CH 0002

Stepping into the luxurious party that had the perfect mood and vibe, filled with elites and socialites that had been invited as guests too, Skylar walked behind her boss, dressed in a perfect, gorgeous silver dress that was picked by the sales assistants, while Ivan waited outside the clothes mall impatiently.

It took them time to find her perfect size because of her round figure, which was quite an uncommon size in a lady as petite as her, and it required a brief fitting too.

And after they finally found the right fit for her, she gasped out in shock mixed with happiness to see how good it looked on her. He paid for the dress and a matching heel even before she came out in the luxurious combination, and they arrived at the event grounds a few minutes later.

Skylar's eyes took another glance at her boss as she walked slowly behind him after they alighted the car, and she could not help but roll her eyes, ‘And just once again, he had to look very perfect for the event! He didn't even need to do much.’

As they proceeded into the party through the main gate, Ivan's eyes scanned around the launching party, and he immediately decided that he was not going to waste his time around there, and would just make his presence known before he left.

“Wait for me here, and just stand around. By 9:30 PM exactly. I will be by the gate, and then we leave,” he informed Skylar, and strode away from her sight before she could even acknowledge his instructions.

‘Ah! That arrogant man! Just how long would she have to put up with his arrogance?! Why did he now make a fuss about her dress anyway?’

Even if she was feeling a little nervous in her dress that seemed to not be serving its worth anymore because she was away from Ivan, the center of attraction, Skylar found a stand miles away from him, since he just wanted her to be on standby.

She observed with cautiousness every lady that stood elegantly in twos and threes, and they all seemed to be talking about Ivan Hamilton, who had just arrived at the party.

How could they not? He was too irresistible of a man to not be noticed, and he unintentionally called attraction to himself like moths to a flame.

“Ivan, I am so glad you came,” Antonio Garvin, the host of the party, approached Ivan as soon as he saw him, and they both exchanged pleasantries.

“It is my pleasure,” Ivan's face remained as calm as ever, as Antonio quickly introduced him to some others, sparking a topic of interest, as the boss of the business world was standing in their midst.

Ivan had a few conversations with some of his acquaintances at the party also, his eyes watching time cautiously to be sure of the perfect time to leave. From businessmen, to entrepreneurs, to hot, young CEOs who all wanted to converse with him, it was quite difficult to navigate through the party while making sure to eat or drink nothing.

Unbeknownst to him, his dear, very mannered and disciplined secretary was drinking glasses of champagne and taking shots of drinks while awaiting his arrival, and taking the chance of the event to lay off the day's stress from her body.

“You seem to be without that tenacious secretary of yours today,” Ivan paused on his track, hearing the obnoxious voice behind him, just when he had barely freed himself from unwanted company, “It is quite a surprise, though. She is always stuck to you like glue,” Marcus continued, tauntingly.

“That fierce cat. She is always overprotective. I wonder how she copes with his ridiculousness anyway,” Hermes gloated, and it took Ivan willpower not to send a punch into his face.

He turned instantly, his eyes glancing derisively at the ones who were talking, and he could not believe that they were still the same even after years had passed. They were both childhood classmates, whom he had gone to their elite high school with, and also the same college.

Their families were conglomerates too, and their fathers were business associates with his father. However, he was not like them. He hated their company, never honored their invitation to their club, never hung out with them, and was effortlessly the most successful, having taken over his family conglomerate. Of course, they hated his guts too.

To them, he was too proud, obnoxious and acted like he was better. He was still the same when they were in high school, and the same even as adults.

“Do you have anything to say to me?” Ivan's cold and dark gaze was enough to tell them that he was still not interested in whatever they had to say to him.

“Still as proud as ever, hunh?” Hermes's lips twisted into a tight smirk, his eyes raised in irritation because Ivan still seemed to look down on them. It hurt his feelings even if he tried too hard to hide it.

“I will be leaving if you have nothing to say,” he turned away from both of them even before they could say anymore, and made up his mind to leave the party instantly before he got mad and acted silly. He was done.

Ivan stood in a spot, his peering eyes looking past every lady standing in the crowd, searching for his secretary, whose silhouette he would recognize in the dark. And just as his eyes found her from the distance at which he stood, he shook his head when he saw her holding two glasses of champagne in her hand at the same time.

And just as he was about to take the next step to go and scold her, a dextrous waitress collided with him, causing him to flinch and bend his body backwards instinctively, as soon as the tray of champagne delved into his stomach. However, the damage had been done.

The crystal glasses had shattered with the liquid it held, soiling deep his impeccable suit, as the tray clattered to the floor, drawing the attention of the people around him instantly. The party seemed to pause for a split second as the eyes of those around him turned towards the source of the commotion, as Ivan stood there, sodden into a complete mess.

It had them in a collective gasp to see what had ensued at the moment, the ladies more taken aback that their dear Ivan had been soiled by a clumsy fool. However, knowing his personality, they did not move a foot from where they were, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

The waitress, a young woman with wide, aghast eyes, immediately began to stammer with panic, almost crying, “Oh my God, I am so sorry, please forgive me. I didn't see you coming. Let me help you,” she fumbled for a napkin, her hands quivering uncontrollably, as she tried to dab at the champagne soaking his suit and face.

Ivan held up a hand to stop her, his expression calm and composed despite the mess she had gotten him into, “It is alright,” he said, his facial expression unbelievably calm and collected, “Don’t worry about it.”

The waitress's eyes were still lingering with fear, her entirety trembling and her heart beating fast, her attempts to clean him up only making things worse, “I am so sorry, sir,” she continued to fumble with the napkin.

Ivan gently took the napkin from her hand, seeing that she was making more mess on his clothes, “I will take care of it myself,” his sharp voice stated.

“I am so sorry,” the waitress whispered again, retreating slightly from him as her boss came to apologize on her behalf instantly, while her fellow waitresses came to pick up the broken glasses away from the floor so that they would not wound anyone.

Ivan turned away from everyone's sight in a very cool manner and stalked elegantly toward the restroom to get himself cleaned up. He removed his jacket in an instant, and ran water over the napkin he still had with him to dab his face clean and just wash his hand, knowing that there was no need to try and clean it.

Barely a few minutes after coming out of the restroom, he noticed that he suddenly became lightheaded as he made his way out, and something within him was beginning to swirl within him, causing a slight unsteadiness in his step.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, knowing that he had taken no drink, but the feeling only grew stronger, as his vision blurred slightly, followed by a strange warmth that had begun to spread through his body.

Ivan pressed a hand to his forehead in bewilderment, as he wondered what was happening to him. Panic surged through him instantly, and he knew something had gone wrong, as he tried his best to move fast, knowing he had to find Skylar immediately.

With each step he took, his legs grew heavier and his body grew hotter, a deep innate desire surging through his body, causing him to suddenly grow hard within his legs.

Skylar, who had been waiting for him for several minutes at the exact time she said they should meet at the entrance, sighted him coming unsteadily, as she scurried fast to meet him, only to notice that something was wrong with him.

“Mr. Hamilton, are you alright?” she asked, stepping forward to support him as he stumbled slightly, causing her bruised foot to hurt even more.

He grabbed her arm, his grip surprisingly weak, “I... I need to get out of here now!” he managed to say to her, his voice thick and slurred, “Something is wrong...”