Underneath The Obsidian Veil

Chapter 6:

The chandelier sparkled like stars illuminating the hall. Waiters walked around, balancing glasses of champagne on silver trays, offering them to the high-end guests who were laughing and forming connections.

Outside, a black jeep stopped at the entrance of the hotel where reporters and photographers were gathered, taking pictures and interviewing some of the arriving guests.

Chloe glanced at Kate with a worried expression. She knew Kate didn’t like crowds. “Kate, are you okay? If you don’t like this, we can go back.”

Kate didn’t answer right away. Her hand was trembling slightly in her lap — not from fear, but from the weight of being seen. Of reclaiming space that had once been stripped from her.

Kate glanced back with a raised brow. “Go back? We just came.”

With that, she stepped out of the jeep. Around her, people began to gasp.

“Is that the heiress of the Obsidian family?”

“Yes! That’s Kate.”

Flickers of cameras began coming her way and reporters ran towards her to ask questions. However, despite the strong exterior Kate had on her face, there was a huge turmoil going on inside her.

She wasn’t used to attention, and now she was getting it. Taking a deep breath, Kate adjusted the slit in her midnight blue gown, lifted her chin, and stepped into the hotel like it was a battlefield. Not a hint of hesitation. Not a trace of the girl she used to be.

Inside the hall, Nathan laughed politely at something the mayor said, swirling the wine in his glass, half-listening. The gala was the same as always — predictable. Boring, even.

Until silence fell over the corner of the room near the entrance.

His smile faded. There she was.

Kate.

“Isn’t that your fiancée, Mr Blackwood?” the man Nathan was speaking with said. She is so beautiful. You’re indeed lucky.”

Nathan gave a dismissive nod, with a big smile on his face, hiding his confusion. He walked up to Kate.

“Kate,” Nathan exclaimed with a raised brow. “ What are you doing here?!”

Kate’s face was filled with scorn on seeing him with his fake smile. She pursed her lips, slowly releasing her clenched fists, hiding the expression on her face.

“What does it look like I’m doing, Nathan?” She replied, her tone clearly laced with sarcasm.

Nathan, taken aback by her response, composed himself and stared at her. Kate could see the lust in his eyes as they swept over her.

“You look astonishing, Kate. I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re breathtaking, I must say.”

“Sure,” Kate replied curtly. “I know, thank you.”

Her tone was dismissive, her eyes everywhere but on Nathan. Her eyes were wandering around, looking for someone or something.

Chloe noticed the tension and Nathan’s face quickly said, “Hi, Nathan. It’s been awhile.”

Nathan and Chloe become chatty, with him occasionally casting glances at Kate, who seemed absorbed in talking with the other guests than him, which seemed to have bruised his ego.

In the past, Kate disliked public gatherings and even though they would go together to public gatherings, she would never leave his side or ignore him. What is going on now? Why the sudden change?

While he was thinking about all this, Justin Wades walked in, the air in the room shifted. All eyes went to the door.

Justin strid into the hall with confidence. His aura reeked with authority that most of the guests had to give way.

Kate’s eyes met with his and Justin gave out a smirk. Kate’s heart seemed to skip a beat and was racing.

Justin ignores the older men trying to get his attention and walks over to Kate.

“Hello, Miss Obsidian,” he greeted with his husky voice, holding out her hand and kissing her knuckles.

That action of his sent shivers down Kate’s spine. She bit hard on her lips, trying to calm herself down.

“Hello Mr Wades. Didn’t you expect you to show up here late,” Kate said with a small mocking smile.

Justin chuckled. “No need to rush down to an event I have no use for, Miss Obsidian. We both know why I am here.”

“Why?” Kate asked obliviously.

“Because of you.”

“I see,” Kate replied, with a smirk.

From across the ballroom, Nathan spotted them, standing side by side near the champagne table, deep in conversation. Justin leaned slightly toward her, smiling in a way that made Nathan’s skin crawl.

Kate tilted her head as she responded, her eyes bright, her posture relaxed. That was a look Nathan hadn’t seen on her face in months, even when she looked at him.

Nathan clenched his jaw. Without a word, he weaved through the crowd, his grip tightening around his wine glass until his knuckles turned white.

As he reached them, he didn’t wait to be acknowledged. He stepped between them slightly and slid his hand into Kate’s, possessively.

“Kate dear, I’ve been looking over for you. I didn’t expect you to be here already getting acquainted with Mr Wades here,” Nathan said, looking at Justin with a forced smile.

Justin stared at their entangled hands and a wave of emotion came over him, but he quickly composed himself. “Miss Obsidian, it seems you’re with company. We will catch up later I suppose.”

Saying that he was about to walk away before, Nathan said, “There will be no reason to catch up with my fiancée.”

His last word was clearly said in a provocative manner. Justin merely scoffed and walked away.

Kate glared at Nathan, not hiding her displeasure. “What did you do that for, Nathan?!”

Nathan, taken aback by her outburst, retorted, “I don’t want to see you talking to him again. Did you hear me, Kate? He’s not someone you should be associating with! And why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?”

Kate was fuming all over. How could she have missed these signs? Nathan was controlling!

“You have no right to dictate to me about who I should talk to and who I shouldn’t. Where I should go and shouldn’t. Don’t try whatever stunt you just pulled ever again.”

Saying this, she walked away from Nathan, leaving him shocked.

Kate had never spoken back to him before. She was always timid, scared to get him angry, but this time she didn’t seem to care.

Nathan’s smile had long since vanished as he watched her walk away, something shifted in his eyes.

It didn’t matter if she had changed overnight. She was definitely going to be his wife. And once she is, she will regret all the words she had said to him tonight!