ENGAGEMENT BRACELET

Chapter 2

Queenie's POV

The guests started arriving one after another.

Laughter filled the mansion, and the once-empty house transformed into the birthday celebration I had originally expected. Marvin stayed by my side most of the time, introducing me to his friends and business associates.

"This is Queenie, my girlfriend," he proudly announced.

I smiled politely and greeted everyone.

From the corner of my eye, however, I noticed Mr. Gerald standing near the bar, entertaining a group of guests. Despite being much older than everyone else in the room, he effortlessly commanded attention. People listened whenever he spoke.

"Hey."

I blinked when Marvin snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Hmm?"

"Where did you go?" he asked, laughing. "I've been talking for the past minute."

"Oh. Sorry."

Marvin narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"You're acting weird today."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Before I could respond, one of Marvin's female friends approached us.

"Marvin!" she exclaimed before throwing her arms around him.

My smile instantly disappeared.

The woman was beautiful, confident, and clearly comfortable around my boyfriend.

"Long time no see."

Marvin hugged her back.

Too comfortably.

Something unpleasant twisted inside my stomach.

"Queenie, this is Vanessa," Marvin said.

I forced a smile.

"Nice to meet you."

Vanessa smiled back, but there was something challenging in her eyes.

"The famous girlfriend," she said.

My brows furrowed slightly.

"Famous?"

"Oh, Marvin talks about you sometimes."

Sometimes.

Not always.

Sometimes.

I didn't know why that word bothered me.

As the conversation continued, I noticed Vanessa constantly touching Marvin's arm and shoulder.

The more I watched, the more uncomfortable I became.

Excusing myself, I quietly walked away from them.

I headed toward the garden to get some fresh air.

The cool evening breeze immediately calmed my nerves.

"Trying to escape the party?"

I froze.

That deep voice was unmistakable.

Turning around, I found Mr. Gerald standing a few feet away, holding a glass of whiskey.

"No," I lied.

One of his eyebrows lifted.

"You're a terrible liar."

I sighed.

"Maybe I just needed some air."

He nodded as if he understood.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The garden lights illuminated his face, making him appear younger than his age.

Dangerously handsome.

I immediately scolded myself for that thought.

"Marvin seems busy," Mr. Gerald commented casually.

I looked away.

"Yeah."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're jealous."

"What? No."

"Another lie."

I groaned.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Reading me."

A chuckle escaped his lips.

"Occupational hazard."

I found myself laughing despite my annoyance.

For the first time that evening, I felt relaxed.

Then my smile slowly faded when I realized something.

I was enjoying talking to Marvin's father far more than I had enjoyed spending time with Marvin tonight.

The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.

No.

That wasn't good.

Not good at all.

Just then, Marvin's voice echoed from the patio.

"Babe! There you are!"

I immediately stepped away from Mr. Gerald.

Marvin wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

His father casually took a sip of his drink.

"We were just talking."

Marvin grinned.

"Good. Looks like Dad finally found someone who can keep up with his endless lectures."

I forced a laugh.

But as I glanced at Mr. Gerald, I caught him looking at me.

And for a brief second, neither of us looked away.

Something told me this was only the beginning of a very complicated problem.

As the night grew deeper, the party became louder. Music filled the mansion while the guests continued drinking and celebrating.

Unfortunately, Marvin had already had too much to drink.

His cheeks were flushed, and his movements were unsteady as he made his way toward me.

"Babe..." he slurred, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Marvin, you're drunk," I said, trying to support him.

He only laughed.

"I'm fine."

Before I could react, he leaned closer as if trying to kiss me.

"Marvin, stop," I said firmly, turning my face away.

His expression immediately darkened.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Because you've had too much to drink."

"You're my girlfriend," he said angrily. "Why are you acting like this?"

I frowned.

"Because you're not acting like yourself right now."

Marvin pulled away and ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't understand you sometimes, Queenie."

The smell of alcohol was strong on his breath.

"Let's talk when you're sober," I replied calmly.

"No!" he snapped. "Answer me now."

Before the situation could escalate, another voice interrupted us.

"Marvin."

The single word was enough to make both of us turn.

Mr. Gerald stood a few feet away, his expression stern.

"You're drunk. Go upstairs and get some rest."

"Dad, stay out of this."

"I'm not asking," Mr. Gerald replied coldly. "I'm telling you."

For a moment, father and son stared at each other.

The tension between them was obvious.

Finally, Marvin let out an irritated laugh.

"Fine."

He pointed a finger at me.

"But we're finishing this conversation later."

Without another word, he staggered toward the stairs.

The moment he disappeared from sight, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Are you okay?" Mr. Gerald asked.

I nodded slowly.

"Yes."

But the truth was, I wasn't sure.

For the first time since arriving at the mansion, I felt like I was beginning to see a side of Marvin that I had never noticed before.

After Marvin went upstairs, the party slowly returned to normal.

Some guests didn't even notice what had happened.

I walked toward the garden, hoping the cool night air would clear my mind.

Tonight had been exhausting.

The misunderstanding with Mr. Gerald.

Marvin's strange behavior.

And the uncomfortable feeling growing inside my chest.

I sat alone on a bench beneath the string lights decorating the garden.

"Mind if I sit here?"

I looked up.

Mr. Gerald stood in front of me.

I hesitated for a second before nodding.

"It's your house."

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Fair point."

He sat beside me, leaving a respectful distance between us.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

The silence was surprisingly comfortable.

"I'm sorry about Marvin."

I glanced at him.

"You don't have to apologize for him."

"Maybe not. But as his father, I still feel responsible."

I lowered my gaze.

"He wasn't usually like that."

Mr. Gerald sighed.

"Alcohol tends to bring out parts of people they normally hide."

His words lingered in my mind.

Was that true?

If so, what exactly had Marvin been hiding?

"You deserve to be treated with respect, Queenie."

I looked at him in surprise.

The sincerity in his eyes caught me off guard.

"Thank you."

His gaze softened.

"Any woman does."

For some reason, hearing those words from him made my heart skip a beat.

I quickly looked away.

Dangerous.

That was what this was.

Dangerous.

He was Marvin's father.

Nothing good could come from feeling this comfortable around him.

Just then, laughter echoed from inside the mansion.

A woman stepped out onto the patio.

It was Vanessa.

She looked around before heading straight toward them.

"Mr. Gerald," she greeted warmly.

"Vanessa."

She smiled before turning to Queenie.

"There you are. I've been looking for Marvin."

My stomach tightened.

"Why?"

"Oh, I wanted to check on him."

The smile on her face seemed innocent enough.

But something about her made me uneasy.

"Actually," Vanessa continued, "Marvin and I go way back."

Mr. Gerald's expression became unreadable.

"Vanessa."

The warning in his voice was subtle.

But I heard it.

So did she.

Still, she continued.

"We've known each other since college."

I forced a smile.

"That's nice."

Vanessa laughed.

"More than nice, actually."

My heart sank.

"What do you mean?"

For a moment, Vanessa looked as if she was debating whether to say something.

Then she shrugged.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

With that, she walked away.

Leaving me completely unsettled.

The moment she disappeared, I turned to Mr. Gerald.

"What was that about?"

His jaw tightened.

"Nothing you should worry about tonight."

"Mr. Gerald."

He looked at me.

And for the first time since we'd met, he seemed genuinely troubled.

"Go home, Queenie."

My brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Go home and get some rest."

"Why?"

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then he finally spoke.

"Because I have a feeling you're about to learn something about Marvin that you won't like."

A chill ran down my spine.

And somehow...

I knew he was right.