Vic felt like his heart would stop as he stood frozen, staring at the sight that greeted him.
It was the night of Queen of Heart's company banquet in celebrations of its tenth anniversary. The party will be held at the Reinhart Mansion's vast garden and all the higher-ups in Reinhart Group were expected to attend, as well as a number of VIPs in the entertainment and business world.
He was welcoming an executive from one of the company's partners when they heard a commotion.
At the mansion's entrance, the organizers of the event had placed a red carpet to welcome celebrities and esteemed guests. The place was littered with photographers from different media outlets, all wanting to take photos of their VIPs.
A black Lexus arrived and Venice Reinhart emerged from its opened door, escorted by her twin brother, Topher. The only male heir to the Reinhart empire, Topher, had just come back from abroad after graduating in one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
The crowd of photographers began snapping pictures of Venice, who stopped to pose at the red carpet, flaunting a red sweetheart tube mermaid gown which opened up to an oversized ruffled skirt below her knees. Vic couldn't help but shake his head. It was Venice's style to come to a party wearing over the top dresses that would grab everyone's attention. It didn't matter if the dress was uncomfortable or that the skirt was too fitted, that she had a hard time walking. What's important was she gets to become the star of any event.
Meanwhile, reporters vie to get Venice's attention for a quick interview, but she simply lifted her chin up and ignored them. Vic felt thankful that Topher was with her this time, or else she would have insisted that he escort her the entire night. While the two were twins, they looked nothing alike. Many who don't know them would mistake them as unrelated, or maybe distant relatives. Venice looked a lot like her mother, Evelyn, while Topher took after his father.
It was just as the two were about to enter the lobby that Anya's red sportscar entered the driveway. Anya's assistant emerged from the front seat and hurriedly opened the door to the back. To his surprise, it was Lizzie who got out.
Lizzie was a picture of innocence in her white taffeta dress, with a lace overlay top that provides a see-through effect on her shoulders and sleeve and a plain A-line skirt that rests above her ankles. There was a glow around her that Vic hadn't seen since the tragedy that happened to her family. Vic felt relieved. Lord knows how much pain the young girl had gone through in the past two years.
The door to the driver's side opened and a woman got out. Vic felt as if his heart had leapt to his throat.
She looked stunning in her body-hugging rust orange satin gown. The asymmetrical sleeve and deep V-shaped neckline that reached to her waist gave her an edgy look, contrasting the smooth flow of her satin skirt that accentuated the curve of her waist and hips. Her hair was tied in a long, straight ponytail with bangs neatly combed to the side, revealing her neck and shoulders.
There was an even louder commotion as cameras began clicking incessantly while she walked gracefully on the red carpet with the two following close behind. She seemed unfazed by the flurry of flashing lights and calmly walked across.
"Hey there, neighbor," she said when she arrived at the door.
"Mr. Marquez, is she a new artist under Queen of Hearts?" the executive Vic was talking to asked.
Anya's red lips parted to flash a kilowatt smile.
Snapping out of his reverie, Vic cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "This is Anya Delacroix, our new creative director. Anya, this is Mr. Sandoval, one of our business partners."
The man's eyes widened in surprise. "You're that famous choreographer?"
Anya offered her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sandoval."
They had expected for the man to shake her hand, but instead, Jeremy Sandoval lifted her hand to his lips. Without thinking, Vic's hand moved to stop him. However, Anya had already pulled her hand back.
He exhaled in relief, realizing that he had unconsciously held his breath. "Would you mind if I talk to Anya for a while, Mr. Sandoval? Matt will show you inside." Without even waiting for a reply, Vic pulled Anya aside, leaving the man behind.
Matt, as if reading Vic's mind, gestured Mr. Sandoval inside along with Lizzie and Erica.
"You should try not to get too close to Mr. Sandoval," Vic told Anya. "He's known to prey on beautiful women."
"So you think I'm beautiful, Mr. Marquez?" she asked teasingly, hooking one hand around his forearm.
Once again, his senses were invaded by the faint smell of jasmine flowers, making him feel lightheaded. Of course she's beautiful. But Vic has seen his share of gorgeous women who wanted to throw themselves at him, yet not one was able to move him. So why was it he became angry upon seeing Mr. Sandoval kiss her hand?
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The party was in full swing. Vic escorted Anya around the venue, introducing her to Reinhart Group's Board of Directors and other guests at Curtis Reinhart's request. The old man attended the party despite still being weak. He had a cane in his hand to help him stand and could not walk without Gavin's help.
When they had talked to most of the guests, Vic was called by one of the guests and excused himself, leaving Anya to look for Lizzie and Erica.
She found Lizzie standing alone on the terrace and began to walk towards her when she noticed Venice going the same way. But instead of walking, Venice was doing more of a shuffle as the skirt of her tacky red mermaid dress allowed little room for maneuvering.
"This banquet is only for Reinhart Group employees and VIPs," Venice said haughtily. "You're no longer a Reinhart and are not a part of the company. So, what are you doing here?"
"I..." Lizzie stammered.
Venice looked at her from top to bottom. "Look at you," she sneered. "All dressed up, huh? You think you belong here now? Well, you're still a nobody!"
Anya hurriedly went to stand between the two, fearing that something bad may happen.
"Ah!" she heard Lizzie shriek just as she felt liquid get poured on her. She looked down on her dress and saw reddish liquid.
Venice stood there, the glass of wine in her hand empty.
Anya exhaled loudly. "Miss Venice, do you really have to go so far?" she asked in a voice that was heard over the noise of the party. By now, everyone around was looking at them, alerted by the commotion. "Thankfully, I was able to move quickly. What if you manage to pour it on Lizzie's white dress?"
Audible gasps could be heard from the crowd. Murmurs which started quietly rose to a crescendo.
"That... I.. I didn't mean to... I-it was an accident," Venice stammered. But the damage was already done, and people began looking at her accusingly.
"Lizzie is here because I invited her," Anya continued. "So please stop bothering my trainee or I will file for harassment on her behalf!" She turned to Lizzie, taking her hand and, not waiting for Venice's reply, pulled her away from the scene.