Chapter 5

Tristan was irritated with his grandparents for constantly nagging him to get married. The topic of marriage disturbed him.

It would bring back memories of his parents' marriage. He was a witness to their loveless marriage.

He did not want to go through the same thing.

He knows he may have to get married one day so he could have an heir, but he didn't want to marry a vain woman. 

He wouldn't want his child to suffer as he did.

In the 32 years that he had been alive, he had never met anyone he really liked.

After his parents' separation, he became cold and distanced himself from people.

Women see him for his looks and his status. A few of them even shamelessly tried to seduce him.

Seeing these gold-digging women, he remembered his mother. He met a few pleasant socialites' daughters, but he could not bring himself to like them.

He lit his cigarette and was standing in the open air far from the doors that led to the dance floor.

He did not smoke regularly.

He only did it when he was upset or under stress. Tristan had been rebellious to get his mother's attention.

He flunked his classes and went out with his seniors. That's when he started smoking.

Later his mother scolded him and made him stop smoking. Among his friends, Dimitri was the constant smoker.

He did not want to get married. When his grandparents nagged him to get married, he would never argue with them.

His grandparents were the only ones who really cared for him. They were his closest kin. 

To avoid arguments, he would just stand and leave.Today he did not want to argue.

He might end up hurting them, so he came to the garden.

He wanted to be alone and clear his thoughts.

He took a puff and closed his eyes to relax. When he opened his eyes, he saw someone else was out there.

He did not expect anyone. He saw a lone petite girl standing in front of the doors to the dance floor.

Out of curiosity, he went to get a closer look. He never wanted to talk to anyone before tonight.

There was something about her that he could not ignore. Abandoning his cigarette, he walked towards her.

"Are you alone?" he said. From afar, she looked tall and slender, but he could not make out much.

When she turned around Tristan was stunned. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

He had seen many beautiful women in his lifetime, but none caught his eye.

Here was one he could stare at for the rest of his life.

She was captivating. He thought, "I could get used to that."

After cleaning the stain on her dress, Ava came out to have a moment for herself before going back inside.

She did not do well with crowds. She could not survive at parties without Sara.

She calmed down after inhaling the cool breeze. She never expected anyone to be out here, so she got startled and turned around. 

Ava saw a tall man with wide shoulders. She already wore high heels, but she only came up to his shoulder.

His face was sculpted, and he had a sharp jawline. His eyes looked like you could see your soul in their depths.

"Ya, I am….," she stammered.

Tristan thought she looked like a porcelain doll. So pure and beautiful. The yellow gown made her look ethereal. 

She had a swan-like neck. Her black hair was as dark as a starless sky.

She was young, and when he questioned her, she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Her doe shaped eyes widened. 

When she stammered, he could not help but stare at her pink-juicy lips. He had an urge to see more of her beauty.

He just kept looking at her face. It was like he could not get enough.

"Why are you here? Are you not enjoying the party?" Tristan asked.

"It seems to be that I'm not the only one," Ava tried to be confident.

Tristan was stunned. He thought she was so scared a moment ago. He did not expect her to talk back. Seeing her try to put a brave face he found her absolutely adorable.

"Oh, that makes two of us, doesn't it," he chuckled.

"Mind if I keep you company?" he asked.

Ava did not say anything, and kept quiet. She did not feel comfortable talking to a stranger. He was going to stay there regardless of her answer.

"Well I did not get your name," he asked.

"Ava," she replied.

"Aa-va …," he said slowly testing her name in a sensual tone.

She shivered. She did not know if it was because it was cold outside or the way her name rolled off on his tongue.

"Aren't you going to ask mine," he teased her.

"I am Tristan," he introduced himself, seeing her pursing her lips.

He didn't know why, but he was interested in talking to her. It's the first time he has initiated a conversation with a woman, but she was ignoring him. 

He thought maybe she didn't know he was Tristan Ambrosio, but at least she could give him something for his looks.

He thought he lost his charm. Then again, that was not true. A few minutes ago, some women were trying to get his attention.

If he didn't know better, he could have sworn she was playing hard to get. But he has seen many people in his life and knows when someone is faking.

"I think I need to go back now," she started to go.

"Ya, let's go," he followed her.

"I wanted to ask you for a dance," he said while walking behind her.

"No thank you, I already spilled wine on my dress while dancing, I don't want to do that again," she said in a dejected tone. Tristan did not say anything and silently followed her.

When they reached the venue, the dance was already over. Tristan came close to Ava, and his hot breath fell on her ear.

"Well, you owe me a dance next time," he whispered. Tristan inhaled her sweet fragrance and wanted more. Ava's hand clutched her gown.

Ava walked away from him and released the breath she did not know she was holding.

Ava thought the probability of meeting him again was very unlikely. He could easily have already forgotten her.

He saw her disappearing, but her silhouette imprinted in his mind. Tristan, for the first time in his existence, wanted to see a woman one more time.