chapter 9
1432 Words
Laura walked out of the ballroom with steady steps even though her chest felt tight. The soft music from inside the ballroom got quieter as the big doors closed behind her. Outside the cool night air touched her shoulders and it felt sharp. The lights in the garden shone on the stone path making shadows on the flowers that were cut to look nice.
She lifted her phone to her ear. Her heels made soft clicking sounds on the marble floor. Her eyebrows came together. She looked worried.
“I just do not understand " Laura said, her voice low but firm. She walked slowly near the fountain and her free hand was folded across her waist. "Why would the Campbells suddenly turn their backs on us over a piece of land?”
Her jaw got tighter.
The sound of water splashing from the fountain filled the silence.
“There must be something behind it " she said, her eyes getting smaller as she stared into the garden. "Keep looking into it. I want to know every detail.”
Her tone meant that she would not accept any mistakes.
After she ended the call Laura lowered the phone. Took a slow breath.
Something was not right.
The Campbells were greedy. They were not foolish.
For them to risk offending her family over land meant that someone had pushed them.
Her fingers curled around the phone.
The thought passed through her mind like ice.
She. Headed back toward the ballroom.
The large double doors opened as she got close. Warm light came over her body and the sound of laughter and glasses touching welcomed her in.
The moment she stepped inside someone crashed into her shoulder.
Laura took a step back.
Her eyes went up.
The woman standing in front of her froze.
Her painted lips opened.
“Laura?”
Allison’s voice was thin with shock.
Her eyes got bigger as she looked Laura up and down. She looked like she did not believe it. The woman that everyone had been talking about… the woman that the rich guests kept admiring… was Laura.
Laura’s eyes got cold.
Her face did not move.
“Get out of my way " she said flatly.
Her shoulder touched Allison’s. Allison quickly stepped in front of her again.
The smile on Allison’s lips got ugly.
“Oh I see now " Allison said, folding her arms over her chest. Her chin lifted with pride. "Let me guess… which man did you sleep with to get into this party?”
Some guests nearby slowed down.
The tension in the air changed.
Laura’s fingers slowly got tighter around her clutch.
Her face stayed calm. Her eyes got sharper.
Allison leaned closer. Her voice got quieter.
“. Do not forget " she said, her lips curling, "you still owe me your corneas.”
For one second Laura’s body got still.
The words hit her harder than any slap.
Her chest got tighter. It hurt.
The hospital smell came back.
The cold operating room.
The fear.
The betrayal.
It all came back once.
Her breathing got shallower. She forced herself to stand straight.
Before she could answer a familiar deep voice came from behind Allison.
“Gordon look who I bumped into.”
Allison turned with innocence.
Laura’s eyes went up.
The moment Gordon saw her the color went out of his face.
“Laura?”
The shock in his voice was real.
His eyebrows came together as he stepped closer staring at her as if she had come back from the dead.
“What are you doing here?”
Laura let out a laugh.
Her eyes burned into him.
“Oh?" she said, tilting her head a little. "Am I supposed to be on the operating table? Giving my corneas to your mistress?”
Her words landed like glass.
Gordon’s lips opened,. No sound came out for a moment.
The people nearby were now openly watching.
His eyes moved over her face desperately.
“Where have you been?" he asked quickly reaching for her wrist. His fingers wrapped around her arm. "I have been looking for you like crazy.”
Laura looked down at his hand touching her.
Her face got darker.
Before she could pull away Allison stepped forward.
“Gordon stop touching her!" she snapped, grabbing his sleeve. "She is filthy. She slept with many men—”
The sentence never finished.
Laura’s hand moved faster than thought.
Smack!
The sharp slap cut through the ballroom noise.
Gasps rose around them.
Allison. Stumbled sideways but because Gordon had stepped partly between them Laura’s palm brushed hard against Gordon’s chest before landing fully across Allison’s cheek.
The sound echoed.
Allison’s hand flew to her face.
Her eyes started to have tears.
“How dare you!" she cried, her voice cracking.
Laura slowly looked at her hand.
Then she lifted her eyes back to Allison.
A small cold smile touched her lips.
“Oops " Laura said smoothly wiping her fingers against her dress as if cleaning dirt. "My hand got dirty because your face is so filthy.”
The insult hitted harder than the slap.
Allison’s face was confused because of humiliation.
Her shoulders trembled.
Gordon turned sharply to Laura, anger flashing across his face.
“What is wrong with you Laura?" he demanded.
His voice increased with anger.
His chest moved heavily as he looked at her.
Laura met his eyes without fear.
Her chin lifted.
“I am not going to take any insult from your mistress.”
Her voice was very calm but every word she said struck like a rock.
The room had gone almost silent now.
People were pretending to sip wine. Every eye was on them.
Allison clung to Gordon’s arm tears running down her cheeks her mascara slightly smudged.
“She hit me…" she cried softly.
Laura’s eyes swept over both of them.
Then her voice turned sharp.
“You two " she said, pointing toward the ballroom entrance "get out of here.”
Her commanding tone stunned the guests nearby.
For a second Gordon simply stared at her.
Then he let out a laugh.
“What right do you have to throw us out?”
His voice came out with disbelief.
He moved closer, facing her.
Laura stood her ground.
Her back stayed straight.
Her fingers curled at her sides. Her face remained cold.
The pain inside her chest was still there pressing hard. She refused to let it show.
Not in front of them.
Not tonight.
Gordon lifted his hand suddenly. Pointed at her face.
“Do not act like you own this place.”
Before his finger could get close...
A strong hand caught his wrist.
Fast.
Firm.
The sudden movement made Gordon freeze.
A tall figure stepped beside Laura.
The smell of perfume mixed with full force spreaded in the air.
The man’s jaw stiffened.
His shoulders were broad.
His body was slightly turned in front of Laura as if shielding her from danger.
His eyes were dark and dangerous.
“Do not put your fingers on Laura.”
His voice was low.
Controlled.
Deadly.
Laura slowly turned her head.
Her breath caught for half a second.
Ryan Johnson stood beside her his body forming a wall between her and Gordon.
One of his hands still held Gordon’s wrist in a crushing grip.
The muscles in Gordon’s arm visibly tensed.
Ryan’s expression did not change.
His face remained calm. There was something frightening in his stillness.
Gordon stared at him.
His mouth slowly opened.
Shock replaced the anger in his face.
His eyes got bigger.
The blood went out of his features.
“Ryan… Johnson?”
The name left his mouth like a whisper.
His body got rigid.
Even Allison forgot to cry.
Her swollen cheek trembled as she looked between Ryan and Laura in disbelief.
The nearby guests gasped under their breaths.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Laura stood silent behind Ryan.
For the time since seeing Gordon, the tight knot in her chest loosened a little.
The warmth of Ryan’s presence beside her felt solid.
Safe.
His shoulders remained squared his eyes locked on Gordon’s face.
Gordon looked as if the ground beneath him had vanished.
His throat moved.
His eyes slowly shifted from Ryan… to Laura.
Then back to Ryan again.
Disbelief.
Fear.
Confusion.
All mixed together, on his face.
Laura simply watched.
Silent.
Cold.
Unmoved.
The room held its breath.
Everything stopped in that moment.
The music.
The laughter.
The whispers.
Only Gordon’s shocked voice remained hanging in the air.
“Ryan Johnson?”
- Writer
