STAINED BY DESIRE

THE MAN IN THE SILVER SUIT

Chapter 2

For a moment, nobody moved.

The soft music still played faintly in the background, but the atmosphere inside the ballroom had changed completely. Conversations died almost instantly as dozens of shocked eyes turned toward the woman standing in front of Michael Vale with an empty wine glass in her trembling hand.

Or rather…

the woman who had just ruined Michael Vale’s suit.

Bella’s heartbeat slammed violently against her chest.

Oh God.

Of all people.

Of all human beings in this entire city.

Why him?

Dark red wine spread slowly across the front of his silver-grey suit, staining the expensive fabric beyond repair. The sharp scent of alcohol lingered between them while silence stretched heavily around the ballroom.

Bella swallowed hard.

“I—I’m so sorry.”

Michael stared down at his ruined suit without saying a word.

And somehow, his silence felt worse.

Much worse.

Bella quickly grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and stepped forward instinctively. “I didn’t see you turn and—”

“Don’t.”

The single word stopped her immediately.

Cold.

Controlled.

Sharp enough to cut through the tension hanging in the air.

Bella froze with the napkin still in her hand.

Around them, whispers had already started spreading quietly among the guests.

“That’s Michael Vale…”

“She spilled wine on him…”

“Who even is she?”

Bella’s cheeks burned with humiliation.

Michael finally lifted his gaze toward her fully, and Bella suddenly understood why people found him intimidating. It wasn’t just the wealth or reputation.

It was the way he looked at people.

Like he could strip away pretenses in seconds.

His expression remained unreadable, but irritation darkened his eyes as he glanced once more at the stain spreading across his chest.

“That suit was custom-made,” a woman nearby muttered under her breath.

Bella wished the floor would open beneath her immediately.

“I said I’m sorry,” she repeated, trying to keep her composure despite the embarrassment crawling up her neck.

Michael’s gaze returned to her face.

For one brief second, his eyes narrowed slightly, almost as though he was surprised she hadn’t burst into tears yet.

Most people probably would have.

But Bella had dealt with worse things than an angry billionaire in an expensive suit.

Still, the pressure of everyone staring at her made her chest tighten.

Clara appeared beside her almost instantly. “Bella—”

“I’m fine,” Bella whispered quickly, though she clearly wasn’t.

Michael removed his cufflinks slowly, his movements calm enough to make the tension worse somehow.

“You should watch where you’re going next time,” he said coolly.

Something about his tone irritated Bella immediately.

Maybe it was the humiliation.

Maybe it was the crowd watching her like entertainment.

Or maybe it was the simple fact that she had apologized twice already.

Bella straightened slightly. “You walked into me too.”

The silence deepened.

Clara nearly choked beside her.

One of the businessmen standing nearby looked genuinely horrified.

Apparently nobody spoke to Michael Vale like that.

Michael’s eyes settled on her again, colder this time.

“You’re blaming me?”

“No,” Bella replied carefully, refusing to back down completely. “I’m saying accidents usually involve two people.”

A dangerous kind of stillness settled around him.

Bella instantly realized she probably should have stopped talking three sentences ago.

But exhaustion, stress, and embarrassment had already worn down her patience for the night.

Michael studied her quietly.

His gaze flickered briefly across her face, almost thoughtful now instead of simply annoyed.

Bella suddenly became hyperaware of how close they were standing.

He was taller than she originally realized.

Tall enough that she had to tilt her head slightly to maintain eye contact.

The expensive scent of his cologne lingered faintly in the air between them—clean, sharp, masculine.

And irritatingly distracting.

“Well,” Clara interrupted nervously with an awkward laugh, “this has been emotionally devastating for everyone involved.”

Nobody responded.

Clara cleared her throat.

Again.

Bella nearly pitied her.

Almost.

One of the hotel staff hurried forward cautiously with fresh napkins. “Mr. Vale, perhaps we should—”

“I’ll handle it,” Michael said without looking away from Bella.

The employee immediately stepped back.

Of course he did.

Bella finally lowered the useless napkin still in her hand and released a quiet breath. “Look, I truly didn’t do it intentionally.”

Michael’s expression remained unreadable.

Then his gaze shifted briefly toward the business cards still clutched lightly in Bella’s other hand.

Something unreadable crossed his eyes.

“You’re here for networking,” he observed calmly.

Bella hesitated slightly. “Yes.”

“What company?”

The question caught her off guard.

“Excuse me?”

“What company do you own?”

Bella blinked once, clearly not expecting that.

“Hart & Co. Branding.”

A few nearby guests exchanged glances.

The name meant nothing to them.

And unfortunately, Bella noticed.

Michael noticed too.

“How long have you been operating?”

“Three years.”

“And business is doing well?”

The question sounded polite enough.

But Bella could hear the hidden meaning beneath it.

If business was doing well, she wouldn’t be desperately attending events like this hoping for investors.

Heat crawled into her face again.

Clara looked ready to physically drag Bella away before things became worse.

Bella forced herself to answer calmly anyway.

“We’re growing.”

Michael held her gaze for another long second.

Then, unexpectedly, his eyes dropped briefly to the worn edges of her purse.

Not expensive.

Not designer.

Used carefully for years.

A strange expression flickered across his face before disappearing so quickly Bella almost imagined it.

“Interesting,” he murmured quietly.

Bella frowned slightly. “What is?”

But before Michael could answer, another elegant woman approached from across the ballroom.

Tall.

Beautiful.

Perfectly dressed in a dark emerald gown.

And judging from the familiarity in her expression, she clearly knew him well.

“Michael,” she said smoothly before her eyes landed on the wine stain. “What happened?”

Her gaze shifted toward Bella instantly.

Assessment.

Judgment.

Disapproval.

Bella recognized the look immediately.

Women like her always knew exactly how to make someone feel beneath them without saying the words directly.

“A minor accident,” Michael replied calmly.

The woman’s eyes swept over Bella once more before she smiled faintly. “Clearly.”

Bella’s irritation returned instantly.

Clara crossed her arms beside her.

“Oh, I already don’t like her,” she muttered under her breath.

Bella almost laughed despite herself.

Almost.

The woman turned back toward Michael. “Your father’s been asking for you.”

At the mention of his father, something unreadable hardened briefly in Michael’s expression.

Interesting.

Bella noticed it immediately.

“Tell him I’ll be there shortly,” he replied.

The woman nodded before finally offering Bella a thin smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Then she walked away.

Bella released a quiet breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Anyway,” Clara said quickly, “we should probably leave before anybody dies.”

To Bella’s surprise, the corner of Michael’s mouth almost moved.

Almost.

But the expression disappeared before she could be certain.

Bella shook herself mentally.

Why was she even noticing his face?

This man had practically humiliated her in front of half the city.

She straightened slightly. “Again, I apologize for the suit.”

Michael looked at her for a long moment.

Then he said quietly, “You’re different from what I expected.”

Bella frowned immediately. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

But Michael didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped aside calmly, allowing one of his assistants to approach him with another jacket.

Dismissed.

Just like that.

Bella stared at him for another second before turning away with Clara beside her.

Neither of them noticed the way Michael’s eyes followed Bella across the ballroom long after she disappeared into the crowd.

Or the quiet instruction he gave moments later.

“Find out everything about Isabella Hart.”