Chapter 2 _____ Azrael De Luca

5 YEARS LATER............

|| Kiera Stevens's POV ||

" You must go, Kiera!", My dad finally raised his voice, speaking after a short cough. His days weren't going well after he crossed his late sixties. Sometimes, he just passed everything to his assistance and rested for days at home.

Sighing, I straightened up my spine to reconsider his proposal. He wanted me to join a business party tonight, a hall full of artificial people. Yes, I called them artificial because they could do anything for the publicity stunt. I hated business life, this career that he intended to pass me one day. But staring at his wrinkled face, I didn't find my courage to turn him again.

" Just today...", I mumbled after a long sigh, turned around and headed upstairs with the magazine in my hand. He wanted me to take his place because my recent advertisements had made headlines, so many people admiring my stunt. 

Yes after a fucking damn 4 years break, I was comeback on runway, on screen. I think,being rich made my life a little more easier. My rich father had arranged everything in abroad, safely brought my precious son in this world. It was all a dark secret that we kept safe until now.

It wasn't easy to move on from the past but I had my lesson. After breaking and shattering myself into pieces, I made my comeback a year back. Although, I didn't achieve anything massive so far, I was happy enough to know that I was progressing. Stepping on the hallway, I sighed, praying that everything would work out well in today's business party.

__________

" You look stunning in this outfit girl! ", Mr.Marshallow commented, raking his eyes through my body. I tried not to cringe the way, his eyes looked deep through my skin.

" Thanks!", I responded with a polite small, rocking the champagne in my grip.

This party was so boring. Everyone around me was talking actively like some controlled robot, so formalities always. I heard from my father's assistant, Arnaldo that the party had all the important business figures of this state. I better try to communicate with more people. But I must say that the organizer threw a vast amount of money over this single party. The red, soft carpet underneath my feet was definitely exported from Iran even the curtains. Wines, champagne everything were exclusively brought from overseas. Not only that, the staff were excellent in English to communicate well with the guests.

Rich Party!

Probably, it was the reason that my dad asked me to dress properly. This sea blue backless dress around my body made me stiff while moving. My face was well painted by my makeup artist, Alba. She did my make-up most of the time and made sure that I was looking presentable. For hairs, I did it all by myself, only straightened after combing through it.

" Did you meet the new investor?", Mr.Mashallow spoke through his sip, his eyes still stayed lustfully on mine.

How badly I wished that I could tear off his dirty eyes!

I shook my head, remembering how my father gossiped about a new investor in this state. He claimed that the investor had a powerful background and happened to carry Italian names. If it was possible for me, I should be grabbing this opportunity to talk to him but not with Mr.Marshallow, please.

Mr.Marshallow boasted arrogantly, smirking like a professional playboy,

" Well, I know him from a recent party. You can come with me if you want. You know, not everyone gets this opportunity to talk to him especially when he has a serious temper."

I was mature enough to detect his fucking ideas. Even at his fifty something like age, his dirty character didn't improve a bit. He was still a fucker. He wanted to lure me on his trap. Before I could give him any reason, a sweet buttery voice came from the other side,

" Honey!"

I saw his wife, walking in high heels. As soon as they became closer, they locked their lips briefly. I just rolled my eyes, admiring how my thoughts were right about this business circle. Everything, they do just for the publicity stunt. Mr.Marshallow's wife eyed me for a second before dragging her husband away from there. Trust me, I thanked seven heaves for that. Sighing in relief, I turned to head for the corridor to get some fresh air.

____________

" You are finally into business!", a voice pulled over my thoughts from the starry sky above. Startling slightly, I whipped my head back to see Jasper Winston, standing in his dark grey suit.

Jasper..

A name that used to bring a big smile on my face. Even his presence used to lead me squirming like a happy kitten. I bit my lips hard, unable to face the emotional blow unexpectedly. It had been four damn years since we last talked... corrections argued.

Humming, I drew a long breath to control my palpating heartbeat. It wasn't easy to suppress your emotions in front of the man whom you used to love once. Jasper changed over the past few years. The boyish face had long lost and was now replaced with a manly aura. He had joined his father's business not too long back. I guess, it was my stupidity to think that he wouldn't be here tonight.

Jasper's eyes danced all over my expression, speaking in a low, careful voice,

" How are you doing?"

Healing faster than before...

I wanted to shout at his face those words but swallowed them all down only because he deserved better. After blowing my cheeks out, I spoke casually,

" Well.. what's up with you?"

Jasper pressed his lips to say something when another sweet, melting tone froze his words midway,

" Baby!"

Soon, the sounds of high heels hammered over the marble floor. Anastasia Brown made her appearance at the right time.

My jaw clenched hard at the sight of her smiling face. My once bestfriend now rival in modeling career gave a sweet kiss on her fiancee's cheeks. Jasper smiled at her awkwardly and restrained himself from speaking anymore to me. Anastasia glared at me and smirked when Jasper made his way back inside the party after she whispered something in his ears.

Fuck! Was she trying to make me jealous?

Anastasia and I debuted together in the industry. After the scandal 4 years back, I took a long break from the industry and Anastasia rose fame too fast. Now, she was the most demanding model in this state. The mystery behind my drugging at that after-party was still unknown but I strongly believed that it had something to do with Anastasia since I found her in bed with my so called boyfriend, Jasper at that same night. I remembered those moments from the party clearly. I and Anastasia were half-drunk then had to book separate rooms to spend the night. Actually, Anastasia was the one who booked those rooms for us. Then, I had no idea how the hell, I ended up, entering into a wrong room and fucked a complete stranger. The following day, I blamed alcohol for everything until a specialist in abroad told me that he detected drug in my blood. Unfortunately, I had no time to comeback and look for the answer since I was pregnant. The news was already exposed to the media but fortunately, my father had a strong team to wipe those rumours. Furthermore, nothing could change the fact that I was pregnant with a stranger's child.

Why did she had to backstab me so cruelly?

Anastasia trotted over me, her arms folded over her chest. Glaring hard at my face, she spouted with hatred,

" Are you trying to seduce my fiancee,Kiera?"

I chuckled, resting my eyes lazily on her face,

" Sorry, Miss Brown. I don't want to steal some second handed pieces of trash."

Her face stiffened hard after she let out an arrogant snort. Moving closer to my face, she smirked devilishly,

" Are you jealous that he chose me over you?"

I rolled my eyes and parted my lips to respond but Anastasia added with a wicked smile,

" But unfortunately..he doesn't wish to stay a whore like you who was fucked by three men at a time."

My fists clenched aside after she slammed those words at my face and trotted away, wiggling her hips dramatically. Tears threatened to spew over from my eyes. Days passed yet the scar didn't heal completely. No matter how many times, I convinced myself, telling that only one man was appearing in my blurry vision. It wouldn't change anything because people believed rumours more than my truth.

But were there really three separate guys that night?

Even the thought gave me the urge to vomit at myself. How could I be so stupid to trust Anastasia always blindly? I regarded her as my sister from a different mother.

Fortunately, my memories didn't get the time to sink deeper as the host announced passionately from the stage,

" EVERYONE!! Let's welcome our new investor of state, AZRAEL DE LUCA!"