FORBIDDEN INTIMACY WITH MY COLD ARRANGED FIANCE

Chapter 9: The Birthday Banquet

Lucas loved attention,, He always loved to be at the top and stepping on the poor people like Theo, He loved being the center of every room he entered,Most importantly, he loved winning,,, And in his mind, he had already won because He had money, Status, Popularity and class beauty Naomi,,, The girl Theo once loved now stood proudly beside him,,, What more could he possibly want?

Yet despite having everything, Lucas still couldn't forget Theo humulation.,,The reason irritated him, Theo should have been broken After losing Naomi, he should have disappeared quietly into the background Instead, something strange was happening.

Theo seemed happier,More confident, Almost untouchable, The memory of their recent encounter on campus still bothered him,, Theo had looked at him without fear ,neither Without jealousy nor Without resentment, As if Lucas no longer mattered.

That single realization wounded Lucas's pride more than any insult ever could, Which was exactly why he planned tonight's event ,,His birthday banquet , An extravagant celebration held at one of the city's most luxurious hotels,, A gathering designed to remind everyone exactly where they belonged, and where Theo didn't.

The Grand Crown Hotel glittered beneath the evening lights , Luxury vehicles lined the entrance, Elegant guests filled the lobby while Crystal chandeliers illuminated the massive ballroom reserved exclusively for Lucas's celebration.

Everything looked expensive and impressive, exactly as Lucas intended. Inside the ballroom, dozens of guests like university students, young arrogant business heirs, social media influencers, family friends mingled comfortably ,, laughing while holding expensive wines ,,some took photos to boost there social media pages

The atmosphere was lively, Near the center stood Naomi. Tonight she looked stunning.,,, A fitted silver dress highlighted her graceful figure,, Her long dark hair rested elegantly over one shoulder.

Many men couldn't stop glancing in her direction in admiration,,, Lucas quickly noticed the stares and wrapped an arm around her waist possessively. Several guests immediately complimented them. "You two look perfect together."

"Seriously, relationship goals."

"What a beautiful couple."

Lucas smiled proudly, Naomi smiled shyly, Yet somehow... The compliments didn't feel as satisfying as before,,, For reasons she couldn't explain, her thoughts had become increasingly distracted lately. And unfortunately, those distractions had a name. Theo.

The realization annoyed her, She shouldn't be thinking about him.She had made her choice to move on because Lucas was perfect. Yet the mysterious changes surrounding him refused to leave her mind.

A nearby classmate interrupted her thoughts. "Did you hear?" Naomi looked up. "Hear what?" The girl grinned mischievously. "Someone invited Theo."

Deep Silence.Then several students laughed ."No way,,He actually came,,, This should be interesting."

Lucas immediately brightened. "Really, is it true?" The girl nodded,, "Apparently." A cruel smile slowly spread across Lucas's face as if planing for something,," hehehe", If Theo attended tonight, everyone would finally see the difference between them, The difference between success and failure, At least...That was what Lucas believed.

Nearly forty minutes later, Theo arrived. The Grand Crown Hotel entrance towered before him, Luxury vehicles continued arriving, Guests dressed in expensive clothing entered confidently, Theo glanced at his reflection in the glass doors , before he made his entrance, he wore Simple black shirt ,Dark jeans that hard faded for being over washed , Exactly this is how he preferred it.

He entered calmly, Several guests immediately recognized him, Whispers spread through the crowd." here comes the delivery guy." ,,,"Theo actually came." ,,,"Look at his clothes."

A few people laughed openly but Theo ignored them,,Experience had taught him an important lesson,, People reveal their character through how they treat others. And tonight... Many people were revealing exactly who they were.

As he entered the ballroom, conversations gradually slowed, Eyes followed him,Judgment and Mockery followed him,,,Lucas spotted him almost immediately His grin widened. "The guest of honor has arrived."

Laughter erupted nearby, Theo continued walking Unbothered,,,Lucas stepped forward dramatically,, Everyone instinctively paying attention for the big performance,,, many social media streamers immediately turned on their lives .

"Theo." Lucas spread his arms , "What a surprise." Theo nodded politely."Happy birthday Lucas." The simple response irritated Lucas, Where was the discomfort? Where was the humiliation? Theo looked completely relaxed. Lucas refused to let that continue. "You should have told me." Theo raised an eyebrow. "Told you what?" ,,,"That you were struggling financially."

The surrounding guests immediately understood where the conversation was heading,, Several smirked while Others exchanged amused looks.

Lucas continued, "We could have organized a donation earlier." Laughter exploded throughout the room. Someone nearly spilled their drink,, Another guest clapped because The humiliation was obvious intentional and personal.

Naomi stood nearby,, At first she expected Theo to look embarrassed. Instead, Theo just smiled faintly.The reaction surprised her and annoyed her more , It seemed to happen constantly these days. Theo no longer behaved the way she expected.

Lucas immediately pointed toward the banquet tables. "At least enjoy the food." More laughter followed. "It's probably more expensive than your monthly salary." Several guests laughed harder, but Theo remained calm.

This reaction frustrated Lucas, Nothing was working, The more Lucas tried to embarrass him, the less affected Theo appeared And that made Lucas look increasingly desperate,,,he didn't want to lose face in front of all his guests.

Theo finally spoke. "You finished?" The question landed harder than intended, Silence spread briefly, Lucas's smile twitched ,, "What?" ,,Theo shrugged, "You seem very concerned about my finances." Several nearby guests exchanged looks,,The statement felt strangely sharp.

Lucas forced another laugh."Just trying to help you pathetic beggar.",,,"That's generous of you ." The calm reply made several people uncomfortable. Because for the first time, they noticed something. Theo wasn't losing this exchange instead Lucas was losing it.

Without raising his voice, insulting anyone, defending himself. Theo somehow remained in control. The realization unsettled many people. Especially Naomi.

As the evening continued, Theo moved toward a quieter section of the ballroom. He genuinely considered leaving because the celebration wasn't particularly enjoyable. Then something unexpected happened, The ballroom doors opened.

A sharply dressed middle-aged man entered, Several hotel employees immediately followed him, The atmosphere shifted instantly, Staff members straightened, Managers appeared nervous,,,The newcomer was clearly important person,,Guests watched curiously.

The man scanned the room, Then his eyes landed on Theo,,, To everyone's shock, he immediately walked over,Not toward Lucas or those wealthy heirs.

Naomi's smiled brightly " I knew that loser wasn't something good ,I know he has offended the big shot ,that's why he's going to be arrested,"she said not enough for everyone to hear.

Meanwhile the entire ballroom fell silent, Lucas frowned ,,Who was this? The man stopped before Theo then in ninety degree bowed respectfully. "Good evening, sir." The room froze,,, the only thing that could be heard was the slow music that was playing earlier.

Theo recognized him immediately,, The hotel's general manager. Mr Obunga had apparently informed several businesses about him,,,Though Theo hadn't expected such a public display,,The manager smiled warmly. "We've been expecting you sir." The confusion throughout the ballroom intensified. Expecting him? Why?

Theo sighed internally, because this was becoming troublesome, The manager continued. "Your private suite is prepared." Gasps echoed around the room.

Several guests nearly dropped their drinks,,,Private suite? At the Grand Crown Hotel? Only elite VIP clients received that privilege and you had to book it earlier only for those with status and wealth Not struggling delivery riders,, At least... Not supposedly struggling delivery riders.

Lucas stared in disbelief. "What? this is just a loser with no money" The word escaped before he could stop himself. The manager ignored him completely. His attention remained fixed on Theo. "Would you like us to escort you now, sir?"

Theo hesitated for few minutes then nodded. "Fine." The manager immediately gestured. Several employees approached carrying expensive bottles of wine,, Premium selections worth thousands.

The crowd watched in stunned silence. The wine was delivered directly to Theo's table..not birthday boy

The birthday host suddenly looked invisible, The humiliation Lucas intended for Theo had somehow reversed itself,, Nobody understood how and why , Questions spread rapidly throughout the ballroom.

"Who is he?"

"What kind of connections does he have?"

"Why is management treating him like royalty?"

No answers emerged, Only growing confusion, Near the center of the room, Naomi stood completely motionless, Her heart beating faster, Something was happening and she could understand.

Theo looked exactly the same, Same face, Same simple clothes, Same calm expression, Yet increasingly powerful people treated him with unusual respect. Why?

The question haunted her,, The manager escorted Theo toward an exclusive elevator, Before entering, Theo glanced back briefly, His gaze swept across the room, guests,Lucas and finally...his ex Naomi.

For a split second, their eyes met. Naomi felt something twist painfully inside her chest because Theo looked peaceful and confident Not like a man who had lost everything,,, Not like a man drowning in regret ,,Instead...He looked like someone moving toward a future beyond everyone else's understanding.The elevator doors closed and he disappeared.

The ballroom remained unusually quiet afterward,The celebration continued,Music played,,People talked ,some found an excuse to leave early,,Yet something fundamental had changed ,,The mystery surrounding Theo now dominated every conversation. Even Lucas struggled to maintain his smile.

The evening that should have elevated him had somehow become about someone else, Someone he considered beneath him,, The realization burned,,, Meanwhile, Naomi barely heard anything around her ,, Her thoughts remained trapped inside that final moment.

Questions multiplied endlessly, Why did important people respect Theo? How did he suddenly solve his financial problems? Why did he seem happier than ever? And most importantly... Had she made a mistake? The question terrified her,, Because for the first time since leaving him... She wasn't completely certain of the answer.

Outside, city lights illuminated the night. Inside a private VIP suite high above the ballroom, Theo stood near a window overlooking the skyline,, Far below, life continued normally.

Meanwhile, fate quietly continued moving its pieces. Naomi's certainty was beginning to crack. Lucas's confidence was beginning to weaken. And Theo's secret remained hidden For now.