SHE'S MINE

"Gary? Gary as in Astrel's-" Gary could witness shock written all over her face as he nodded his head in agreement. He smiled at her cockily.

'Which means, he was the person whom Daria was working for' She blinked her eyes several times, processing everything one at a time.

"You seem to very well know about the rival we share," he remarked. Though he seemed to speak playfully, his eyes told the other way. She must be cautious around Gary, thought Vilian as she took her plate and stepped back, turning around on her heels and taking a spoon of it.

Gary smirked, seeing a part of his plan going just the way he thought, and it was a matter of time before he'd have her in his arms. Soon he'd get to start his business, thought Gary as he stepped closer to her and held her shoulder, and ran his finger dirtily.

"Ho, ho... What's the hurry? I think we haven't started anything, yet you're about to walk away," Vilian jerked his hands off her shoulder and glanced up at his lustful eyes which gazed down at her as he licked his lips.

"Get your filthy hands off me while I'm being nice, Gary," she muttered, gritting her teeth. But Gary openly extended his hands toward her.

"Or what, little chick?" Vilian pushed him off, only to result in him grabbing her by her waist. Vilian's eyes widened in disgust. She held his hand and dug her nails deeper into his skin, causing him to wince and let go.

"This isn't over... I'll get to you again and make sure I seal you under me!" he spat in a low voice and walked away, clenching his bleeding hands.

Vilian patted her chest, her heart thudded louder enough for her to hear it. Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She jerked with a loud gasp and stepped back with fear and alertness.

Astrel glanced at her with narrowed eyes, "Why was he here?"

Vilian glanced past him at the figure who was grinning at her evilly. Chills ran down her spine.

Astrel stepped forward with his eyes observing her body language, but she stepped back. It was unlike herself.

"Eyes on me, Frost," he ordered her as he glared a threatening gaze at Gary who had his an ugly grin sculped on his face.

"N-nothing," she made out a word stutteringly. Astrel laid his hands on her shoulder only to get a rare look in her eyes. She threw a look of disgust onto his hands and jerked them away. Her fingers curled around the fork, gripping it tightly as she turned around and dropped the plate on the table. Before she could take a step ahead, Astrel had his large hand wrapped around her wrist. Vilian tried to pull it away, pushing back the nostalgic feelings that were dreading. But everything came to a pause at once as soon as they heard the announcement.

"My dear ladies and respectable gentlemen, hello, and a very good evening. My heartfelt gratitude to all the most important people who came by accepting my invitations. We are honored to see you all present here. Not to say, the most supreme guest, Mr. Watson, has blessed us with his grand presence today..." Huge applause of claps erupted all around the hall. Astrel gave nothing but a cold shoulder even when he was being praised like a god. Vilian nearly puked at the people who started praising him, unlike his personality. Relief that her trauma had not taken a big toll in front of the whole lot crowd. But Gary's words kept repeating like an old tape recorder in her mind. Her heart thudded like a bongo being beaten by the youngsters. She was in no state to calm down.

Sensing her restless heart Astrel rubbed his thumb which was still curled around her wrist not so tightly. Anger aroused in him as soon as his mind assumed all the possibilities that could have happened.

"WHAT THE-" he paused as he felt the attention they were gaining.

"Fuck" he cursed himself. Why was it so hard to do anything when it came to her? He thought frustratingly, as he calmed himself and sighed, "Fine, speak when you feel comfortable about it. But-" he paused as he glanced back at Gary, cheering wine glasses with his business crew, "If he ever tries to touch you, he better dig a grave before he does it,"

Vilian could feel his powerful, intimidating aura as he spelled every word of it. But his eyes told another story that she could not read it. Well, he was never a predictable person at first. Just like that, he turned his focus opposite her. She frowned and glanced back at the person who had his attention. Shit! How lost was she to forget the thing she had planned?

He stepped away from her and walked toward Malcolm who stood away from the crowd. Astrel and his secretary communicated for a while seriously. Malcolm showed something on his Ipad before glancing for a brief moment at her. Astrel did the same too. Vilian gazed at him questioningly. He just nodded his head at Malcolm and dismissed him.

Did he reveal her past? Nah... There was no way he could explain it that soon. But still, she felt skittish just by the look he held.

"Excuse me," The invisible string that forced her to look into those blue orbs was suddenly cut off by a man's voice who stood blocking the devil's view.

"Huh?"

"May I have the privilege to dance with you, Ms. Vilian?"

"Dance?" She confused looked at him and glanced at everyone who was now dispersed in pairs toward what looked like a dance floor. She didn't know when had the announcement gone off and the soft and low music had been changed to one that suited the people to dance with their beloved partners. All that she knew was that she had been so immersed in what the devil was up to. She glanced at Astrel, who still had his blank gaze on her, but saw a woman approach him. Probably for the same reason she was in and saw him accept it. Not a second thought passed by she too accepted the man. If he could bring her as his date to the party and dance with another woman, why can't she? thought Vilian and placed her hands on the man's extended one. For man, his hands felt soft in hers.

As soon as she did so, he bowed his head gentlemanly and left a kiss above her knuckles as he held her hand in his, like a delicate flower. Vilian's lips stretched up as she glanced at the man's polite gestures. Unlike any other man, he seemed... good. She neither felt uncomfortable nor comfortable. But she had her guard up as she waltzed toward the dance floor.

In the arms of the stranger named Maximus, following the soft rhythms she twirled and danced along with him. Now that they've passed introducing themself, the earlier awkwardness was long replaced with a joyful conversation. She found it easy to come along with the man being charismatic but a gentleman at that. He'd compliment, her every now, and then observing her beautiful moves, turning her cheeks crimson. She was not only gaining his compliments but also the attention of the other dance couples, who admired and smiled with adoration at the couple.

"Don't they look cute, Astrel?" inflated the lady who was in his arms, "Is it true that she's the WWI's new model?" she questioned with pure excitement. As she was late for the party she failed to witness the little drama that played in the middle of the hall.

"It is, Delila," he muttered with his eyes still laid on the very person whom everyone admired from the time they'd stepped on the dance floor. A slight smile lifted the lady's lips at the sight of his unusual distraction.

"You've changed," she said as she glided her right foot forward following Astrel's left.

"Don't be delusional," he replied as he pulled her into his arms but kept a safe gap between them as he shifted his gaze away from her, passing the dance floor and stopping at certain someone. He gestured something using his hands which were lying on Delila's back and that certain someone nodded his head before leaving the hall.

Not soon, the time for switching partners came in. Maximus bowed once again as he thanked her for the dance and was about to switch partners when she heard a gruff voice behind her startling both of them.

Vilian felt sweat trickle down her back as soon as she laid her eyes on Gary, who had his hand extended toward her for a dance. Soon her gaze wandered all around the dance floor, searching for one certain person. But the person was nowhere to be seen.

"She's mine"