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1188 Words
What should she say? Out of all the plans she and Javier had made, they never discussed this. What exactly should she say about her connection to Javier? Friends? Relatives? Boyfriend? Husband?
Well, in the eyes of everyone, they were "married." But they hadn’t discussed how she should introduce him when it came to Angelo. She wanted to freeze time and go back to Javier to ask him. What should she say?
It seemed like Angelo was really waiting for her answer, and she knew this pest wouldn’t stop asking. Besides, wasn’t this her goal anyway? She was supposed to talk to Angelo and win his trust before the night ended.
“Think wisely, Veronica!” a part of her brain screamed.
She bit her lower lip and looked at him. “Sorry, your question is a bit too personal. I don’t just give out information, especially to a stranger. But to answer you, he’s someone special in my life,” she replied, playing it safe.
She prayed that he would believe her. And since Angelo was still blinded by "Beatrice’s" beauty and sophistication, he immediately believed her, though he didn’t like the idea of Javier being someone special in her life.
“Special someone? Huh! I won’t allow you to have any other special someone but me. I’ll do everything to get that annoying guy out of the picture,” Angelo angrily vowed to himself.
But the man smiled sweetly. “Oh, I can see that. You seem to care for each other a lot. We all have special someone, don’t we?” he said instead.
She shrugged. Now she could say she had been a fool for forcing herself to love this man. She regretted giving him her love. Seeing him now, he had no qualities that were even remotely desirable. He had no emotional intelligence either. He was full of arrogance, always boasting about himself.
How had she ever learned to love such a worthless man?
She needed to make him feel that she wasn’t even remotely interested in talking to him. “Do you have anything else to say? I’m heading back to my seat…” she said, bored.
Angelo, however, was alarmed. “Oh s**t! I can’t let her get away from me, I need to know more about her!” he silently reminded himself.
She was about to turn her back and leave, but he roughly grabbed her elbow to stop her. Aggressive. That was the first thought that crossed her mind. Is this how he treated all the women he met? How shameful.
She frowned and looked at her elbow, which he was gripping. “Uhm… excuse me? Let go of me. What do you want?” she asked sharply.
He was like metal attracted to a magnet. The more she snapped at him and acted nonchalant, the more he was challenged. Unlike when she was still Veronica—sweet, affectionate, and always giving him attention. She had never snubbed him. She had never been nonchalant. So, perhaps to Angelo, she was boring, no challenge at all. That’s why he discarded her and toyed with the love she had offered him.
But Angelo was truly shameless and relentless, as if he didn't care how arrogant and demanding he seemed. "You're leaving so soon? We're not done talking yet, why are you in such a hurry?" He tried to act nice and angelic, and if she didn't know him better, she might have believed him.
However, since she knew his true colors, he only disgusted her. He was a narcissist. He thought every woman wanted him. In his eyes, he was a "prize."
"I'm going back to my spot. As you can see, I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here for the event’s purpose. So, if you'll excuse me."
There was no way Angelo would let this woman slip away from his grasp or his sight. He saw her as a beacon of light, the answer to everything in his life. On top of that, her presence and demeanor convinced him that she was the “ideal girl” he had been searching for. He secretly smirked.
“Wait a minute, can’t you just give me a few minutes? I just want to get to know you. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Why are you wearing a mask? I’m sure you're beautiful, so you have nothing to be ashamed of…” Angelo's tone grated on her nerves.
He sounded exactly like the villains she’d seen in movies and TV shows. His presence alone was irritating.
Angelo became more aggressive, reaching out without permission to grab the edge of her mask, intending to remove it. Thankfully, she was aware of what was happening and immediately slapped his hand away from her mask.
"What the hell are you trying to do, huh?" She glared at him with narrowed eyes.
Damn. She had no idea her devil of a husband was like this around other women. Shameless.
Yet Angelo wasn’t even embarrassed. He raised both his hands in the air, showing no sign of apology. “Well, I just wanted to see the beauty hidden behind that mask. Come on, show it to me. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of.”
She was beyond irritated. Angelo was so self-entitled. Didn’t he realize he was crossing boundaries and that his presence was downright annoying?
“First of all, I’m not ashamed of why I’m wearing a mask. I have nothing to be embarrassed about with how I look. That much should be obvious, right? Second, I don’t owe you anything, and I certainly don’t owe you a look at my face. Look, I’m a very busy and private person, which is why I chose to wear a mask tonight. I just want to enjoy the event while staying anonymous. I had no idea this event invited lowballers and classless guests,” she said, taunting him.
She knew Angelo hated being called poor and classless. He was a social climber, always seeking validation and wanting to appear rich.
Angelo was hurt by her words, but he let it slide. What mattered was getting information about this woman. His gut told him she was the key to a better, more luxurious life. Besides, it was obvious she was beautiful and came from an elite family. Whoever this “special someone” was in her life, Angelo would eliminate him. No one would stand in the way of his plans.
"Sorry if I'm starting to annoy you. I just really want to introduce myself. I want to know your name. May I know your name, Miss? And I’ll let you go back to your spot," He was clearly trying to hide the embarrassment he felt earlier.
She smirked. "You want to know my name?"
Like a desperate dog, he nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
"On one condition."
"Anything. Anything just to get to know you."
She smiled devilishly. "I want the ruby necklace you bought earlier, and I'll give you my name."
She saw the shock and confusion written all over his face.
- Writer
