Chapter 17
The breath was knocked out of Asher once he set eyes on Lily, had only seen her dressed up like this twice during the course of their marriage, one was at their wedding and the other at his company’s anniversary dinner, but on both occasions he barely paid any attention to her and now he couldn’t help the feeling of regret of having missed seeing her like this twice!
The red gown complimented her body, and brought out her amber eyes. His eyes ran over her body once again, and an involuntary growl escaped his lips. She looked good, and he knew it, but he also knew he wasn’t the only one that had eyes. Other men do, and they will be at the dinner party. For a split second, he considered skipping the party just so he’d be the only one to see her in such a state.
Lily fidgeted uncomfortably under Asher’s dark gaze. When she saw herself in the mirror earlier, she knew she looked good, but the way he was staring at her got her heart heating, but at the same time it made her question her looks. She gripped the sides of the gown and swallowed, the wildest thoughts ran through her mind. What if he was comparing her to Charlotte? Thinking of all the reasons she’s been and will always be the better option.
Her mind reverted to the text message she received earlier, and anger coursed through her veins. If he thinks that he’ll drag her back just to embarrass her, he has another thing coming for him…. and her.
Clearing her throat, she raised her head and relaxed herself. “Do I have a smudge or something on my dress?” She asked, and without waiting for his response, she waltzed past him. “I believe we should get going. We need to be there on time.” He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it, a smile tugging at his lip as he went after her,
Their ride to the airport was a quiet and awkward one. Lily made sure not to even breath too loudly in order to avoid him mistaking it for an attempt to strike up a conversation. A repeat of this afternoon was the last thing on her list. Their vow of silence however drifted to a halt when they got closer to the venue.
“Im going to spend most of my time with Miss Darby, you won’t have to worry about me lingering by your side all evening. You can handle your business with ease”
“I never told you…” He released a breath, and nodded. “You know what? That’s good. You spend time with Miss Darby, it’ll keep me from worrying about you all night anyway.
“I never asked you to worry about me, I’m not a freaking toddler Lily retorted, and Asher nodded absentmindedly, knowing fully well that whatever he might say next will definitely spark up another unnecessary reaction. She glared at him for a full minute, before she huffed and looked away, dusting imaginary specks of dust from her gown.
“We are here.” The driver announced as the car came to a halt.
Lily’s heart immediately dropped to her stomach, but before she could collect herself, the car door was pulled open. Her eyes widered for a brief second when she saw the paparazzi packed outside, she thought it was a simple dinner event, what the hell was a paparazzi as big as this doing here?
staring down at
Her line of view with the paparazzi was immediately cut off by a shadow, and when she looked up, Asher was st her with a smile. “Here, hold my hand. She stared at his outstretched hand, then back at him without moving, and the smile on Asher’s face faltered. “You have to hold my hand. He gritted out with clenched teeth, and Lily raised a brow “We are in public, and I’m sure you need a hand to hold. The flashes when you come out are going to be insane
Sighing in resignation, she gently placed her hand on his, and just like he predicted, once he helped her out of the car, the flashes went off in a crazy way, and they all pushed forward at once, throwing different questions at them and trying to get as close as possible, but the bodyguards did a great job at holding them back.
Lily tried to maintain a cool look with a smile plastered on her face, but she couldn’t help but press further and further into Asher as they made their way to the dinner hall.
Relief coursed through her veins and she released a deep breath once they were away from the mess of a crowd. Th- thank you. I definitely needed the hand.” She forced the words out and Asher smiled in response.
For someone who was born into this life, and married into it, your walk back there is a disgrace to us.” A strange voice said
1/2
Chapter 17
from behind them, andily’s stomach lurched as she turned to see who was speaking, although she already had a guess.
Her nerves changed drastically to horror before it exploded into full fledged anger when she turned around, and it felt like she was looking into a mirror.
Charlotte stood before her, dressed in the exact gown she was wearing, the same hairdo, the same makeup, and even the same shoes! She shot an accusing glare at Asher, who looked just as confused as her but she already made up her mind that he was faking it. He was the only person that could have gone and given the details of her outfit to Charlotte.
A fake gasp brought an abrupt end to her thoughts, and forced her to turn back to Charlotte, who now had her hands over her mouth. “You are dressed like mel” Her hands dropped from her mouth, and she wore a pout and a look of pity as she looked at Lily from head to toe. “Are you that insecure you had to copy me to feel an ounce of beauty?” She asked in a baby voice, infuriating Lily even more. “Do you really want to stay with a woman who needs to copy…”
“I thought this ended when we were in highschool” Lily chirped in before Charlotte could finish her words, and Charlotte cocked her head to the side. “This… She gestured at Charlotte’s dressing, “you copying me because being you feels like shit. I thought it ended in highschool, but I guess once a fake always a fake.” She tutted and turned on her heels. “You need to get a life, sweetheart, and when you do, you can finally come meet me
SEND GIFT
