A lifetime Punishment

"I must say, I'm deeply impressed. Claudia where did you find such a beautiful Lolita?" The woman commented in an amused tone. She sounded amused but her expression didn't really show it. She still had a casual smile on her lips and a straight look in her eyes. The kind that intimidated you with just one look.

"I told you already she practically saved my life and I couldn't bare to let her go after then" Claudia commented and all Gisele did was smile. That was truly just the summary of the whole issue.

"Wow she's Indeed really beautiful"

"You really didn't lie" The ladies in the room took turns appreciating her beauty and complimenting her from the heavens to earth and then like a flick in the wind, the murmurs went from being compliments to mother's usual inquisitive questions.

"Young lady, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Are you in love?"

"are you married?"

"Where are you from?"

"What do your parents do?"

"How old are you?"

"What do you do?"

Gisele was bombarded with questions from all angles she didn't even know who to answer and what to answer first. Each of them were suddenly very interested in knowing her life history. The sparkle in their eyes told her just what point they were driving to. A matchmaking spree was about to begin.

"Ladies give the girl a break" Madison suddenly cut their curiousity short. Since she had spoken, no one dared ask anymore questions and Gisele could finally breath a sigh of relief. Even still she was not totally free, the ladies kept her with them and once in a while she was asked to give opinion in their conversation. This was not really a big deal, just that talking to the other women felt a bit pressuring unlike with Aunty Claudia. She had to be extra careful with her words or she never know when she offends one of them with her mindless opinion.

Eventually she made an excuse of going out to find desert in order to leave the room. As she got out the door, she bumped into a young man, tall and handsome but shrouded in a layer of frost and aloofness. The kind of handsome military men told in these manga stories. Talking of military, the high ranking military suit with medals and rags of different worth quietly sitting round his shoulder showed for the reason of his cold and icy face.

Even still the cold slightly showed some warmth as it looked down on the girl. A questioning look passed from him to the man standing beside him. Robert nodded stealthily and smiled and Gisele.

"Sorry" Gisele pleaded for standing in his way then shifted.

"Miss Gisele are you leaving already?" Robert asked.

Gisele shook her head and smiled "Just getting something to eat. That's all. Don't bother with me, carry on with what you were doing" She didn't stop to stand and chat with him lest she would be called back into the room with the women. She hurriedly said goodbye and went downstairs.

Helped herself to the dinner table and now she was conflicted to what to eat first. Standing at the table, she looked more delicious in the eyes of everyone than the well garnished delicacies on the table. Most people's eyes were on her but everyone was acting too dignified to take a step towards her.

"This surely can't be a coincidence right?" A voice asked behind her.

Gisele turned curiously and unconsciously she rolled her eyes when she saw who it was. It was no one else than the jerk from this morning. Seriously the number of coincidence they were having was starting to become too much.

"It is, a much displeasing one" she deadpanned and turned back to choosing her food.

As always, Alan was intrigued by her answer. This lady really did not put him in her eyes. It was funny and also interesting, she was practically one of the few ones that didn't idolize him. How bad that such a beautiful girl had no hits for him.

"Don't be like that, you know you love seeing me" He smugly said. Leaning against the long table right beside her. Their images were quick to become the focus of everyone in the room. A handsome famous actor and an ethereally beautiful lady. Who wouldn't want to see such a combination?

Gisele rolled her eyes and walked away with her plate of food in her hand. Alan had no problems following after her even if it clearly showed, she did not want him around.

"So we didn't have the time to catch-up this morning why don't we continue our introduction"

...

Back outside the hall. A sport car raced speedily across the road and finally came to a hurried stop in front of the hall. The door slid upwards and a foot stepped out. No suspense kept, a head follows out of the car the next second.

"Ah It's Devon!" The uproar increased even more than it already was. It was a life achievement to be able to see Devon Montero as it was to see the president. He was neither a government official or military official but his status was full blown and higher than any of theirs.

With a stiff face, Devon paid no attention to the apparent fan club he had, he adjusted his deep blue suit button and then straightened his cuffs before walking forward. The reporters tried to interview him but he treated them like air and just went into the building. Anyone who saw him would immediately know he was having a horrible mood. His face was darker than thunderclouds, an invisible layer of ice seemed to shroud his body, chilling everyone that dared come close.

Devon walked into the hall but didn't pay any attention to anybody, if he had he would have noticed the girl standing at an end with a plate of desert in her hand, quietly munching on her food while the talkative young man rambled on and on beside her.

Gisele also had half her attention on her food and the other half on the things Alan was saying. He was a perpetual talkative but still she had gotten some useful things from his words unknowingly. She was so engrossed in both that she didn't notice when Devon walked in. Even when the young ladies in the room unknowingly let out gasps of awe and ogling,, she didn't bother to look at what was causing so much fuss.

Unlike her, Alan had noticed his brother the moment he walked into the hall. How could he not? In a way, seeing his angry face only made him even more satisfied with himself. How disloyal could he anymore get? He was having problems finding his wife yet here he was at a birthday party. How much did he dislike his wife?

"Such a jerk!" He cursed causing Gisele to look up at him. Following the trace of his eye direction, she saw the back figure of a young man walking upstairs, his back was facing her so she could not see his face.

"Why are you staring?" Alan suddenly cut her line of view. His ash eyes furrowed in pure jealousy. She could look at anyother guy for that long and he would ignore it but it just didn't sit right with him if that guy was Devon.

"Do I need your permission to look at someone?" Gisele retorted back indifferently. Her eyes also darting to the stairwell to see that figure but it was already gone. That guy from before reminded her of Devon, was he really the one?. She wouldn't be surprised if he was here too. It was people of his caliber that were at the party after all.

Once again, she and the unreasonable guy before her started their back and forth squabbling. Devon on the other hand walked into the room full of elderly women. His presence did not need to be announced as the door did him the honours.

Pure delight appeared in the eyes of the ladies. This young man was a feast for the eyes like the other Young man standing in the room.

Devon's eyes swept through the room and landed on that of the tall young man in the room. A slight furrow flew past his eyes but was replaced by an aloof look.

"General Harold" He walked in further and made a slight now.

"CEO Devon" Harold greeted in return. Their parents were not only in-laws but also friends but it seemed these two did not have good relations with each other. It was obvious with how forced these greeting was.

Claudia felt like facepalming. How awkward could these boys be in front of each other, did they perhaps steal each other's soulmate in their past life?

"Devon you're here" She jumped in and dissolved the awkward air in the room. "Did everybody come along with you?"

"They are on their way, I left earlier because I had something to check on my way here"

He came early so that he could be excused to leave Early. It has been hours, almost twelve hours but he still had not found Gisele, he was getting anxious. The enraged kind of anxious. He wasn't sure he wouldn't break her legs if he found her again. A lifetime punishment was certain.

"That's okay. I'm sure they would be here in time to meet the start of the party. Let's all head downstairs" Madison was the one to comment. Her daughter was on her way and everyother person was around now. There was no better time to start than this.