him so abruptly that she almost fell."How did you get an invite? Are you friends with Max?""No, I was invited by Anna. I came as her partner," he replied, drowning in her chocolate brown eyes. "You know, I waited. You just disappeared, and I could never get myself to move on. I waited for so long, but you never came."Leila felt a stab of guilt. "I'm sorry; it's just my heart belongs to another," she turned, staring at Max and willing him with her eyes to look at her. But he seemed transfixed on the red hair he was holding in his arms. "Wait a second, she looks familiar. I'm sure of it," she thought, staring intently at her, but for the life of her, she couldn't place the face.She turned to Ethan, "Your date is pretty enough; why can't you have her?""Because," he answered, staring right into her brown eyes, "it has always been you."She threw her head back and laughed, "I have never done anything special to attract your attention. We only met once, and maybe a one-night stand which I can't even remember clearly. And moreover, you saw me; you know what I am, so why would you not move on because of me?" Tears shimmered in her eyes. No one has ever said something like that to her before, not even Max.She was about to say something when the hall went into an uproar. She excused herself and hurried to check what was happening.When she saw Max on top of Anna, her whole face lost its color. While she stood in horror, watching Max's display on the floor, Ethan took charge. He sent everyone away for the night. Max picked himself off the floor, feeling so embarrassed. He looked down at Anna; she had already passed out.He picked her up; she was so light he wondered if she had been drinking. He stepped out with her, put her in his car, and drove off. Emma wanted to stop him, but Henry held her back."Let them be," he cautioned. "I saw the sparks fly, and I think they need time alone." Emma wanted to slap him, but then when she thought about it, Henry was right. She had never seen Anna in her twenty-four years of life obsess over any guy as she has over Max. Poor Leila was still in shock as she followed Ethan out. What just happened? She kept asking Ethan as he took her back to her apartment and made her a bowl of ice cream, which she ate in silence, probably  still shell shocked by the event of last night, she was yet to hear back from her financee, even if it was a fake engagement he had no right to humiliate her that was. Tears continued to slid down her cheeks as she passed out on the couch. Gathering her in his arms, he lay her in bed. She stirred and went back to sleep. He couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her soft, ruby lips as she sighed in her sleep and leaned in more. He could barely stop himself from joining her on the bed, but using the last of his restraint, he kept a bottle of water and aspirin on the table. Then he turned up the heat and covered her with the duvet. "Goodnight, princess," he whispered before walking out back into the cold to his lonely bed.

AN:Do vote and comment I love to hear from you and please point out any grammatical error or mistake thanks.😊😊