Resting Bitch Face

Althaia

As soon as we entered the mansion, a wave of nostalgia hit me as I looked around. I made so many memories in this house, and even though most of the interior had been changed, there was still a sense of familiarity.

The staircase had been remodeled into a glossy beige that led to two small separate staircases on either side to get to the top floor. A sparkling crystal chandelier was suspended from the center of the staircase and small spotlights lit up the rest of the ceiling, giving it a nice, elegant look.

I guess my father was too busy with the mansion to phone me back.

I mentally scoffed but forced myself to think of the good times. The twelve years that I stayed here were amazing because I had Cara and Michael.

As we walked towards the back of the mansion, we could hear music and people talking. We walked through the French doors to the gardens outside down a stony path that twisted around the corner to the house’s right side. I enjoyed the view of the gorgeous flowers and plants of different colors on either side of the path. I had to admit that the gardener did one heck of a job, because it felt like I was walking through a meadow of many beautiful colors.

Since we were still out of sight from the other party guests, I halted in my steps just before we rounded the corner to join the party.

“Just take a deep breath, Thaia. You will be fine, I promise.” I glanced at Michael, and he gave me a comforting smile while giving my hand a gentle squeeze. I tightened my grip on his hand, relieved he was here.

“I know, it’s just nerves getting to me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, and there are just so many memories.” I gave him a brief smile back. He pulled me closer to him, which I welcomed because it calmed down my nerves that were increasingly building.

When we turned the corner, I was stunned.

“Wow.” I breathed out as I took in the sight in front of me.

A big open space with massive trees dressed up with strings of lights from one tree to another created a ceiling of light above our heads. The garden was decorated with round tables with linen tablecloths, and vases with gold engravings, holding white and soft pink Camellia flowers in them. If this was just the engagement party, I couldn’t imagine how grand the wedding would be. And it definitely would be grand just by looking at the glamorous people present here.

“Yeah, I agree.” Michael spoke, taking in the backyard. “I’ll put this on the gift table. Can I get you something to drink?” He motioned his head to the far-right side, where the bar was with a bartender.

“Anything without alcohol would be great, thanks. I want to stay as sober as possible.” I let him know. A few glasses of champagne were usually not a problem but I was still nervous as hell, and I would probably just down one drink after another to ease my nerves.

I couldn’t risk it.

“Sure thing! I will be right back.” I watched him as he went on his way to the gift table.

Shit, now I’m alone.

I searched the crowd to see if I could locate Cara. What I didn’t notice was that half of the people were already staring at me while I was in my own little miserable bubble. I moved my feet slightly as I felt uneasy with everyone’s eyes on me.

And I also suddenly felt underdressed because it was like the backyard had been filled with models from Italian Vogue. I have never seen so many beautiful people gathered in one place. Women had on long, gorgeous gowns, and men wore suits that made them appear as if they didn’t come from this violent world.

It was intimidating.

It was easy to see that I didn’t belong here, and I wouldn’t mind being rescued right now, as I gave some awkward smiles to the people who looked at me. Where the hell was Cara? I kept looking around to see if I could spot her somewhere, but there were too many people.

Someone caught my attention as my gaze fell on him. My breath got caught in my throat and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

He’s gorgeous. Breathtaking, actually.

His black dress pants showed off his strong legs, and a black dress shirt that clung to his body, so mouthwatering. It was slightly unbuttoned, exposing some of his chest. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, which showed off his heavily tattooed arms. His dark hair, short on the sides, and longer on the top was styled perfectly.

This man was the embodiment of perfection.

My gaze moved from his feet to his face, tracing his body along the way. His presence enthralled me, so much I couldn’t help but keep my gaze on him for a moment longer. He was a tall man, smoking a cigarette, and even from a distance, I could feel the immense power radiating from him.

I was intrigued.

He cocked his head to the side as he studied me. He pinned me with his gaze, and his face remained completely emotionless. His eyes were intensely focused on me, and I felt like I was in a trance, unable to look away as we remained locked in a stare from afar.

“Don’t look at him like that.” Michael abruptly appeared in front of me, taking me by surprise, and obstructing my view of the man. “He has killed people for staring at him the wrong way.” He stated as he handed me a drink.

“Huh?” I breathed out and blinked at him, confused. “I was just looking around. How am I supposed to find the person I’m looking for if I’m not allowed to look?” I gave a soft chuckle at his exaggeration and raised a brow at him.

“The way you looked at him can get your ass shot.” Michael gave me a stern look, making it clear that this was not a joke. I looked at him with wide eyes, suddenly feeling scared that the man would shoot me because I took my time to look at him.

“Wait, really? Oh, shit! What do I do? Do I apologize?” I spoke in a hurry. I didn’t mean it in a bad way; he was truly too beautiful not to look at.

Michael let out a small snort.

“No, just don’t look at him. I don’t know if you have heard of this, Althaia, but you have a mean resting bitch face. You looked like you were ready to fight him or something.” He spoke under his breath. I choked on my drink, making a fool out of myself as I laughed.

“I may have heard that a few times.” I grinned.