COLD GAZES
1348 Words
Chapter 7
The moment Mr. Blackwood stepped into the gala hall, the conversations around him died down.
Then—
“Wait… is that Mr. Blackwood?”
“The head of the Blackwood family?”
“No way!”
“He disappeared from public view for fourteen years!”
“Where has he been all this time?”
“Look at him. He just walked in like nothing happened.”
Phones quickly came out.
“He's going to trend tonight.”
“This is huge news!”
“Forget the auction. The Blackwood family just appeared out of nowhere!”
Mr. Blackwood ignored the whispers.
He adjusted his suit and continued walking as though none of the attention mattered.
Michael followed a short distance behind.
Tonight, they had one objective.
Nothing else mattered.
Then Ethan entered.
The reaction was immediate.
“Who is that guy?”
“I've never seen him before.”
“Wait… look at him!”
“Oh my God, he's handsome.”
“Isn't that the latest shirt in town?”
“That's not an ordinary shirt. Look at the cut.”
“He must be from one of the wealthy families.”
“He looks so cold.”
“Forget cold. He looks impossible to approach.”
Ethan heard the whispers but didn't react.
His expression remained calm.
His eyes moved across the crowded hall, observing everything.
He wasn't here to make friends.
He wasn't interested in the attention.
His mind was somewhere else.
The Guo family.
He needed to know where they were.
He needed to find his mother.
Then—
The entrance became quiet again.
A young man walked into the hall.
The whispers immediately changed.
“Everyone, step back.”
“It's Mr. Jim.”
“Jim Guo.”
“Don't get in his way.”
“Are you crazy? Move!”
“Nobody wants to cross his line.”
“Unless you have a death wish.”
Jim walked through the crowd without acknowledging anyone.
Tall.
Handsome.
Well-built.
His expression was cold enough to make people instinctively move aside.
He didn't need to ask them to clear a path.
They simply did.
His reputation had already done it for him.
Across the hall, a young woman watched him enter.
Stella.
She was the only daughter of Mr. Shuhang and his second wife, Mrs. Rowan.
She came from one of the respected families in Chunkai City.
Standing beside her was her closest friend, who immediately grabbed her arm.
“Stella!”
“What?”
“Jim is here!”
Stella glanced toward him.
“So?”
Her friend stared at her.
“So?”
She lowered her voice dramatically.
“He is your arranged future husband!”
Stella frowned.
“Don't say it like that.”
“But it's true!”
Her friend laughed.
“Your family and the Guo family have had a strong business relationship for years.”
She leaned closer.
“And you and Jim have known each other since childhood.”
Stella looked away.
“That's enough.”
“Enough?”
Her friend shook her head.
“You've been childhood sweethearts for years.”
“I'm not his sweetheart.”
“Yet.”
Stella rolled her eyes.
“Jim barely speaks to anyone.”
“Exactly!”
Her friend smiled.
“That means he might have a soft spot for you.”
Stella looked at Jim again.
He was standing across the hall, speaking to someone from another wealthy family.
His expression remained emotionless.
Her friend suddenly pointed toward Ethan.
“And forget Jim for a second.”
Stella followed her gaze.
“Look at that guy.”
“Who is he?”
“I don't know.”
“But he's handsome.”
Her friend smiled.
“Very handsome.”
“He just entered and half the girls here can't stop staring.”
Stella glanced at Ethan.
“He looks cold.”
“That's what makes him attractive.”
Her friend laughed.
“And you're pretty too. You're the daughter of the Shuhang family. If he notices you, he'll definitely—”
“Stop.”
“Go and talk to Jim.”
“What?”
“Go!”
Stella shook her head.
“I don't want to.”
Her friend grabbed her from behind.
“Go!”
“Wait!”
Her friend pushed her forward.
Stella stumbled.
She was holding a tray filled with wine and juice.
“Be careful!”
“I told you—”
She lost her balance.
The tray tilted.
SPLASH!
Juice flew through the air.
It landed directly on Ethan.
At the exact same moment—
SPLASH!
A glass of wine spilled onto Jim.
Silence.
The entire area went dead quiet.
Stella froze.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh…”
She looked at Ethan first.
His shirt was stained.
Then she slowly turned toward Jim.
Wine had splashed across his suit.
Nobody moved.
Her friend covered her mouth.
“Stella…”
Stella's heart began pounding.
“I... I'm sorry.”
Jim slowly lowered his eyes to his stained suit.
Then he looked at Stella.
His cold gaze landed on her.
Stella swallowed.
“Jim…”
He didn't say anything.
That silence was worse.
Her fingers tightened around the empty tray.
“I didn't mean to…”
Jim's eyes remained on her.
Stella suddenly felt nervous.
She had known Jim since childhood.
She knew how quiet he could be.
She also knew what happened when someone crossed him.
“I'm really sorry.”
Jim finally looked away.
Without saying a word, he walked toward the washroom.
Stella released a small breath.
Then she remembered Ethan.
She turned.
His eyes were already on her.
Cold.
Intense.
Unmoving.
Stella's breath caught.
Ethan looked down at his soaked shirt.
Then back at her.
She couldn't move.
“I…”
Nothing came out.
Ethan didn't say anything.
He simply walked past her.
Stella watched him leave.
Her shoulders finally relaxed.
She breathed out slowly.
“Thank goodness.”
Her friend rushed over.
“Stella!”
“What?”
“You nearly killed yourself!”
“I know!”
“You poured wine on Jim!”
“And juice on that other guy!”
Stella covered her face.
“I didn't do it on purpose.”
Her friend glanced toward the direction Ethan had gone.
“Still…”
She lowered her voice.
“That guy's stare was terrifying.”
Stella nodded.
“I know.”
---
THE WASHROOM
Jim entered first.
He stood before the mirror, looking at the wine-stained suit.
He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his sleeve.
The door opened.
Ethan walked in.
Jim glanced toward the mirror.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Ethan stopped.
Jim turned.
Two cold gazes collided.
Neither man looked away.
The silence between them was heavy.
Ethan's eyes moved briefly over Jim.
Then back to his face.
Jim studied him just as carefully.
There was something about Ethan's presence that caught his attention.
He wasn't like the other young men at the gala.
He wasn't trying to impress anyone.
He wasn't nervous.
He simply stood there.
Cold.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Jim finally spoke.
“You're the one from earlier.”
Ethan looked at him.
“You're the one she spilled wine on.”
Jim raised an eyebrow slightly.
“And you got juice.”
Ethan glanced down at his shirt.
“So it seems.”
Silence again.
Jim walked toward the sink.
Ethan remained where he was.
Neither seemed interested in leaving first.
Then Jim looked at him through the mirror.
“Who are you?”
Ethan's gaze sharpened.
“Why?”
“Because I don't recognize you.”
Ethan gave a faint smile.
“You're not supposed to.”
Jim turned fully toward him.
Before he could respond, footsteps sounded outside.
Both men looked toward the door.
Someone was approaching.
Ethan's expression changed.
Jim noticed.
The door handle began to move.
And then a familiar voice came from outside.
“Mr. Jim, are you inside?”
Ethan's eyes turned cold.
He knew that voice.
Mr. Guo.
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