The Billionaire's Hidden Heir

Chapter 2: Party with our masks on

Lydia watched me as I took one spoon of soup into my mouth, grumbling good-naturedly as I did so. After the whole Mark incident, she had practically moved into my tiny apartment, fussing over me like a mother hen.

“You know you have to eat.” She admonished me when I pushed the bowl still half-filled with soup away.

“Not that soup, I don't.” I made a face and jutted my tongue out repeatedly, “You are still terrible when it comes to making edibles.” I quipped playfully.

She rolled her eyes slowly, making me smile, my first real smile in days.

“Aunt and Uncle are worried about you.” She took my bowl and poured the remaining soup into the sink before using a sponge to wash the bowl.

“Maybe Uncle Lucas, but not Aunt Lucia. We both know she doesn't give a fig about me,” I replied with a loud snort.

“Don’t say that, of course, she does. She mentioned today during breakfast that she was worried about you not showing up at the foundation for close to two weeks now.”

“Sounds to me like she was complaining about my absence, not worrying about my wellbeing. Those are two different things, cuz.” I shrugged indifferently, although I was hurt my aunt preferred Lydia over me.

Lydia resumed her seat beside me. Her furrowed brows coupled with the obvious worry in her brown eyes had me swallowing back my tongue to avoid saying something insensitive.

“I get that you and Aunt Lucia are not too close, but I repeat that she loves you. We are all worried, including Erick. He has been asking about you nonstop.” She placed her semi-wet hands over mine, squeezing them lightly.

The thought of Erick worrying about me made me feel warm inside. As usual, I turned off every untoward feeling for my cousin's boyfriend, unwilling to explore what might be buried underneath it. It was obvious that Lydia worshiped the ground Erick walked on, and he adored her too. Their relationship was one of deep respect and crazy love. Watching the way they were together always made me feel like my relationship with Mark was lacking in many ways. I wanted what they had together.

“You have to go out. You've been cooped up in this house for two weeks now. I need you to go someplace and have fun.” She tried to pull me out of the chair.

I snorted in an unladylike manner, not planning to leave the house unless I had to.

“Ari, you going out is the best revenge against that fool Mark. Once he sees that you are doing fine without him, he would be so full of regret he would choke.”

We both laughed at the image of Mark choking on regret.

“Besides, I had always thought he was a bit pompous.” She added and I agreed with a big nod. We spent the night laughing our brains out as we recounted all the things Mark did that he thought were cool.

Her words stayed with me after she left. I saw the mask-themed party invite which I was supposed to attend with my ex-boyfriend. I knew he would be there, and I wanted to show him I wasn't hung up on him, even if that was the sad reality.

To prepare, I went and got myself a very crazy dress. And I even went the extra mile to get a full body massage and wax.

The night of the party, I dressed in a long shiny black gown with half of my back exposed. I wore a silver mask over my face to compliment my silver locket, a gift from my parents which I rarely wore. My hair was packed up tightly with a lot of pins, but it kept my neck bare just the way I liked it.

The moment I stepped into the club, I began to feel like I should not have come. My palms and armpits began to sweat, and I worried I would do something stupid. I walked to the bar, feeling self-conscious and out of place.

What had I been thinking?

I had decided to leave when I saw Mark, his face bare for all to see, talking to two ladies, having the time of his life.

I knew I said it was over, and I didn't want him back, but did our time together mean so little to him? Here I was, broken and disillusioned and there he was, jovial and flirting.

I watched as he charmed the two women with his smile and smooth words. Uncle Lucas had always told me he didn't like Mark because he was so suave, but I had been happy that someone as put-together and handsome as Mark would like someone like me.

Self-esteem issues

I turned around and asked the bartender to give me a drink. He asked me which one I wanted and, for the life of me, I couldn't name a drink. The feeling of imposter syndrome grew, leaving me wishing I could just disappear from this spot and appear in my room.

Just then, a man spoke from directly behind me and my heart began to race. The heat emanating from his body wrapped its arms around me, chasing away the cold I didn't know I had been feeling.

The bartender returned with both our drinks and a sly smile.

I took hold of my drink and inhaled sharply when the stranger behind me bent to whisper into my left ear, his lips so close yet so far away.

“You seem like you need company tonight.”

I drained my drink quickly, sending liquid courage down my veins for nerves, and turned unhurriedly to face the mysterious man. The twinkle in his weirdly familiar blue eyes was my undoing. The right corner of his lips was turned up in a smirk as sexy as hell. I was still processing the twinkle when he caged me to the bar table with his hands. He then leaned in as if coming for a kiss, only to move to my right ear again.

“I do not want to go forward, so let me ask you. Do you want company tonight?” He drew back to look at my face.

I stammered for a few seconds, my eyes glued to his, unable to come up with the words to say that I wanted his company for all night.

When words failed me, I did the only logical thing that I knew would express what I wanted.

I pressed my lips to his.