Chapter 2

Orianne couldn’t help but sniff the jacket that Amos gave her. She expected to smell some manly and expensive perfume but no matter how many times she sniffed it inside the elevator, it still smelled like baby powder. How ironic, she thought, since instead of gun powder, it was baby powder. 

While still waiting to reach her floor, she smiled at her own reflection thinking that nobody managed to surprise her as many times as Amos did today. She looked at the changing numbers of the elevator and composed herself when the doors opened. 

A man in a suit welcomed her and guided her to the only double doors in the entire floor. Two men in black guarding the doors opened it for her and the smell of formality, luxury, and business welcomed her. She cannot properly scan the whole crowd but, surely her relatives and some business partners attended.

Only the stage’s lights were on, leaving the crowd in a minimized lighting. A woman in a simple black dress guided her towards where her parents are staying. She saw their table but only her mother was there. Before sitting down, she placed the jacket on the chair’s backrest. Her mother just nodded at her before turning her gaze towards the stage.

“And that is why our family will always be thankful to the Ivanov family”, the woman on the stage said, ending her speech and earning an applause after.

“Mrs. Ivanov really helped a lot of people. Happy birthday, once again, madam. Everyone, enjoy the party with your heart’s content”, the man whom Orianne thought as the MC, said and the lights were turned on back again. Another round of applause echoed around the room after the MC left the stage.

“Finally done with their talks”, her mother said with a sigh. 

A waiter came with a tray of drinks and left two glasses on their table before proceeding to the next table beside theirs.

“Where is father when he should be with you?”, Orianne asked as she grabbed the glass of champagne and took a sip.

Her mother did so too, before replying.

“He went out to check on something. I’m so tired of the greetings earlier, ugh”, her mother softly lamented. Her eyes looked tired.

“Was it something serious?”, Oriana wondered since it had to be his father checking when they could have their men do it. 

“Pretty serious, according to him. Your father is just overreacting with all of this”, Maria Odessa replied as she swirled the champagne around the glass and stopped when she spotted her husband arriving through her drinking glass.

“Oh, you talk about the devil and he’s here”, she said with a grin and placed the glass of champagne on the table. She lifted her head a bit, giving her husband ease as he kissed her forehead. Orianne, who was watching, looked away and pretended to sip on her glass.

Her father sat beside her mom and buttoned his jacket.

“What is it that you had to personally check on the matter?”, Orianne fired right away.

“Just a business for men”, her father briefly answered as he raised his hand to call for a waiter. 

“Oh, Reagan. The target didn’t move that much, did he?”, Maria Odessa teased her husband and chuckled right after.

A waiter came, carrying a tray with a glass of Spirytus vodka. 

“Like he should, yes. Though I should have pulled the trigger”, her father sounded so disappointed for not shooting somebody like he wanted to. Orianne was growing suspicious about how her parents are letting the conversation flow.

“The poor boy won’t even think about doing it immediately”, Orianne’s mother said, making Orianne have a hint on what they’re talking about. Maria Odessa took a quick glance at her daughter to see her reaction and just smiled at her husband after seeing Orianne’s confusion slowly getting answered.

“He didn’t but he prepared a Paramount Marauder. He just didn’t have the chance of doing it on their way since I’ve assigned men along the road”, her father said after drinking the glass of vodka in one shot. He raised his hand once again for another glass but Maria Odessa grabbed his arm and slammed it on the table. 

Orianne raised an eyebrow since her mother is still smiling after what she just did. 

“Amos is not like you, Reagan. Even delaying the shipment of those guns just to…hmmmm”, her mother said and her chuckle at the end just added to how malicious her words were. 

“So you were checking on us?”, Orianne asked for clarification.

“Oh, you’re father is just overreacting about all of this. You must understand since his young lady will be wedded  soon”, her mother said, totally ignoring how her husband is glaring at her. She was still gripping his wrist against the table.

“That bastard even has the audacity to look through my scope. I should have truly pulled the trigger but if I did, that means he did something inappropriate to you”, her father said and finally recovered his arm from his wife.

Orianne now remembered that after she stole a kiss, Amos looked up and then shook his head after. They said their goodbyes after that. 

“Good evening, sir, madam. May I borrow your daughter for a moment?”, Leo, one of their business partners, said, interrupting the conversation of the three. 

Orianne just nodded at her parents before going with Leo. They went near the glass windows where a few people stood. 

“So about the anniversary’s venue, the president agreed on celebrating it in one of your hotels”, Leo started. Their company was going to celebrate its 76th anniversary and looking for a venue ready to accommodate a large number of people. 

“That’s great, then. You can just contact our company for final touches. It’s good that he agreed despite him having grudges against my brother”, Orianne said. A waiter came and both grabbed a drink. 

“Our boss might be irrational sometimes but since the company grew, more people came and we just can’t accommodate all of them in our usual venue so… he’s left with no choice. I didn’t see your brother around.”

“He’s in America for a big business. It’s going to be a month long.” Orianne noticed how Leo is silent after that and looking at her back. She was curious and looked to where his eyes were looking at. 

There stood, Demyan, Orianne’s rumored boyfriend. She didn’t make any statements about it since she will just add fuel to the fire. Demyan has been trying his luck with Oriana but her parents gaze were warning her every time a relative asked if she will answer Demyan. 

Orianne put on her smile before greeting him.

“Good evening, Demyan”, she greeted and Leo just bowed before leaving. 

“You look pretty as always, Orianne. I just didn’t want to miss the chance of dancing with you tonight”, he said as he held out his hand. Orianne was about to reason out that she’s still having her drink when a waiter was heading their way and her glass was already empty. 

“For the last time, Demyan. Things will not run as they used to be after this night”, she said and gave the waiter her glass. 

She lifted her hand and was about to land it on his hand when a gunshot was fired from outside, breaking the glass, and Orianne didn’t miss how the bullet passed in front of her and hitting the floor. Men in their suits came out of nowhere and seized Demyan. It all happened so fast that Oriana just stood there while some guests were already hysterical. 

“Damn it! Let go of me! Who do you think you’re touching?!”, Demyan shouted while struggling to get out of the men’s grasps but they were unmovable. 

Some ladies tended to Orianne, asking if she was alright which she just nodded at as an answer. She thought it might be an assassination but a sniper couldn’t miss that bad. In fact, the sniper is at an advantage since there were a lot of tall buildings around and she was near the window, not moving and easy to hit. She was more even convinced that it wasn’t an assassination when she saw how her parents were still sitting at their places, her mother even rubbing her father’s arm while he drinking his glass of surely another vodka. 

People were still a bit hysterical and the organizers tried their best to calm everybody down and clean up the mess. Demyan was still struggling to get out of the men’s grasp until they let him go. Orianne was still thinking of what the bullet’s purpose could be. In the middle of her thinking, the lights went out and screams were heard. 

The screen on the stage suddenly lit up, catching everyone’s attention. 

“I only left her for about thirty minutes and men started crowding over her.”

The party’s attendees were now murmuring, trying to make a sense out of what he just said.

Orianne just smirked as she crossed her arms. Her fiance was interesting but she didn’t think that he would be this interesting. From the video’s background, she could see that he was still driving.

“Moya missis, grab my jacket, wear it, and go home. Your ride is ready outside. I’m sorry for the intervention, Mrs. Ivanov, but my won’t my wife be touched by any men tonight.” 

The video turned off and the lights were back on.

Orianne didn’t miss how he addressed her as “my wife”. She covered her mouth to hide her grin.