Daniel's POV
The hall swayed with soft music. Clusters of guests were lost in their own conversations, their laughter mingling with the clink of glasses.
It was a dinner party to celebrate the success of reaching an agreement on bringing the evergreen app to life.
After Annabel had left yesterday, I had not seen her until now, because I chose to stay far away from her, knowing that being close to her stirs up something I'm not willing to admit.
I had messaged her earlier about the event and made every necessary arrangement for her, from the outfits down to the slightest details.
But I still wonder why she's not here yet. She was not the type to be late for anything.
What could she be doing?
Could she be avoiding me?
My eyes swept the hall and I found Cassian, he was hosting with one of the guests.
I moved closer to them and joined the discussion.
After a long while, Annabel stepped in.
My heart leaped with joy just from seeing her face. She was wearing a pink nude dress that clung to her body, blending with her skin. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail with curls dropping down perfectly over her face.
Immediately our eyes met, she gave me a warm smile that melted my heart, like she's studied every weakness I have and uses them without mercy.
I excused myself from Cassian and went to her.
She felt a bit shy when I got closer, her chin was turning pink from blushing.
"Mr. Stroke," she called out softly.
I leaned closer. "You look exquisite in that dress."
A soft, warm chuckle slipped from her lips. "It's all thanks to you." She turned to me. "Thank you, Mr. Stroke. I love the dress."
My lips were still curled in a smile as I faced her, assessing her. Then my brain began to imagine things, how I wanted to claim her lips right here, take her to somewhere private, rip her out of this dress, and fuck the hell out of her until she couldn't stand well again.
I cleared my throat. "Annabel… about yesterday, I'm sorry about everything. I acted out of line."
Her smirk went a bit faint. "It's fine, Mr. Strok…" but before she could finish, I covered the space between us, tilting my head.
"Annabel. Daniel," I reminded her.
She smiled softly. "Correction taken," she said, bowing slightly as she continued blushing.
"Come, let's go join the others."
She walked beside me as we went toward Cassian, but James voice stopped us from behind.
"Annie." It was loud and clear.
I turned to see his annoying laugh. "Hey, brother," he said, stepping closer.
When I looked at Annabel, I could see how her mood had changed.
"James, what are you doing here?" I asked, covering the space between me and him.
He laughed widely. "Oh, Daniel… come off it. I am part of this project, remember?"
"Of course I know." My chin clenched roughly. "Just know your place here. Avoid crossing my path."
I opened my mouth to continue when Cassian's voice called me from behind. "Dan." I turned around and he waved at me to come meet one of our top investors.
With a slight nod, I turned to Annabel. "Annie, I will be back. Just hang around and let me handle business."
She gave me a quiet nod with a faint smile. "I will be fine. Just go."
Just the assurance I needed, I turned to James, gave him a dark glare, and walked out on them.
With a side glance, my eyes never left Annabel and James.
My heart burned with jealousy seeing James all over her. His face got too close to Annabel, yet she did not push him away. But from the way her body was stiff, I could feel it. She was not comfortable at all.
James kept whispering words to her, while she replied with just a few words.
The hall was a bit quieter, just the faint sound of music, while Cassian gave a welcome speech.
After the room became neutral, just the hum of the guests, James' voice cut through the air. "Hello, everyone, look up here please."
He wrapped his hands around Annabel's waist. "I'm thrilled to announce that Ms. Green and I will be announcing our engagement soon. We have been in a relationship for a long time, even though there was a fallout. But now, I'm glad to announce that we are back together."
He lifted Annabel's hand and planted a soft kiss on it. "Annie, thank you for giving us a chance again."
I felt the blood drain from my face. My heart was torn apart.
Annabel was not making it any easier for me. She just stood there, grinning like someone who just found love for the first time.
Is she trying to play games with me?
How on earth would she want to go back to her ex?
The loud clap from the guests brought me back to reality.
I was fuming, the atmosphere became heavy. My eyes met Annabel's and I gave her a dark glare, but she turned away instantly.
After the room had gone back to normal and James had left Annabel to meet other guests, I took no time to march to where Annabel was.
"Annabel, what was the meaning of that madness?" My voice was stern, deep with anger.
She rolled her eyes. "Mr. Stroke, this is my life, and I choose to do whatever I wish with it."
"Really?" I gripped her wrist, not enough to hurt her, but firm to make sure she didn't pull away.
Her breath hitched. "Mr. Stroke, what are you doing? It hurts." She made an attempt to release herself, but I held on tight.
"Stop. People are watching us."
My chin ground harder. "So you care about people seeing me hold your hands?"
Fear flashed across her face.
I exhaled roughly, picked her hand, and led her out forcefully.
She was behind me as I kept moving faster, while she tried harder to keep up with my pace. "Daniel, please… what are you doing?"
Not even once did I stop or turn around to meet her eyes.
We got to the elevator and I pushed her inside once it closed, I began to move closer as she continued stepping back until her back touched the wall.
She gasped in fear.
My black eyes bored into hers, and once I was an inch closer, I slapped my hand at the wall. Her eyes widened. "Dan…"
My knuckle was white and cold. I brushed it over her face, lifting her chin to meet my gaze.
"So, tell me, do you still love him?" My lips hovered around her skin.
"I…"
I slammed my hand on the wall again. "Annabel, speak."
She shivered. "You don't have the right to ask me that."
I scoffed. "Is that what you think?"
"We made an agreement, Annabel. You signed the God damn contract yourself. You are mine!" I yelled, making her flinch in shock.
I dragged my lips over her face. "You belong to me, Annabel."
With her eyes half-lidded, she looked both daring and undone. She parted her lips, daring me to kiss her. I was so close—every part of me throbbed to claim her.
The elevator gave a low, metallic ding, making her lose balance. She was about to fall when I caught her.
Our eyes locked for a long while before she stepped back, smoothing her hair backward.
But I was not done with her.
I took her hand and we left for the lounge.