Chapter 3 Don't Leave Me Again
740 Words
"Been a while." Percival greeted her with an easy, almost offhand smile, the kind someone might give a stranger who barely registered.
Only Violet knew how far that calm façade was from the truth...
The strong hand hooked through her arm had tightened without mercy. His nails had already sunk deep into her skin, carving a crooked line that slowly welled with blood.
"So this is your girlfriend? I wish you two all the happiness in the world." Cynthia's gaze flicked briefly to Violet's arm before she gave a playful blink.
Percival dragged his tongue slowly across the back of his molars, staring at Cynthia with stubborn intensity, saying nothing.
"Thank you." A drop of blood slid down and fell onto the carpet. Violet's expression didn't waver at all.
Across the room, Cynthia leaned toward the man beside her and said something. A shy, almost demure smile appeared on her face before she turned and left the ballroom.
One minute later, Percival followed.
Violet headed out as well, planning to find a restroom to treat the wound. The moment she stepped into the hallway, she saw them. At the far end of the corridor, the man had the petite girl trapped in his arms, kissing her like a man unhinged, almost tearing at her red lips.
Violet had seen many sides of Percival. Most of the time, he carried himself with ease, relaxed, unbothered, the sort of composure that suggested nothing in the world could truly shake him.
But she had never seen him like this and never imagined someone like him could look so desperate, so consumed.
Percival's expression was dark, but he didn't stop. He kept kissing Cynthia as though he wanted to swallow her whole.
When the kiss finally ended, Cynthia's lips were swollen. She pouted at him.
"This is my party. Why did you bring that stray here?"
"To make you jealous." Percival didn't even try to hide it.
"How childish! Then why were you defending her earlier? Don't tell me you've actually fallen for her." Cynthia let out a soft, teasing snort.
"Of course not." Percival let out a short laugh. "I defended her because she's mine. When people talk about her, they're really taking a shot at me. You know how I am. Even a dog I keep isn't something other people get to criticize."
"Why are you comparing yourself to a dog?" he murmured, "Cynthia, you're the one I truly love. Always have been. Always will be." The corners of his eyes were rimmed with red, his voice almost pleading. "Don't leave me again. Please?" It was as if he were laying his whole heart at her feet.
Standing in the shadows, Violet silently smiled, a self-deprecating one.
The wet, intimate sounds of their kissing continued. Cynthia tilted her head slightly as Percival kissed her again...
Then she noticed Violet. She froze for a brief second. Then one brow lifted, a trace of pity in her eyes, along with the quiet pride of someone who knew she had already won.
It felt like mockery, or perhaps a wordless declaration of victory.
"You two carry on." Violet gave a faint smile, shaping the words silently with her lips before turning away without the slightest hesitation.
By the time the party ended, the guests had begun to leave in small groups. Violet waited for a long time. Percival's car never came.
The estate hosting the banquet sat deep in the mountains, the road down winding and rough. Violet pulled out her phone and tried to call a ride again and again, but no driver would accept the trip.
Her elegant gown and high heels had become nothing but dead weight. The temperature dropped sharply after nightfall, and she shivered in the cold.
Everyone who passed her cast complicated looks her way, pity, amusement, curiosity...
Yet Violet kept her back perfectly straight.
"You're waiting for Mr. Leblanc, right? He already left with Ms. Farley." A young socialite rolled down her car window. "The road down the mountain is pitch-black. If you don't mind, you can ride with us."
"That's alright. Thank you." Violet smiled gratefully.
The girl sighed softly. Seeing Violet refuse, she finally drove off.
Only after the mountains were completely swallowed by darkness did Violet slowly take out her phone and make a call.
"Is this the Morvani branch of McCarthy Group? This is Violet. I need a helicopter sent to pick me up."
- Writer
