5. A mysterious man

The charity gala was already brimming with people as we made our appearance, so much so that our arrival had almost gone unnoticed. So many people from different fields of business, academia, and bureaucracy were present that I almost felt like I was invisible. They were all important people that made significant contributions to society and in the process also managed to fill their bank accounts with shit ton of money. 

Such a crowd was not new to me, thankfully. I was adopted into a very wealthy family, and hence, I grew up around elitism. I had been to countless flashy events like this in my life that by now I had mastered the art of socializing and small talk. It came as second nature to me, and yet, I couldn’t help but despise it with all my heart. 

“Stay close to me, alright?” He said, “I need to introduce you to a lot of people. Let them know that we are a happily married couple so that they understand that I can be a capable CEO.” 

I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my face when he uttered those words. The fact that he could so effortlessly lie and fool people into believing what they wanted to see was rather commendable. He was a very smart man, and a rather cunning one at that, hence why I believe he is an excellent CEO. However, the company has been seeing some ups and downs lately, mostly downs, which was making the board question if it has anything to do with the company’s leadership. 

While I think their suspicions are outrageous, the various investors in the company didn’t share the sentiment with me. They were apprehensive about Calvin’s administration, and if he didn’t do something to assure them that he was capable, the talk of his replacement would soon come up. We can’t have that, so Calvin has been working extra hard these days to impress the board and the investors. The charity gala today was one such opportunity that, if used rightly can benefit him tremendously. All he had to do was he was a secure and reliable man with a supporting family. 

“As you say.” I nodded, and wrapped my arm around his, ready to enter the hall. 

I hadn’t realized how long we were at it. One after the other, Calvin pulled me to different groups of people and introduced me to them. Time passed as I engaged in small conversations with them, enough to let them know that I belonged with my husband, but not so much that they realized our broken relationship. 

Right before dinner, Calvin had excused himself and went to chat with an old friend, giving me some alone time with myself. In an attempt to kill some time, I took a stroll along the corridor that hung all the paintings that would be auctioned today. A group of artists were featured today, and the revenue generated from their art would all go to charity. As I swarmed my eyes over the painting, a particular piece managed to catch my eyes and it instantly drew me toward it. As I looked at it closely, I realized that it was a piece by my favorite artist Bernard. I found myself at awe as I looked at his painting, and how beautifully he captured the woman. I don’t remember how long I had been staring at it before I felt a tap on my shoulder. 

As I turned around, I was surprised to see Calvin and his friend. And it was no ordinary friend. He was the same man that was looking to invest in Calvin’s business. I ought to create a lasting impact. 

“James, this is my wife, Cassandra.” 

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cassandra.” He said, taking my hand and putting it to his lips. 

“Likewise. And please call me Cassie.” I said, parting my teeth to give him a dazzling grin. 

“Cassie.” He nodded with a smile before his eyes looked over my shoulder, “Are we disturbing you?”

I subconsciously eyed the painting I was so mesmerized with and gave a shy laugh, “No, no. I was merely admiring this painting. It's one of my favorites.” 

“Is it?” He said, before narrowing his eyes to observe it. “That must be Bernard’s.”

”It is.” I beamed, proud of his sharp eye. 

He looked over at Calvin then, “This one’s up for auction, mate. Would you like to bid?”

”Bid?” I repeated, “Oh, no. That’s okay.”

”No, you should have it. Art is barely appreciated nowadays.” James said, “Besides, Calvin was looking for an opportunity to contribute to the charity tonight. After all, all the earnings will go for a noble cause.” 

I looked over at Calvin who was looking rather uncertain. I could tell that he was on the fence regarding this, but since it was a matter of pride, I doubted he would say no. After all, he had to impress James. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Calvin finally said, “I’ll go and let them know that there’s a buyer interested.”

As fate would have it, before we could get our hands on the painting, we got to know that there was another buyer interested in it. Realizing that it was not worth the money and effort, I asked Calvin to drop the idea. 

“Of course I’m not going to drop out of it now, Cassie. Not when everyone already knows.” He hissed. 

Swallowing, I looked toward the stage in worry. The current bid was eighty thousand dollars and the other bidder was drastically increasing the bidding amount. I watched in worry as Calvin relentlessly fought, and soon, the bidding price reached half a million. 

Everyone gasped in shock as the bidder announced the price, so much so that even Calvin was shocked. Who was interested in it suddenly? There was only one other person who was participating in the auction and I was not able to catch a glimpse of him. 

“Mr. Enzo De Luca has won the bid for half a million dollars!” 

I stared in horror and Calvin lost, his face turning red with humiliation. He shot an icy glare toward me, an accusatory look swarming within. I took a step back in apprehension, worried he might yell at me. After all, I was the one that put him in this position. 

Thankfully, he remained mindful of our surroundings and kept his wrath to himself. Instead, he meekly turned around and walked out of the hall. No! This shouldn’t be happening! I wanted to impress him, not make him feel humiliated like this! Oh, God! This is inevitably going to make things worse between us. This is the last thing I needed!

Amidst the cheering of the crowd, my attention went to the man that caused all of this. Who was the bidder that was so insistent on buying this painting? I could tell that he was a tall man, and since he was surrounded by people all around, I could hardly catch any glimpse of his face. I noticed his eyes, and suddenly, they shifted toward mine. Arresting his brown eyes with mine, he stared into them intently. Despite the distance between us, I felt as though I had seen those eyes before, a sense of familiarity quickly swarming over me. 

However, I was quick to move my eyes away, realizing that Calvin had left me alone here. Turning my head away, I rushed out of the hall, following the direction Calvin took off. Still, at the back of my mind, I couldn’t get the idea of that mysterious man out of my head.