Eva remained utterly silent during the rest of the occasion while the other board members approached the company president with warmth.
She wasn't genuinely upset for not even attempting to talk to him. But everytime she glanced at him, something seemed off.
Then a text message distracted her, forcing her to clearly remember the previous texts she had received from someone who seemed to be a stalker.
Eva made the decision not to read it, but she did see that the phone numbers are different from one another. So, she gathered the courage to read the text and it says:
[Everyone at that party isn't who they seem to be. Be careful and be aware.]
Even if there might be two different numbers, that doesn't necessarily mean that just one person is using them. As a result of her distress, she finally replied to whoever was messaging her and says:
[Who is this?]
Eva replies, and the unidentified number responds right away after a minute saying:
[I have many names that you are not supposed to know. And I will be here to continue warning you.]
[I do not want to play games with you.]
[This is not a game. This is the reality. Your reality, Evangelia Marchessi.]
Eva understood that since she was left alone at the table, she was left vulnerable to whatever might seem to happen.
There aren't many people in the entire function room where she is, but she suspects that every single one of them poses a threat.
Her heart was beating rapidly as she looked at each and everyone, not until Edward grabbed the opportunity to speak with her.
"Why have you gone late?" His voice was in a whisper and despite that, Eva was still startled.
They faced each other as Edward sat down in the chair next to hers while she casually kept her phone inside her bag.
"Something happened," she sighed in relief.
"Such as?"
She was on the verge of speaking louder, "You don't need to know everything, Edward, especially when you didn't even tell me that person is the new president of my father's company."
"Why is Cameron so intriguing to you?"
"It's because he's…" Eva hesitated and could do nothing but stare at Edward. Then, she let out a sigh and turned her head away. "It doesn't matter."
Whatever her reason for suddenly holding back was understood by Edward as something she wasn't actually intending to tell him.
And as he tried to ask her, his displeased expression progressively changed into one of concern.
"How are you feeling right now?"
"Being at this party is suffocating for me," she said.
"That's not what I mean."
Eva looked at him again. "You've probably heard or seen what they did to me earlier, so please stop asking."
"Did you even expect this to happen before you went on with your decision to leave back then?" he asked.
Hardly knowing how to respond, Eva continued to glare at Edward.
Her immensely tough decision, which ended her connection with the others, was clearly the cause of that particular event back there.
"Sincere apologies for my intrusion…"
Eva finally got a good look at Cameron as he strolled over to their table and their attention shifted to him.
"I still haven't properly introduced myself to the company's vice president," he continued. "If I'm not mistaken."
Edward hurriedly got up from his chair and bowed at him. "My name's Edward Lewis,"
"Oh, you must be Ms. Fraulein's personal secretary."
"Yes. I appreciate you recognizing me."
"How can I not?" Cameron's smirk as a response somehow baffled Edward, but he was able to remain composed and professional.
Their attention was drawn to Eva's glamorous and derisive laugh which is a remark that is similar to: "I'm too good for you".
It caused the two men to glance at her as she spoke, "My failure to even recognize the new president must be humiliating."
With his mouth agape and eyes marveling at Eva, Cameron was left with his sheer interest in her.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Trying to get to know me is a waste of time. It seems like you're not very great at putting on a show," Eva said straightforwardly.
"It's because I'm a very honest and polite gentleman. The name is Cameron Larsen."
He extended his hand in front of her and asked for her hand, which she did accept.
"It is nice meeting you," he intimated, before giving her a soft kiss on the hand with Eva glancing down at him having a sneer on her lips.
Edward became aware of Eva's responses and actions toward Cameron, he made the decision to step aside and give them some time to talk.
As night fell, Cameron successfully invited Eva to his artsy sculpting studio. On their way there, Eva could hear him talking about random things but wasn't paying any attention.
"What do you think of it, Ms. Fraulein?" Cameron's sudden question got her out of her reverie.
"Oh." She was at a loss for words after hearing everything he had to say.
He couldn't help grinning at the idea of being such a dull speaker to a woman of such high standards.
So, they just continued strolling.
She couldn't help but make an observation to him as the thought that she had previously seen him elsewhere bothered her.
He is physically fit, with a wider torso than his lower body. It was almost similar to—
"Good evening, Mr. Larsen." A soft feminine voice resonated magnificently in their ears as Eva and Cameron caught a glimpse of a couple approaching them.
Eva—whom after so many years—didn't expect to see Aiden again at that very moment, and her world almost came to a complete halt.
It was the same for Aiden who finally found his first love from the past despite having another woman holding tight onto his arms.
Cameron greeted the newly arriving pair with a smile. "Ms. Harper, I thought you wouldn't be coming to my party."
"How can I not? I promised to be here on this wonderful evening. Oh! And happy birthday," the woman replied.
"Thank you," Cameron said with a smile, then noticed how Eva was just standing next to him quietly, casting a perplexed glance at the pair.
Then, the woman glanced at Eva with her soft-looking eyes and greeted, "Hello. My name is Isabella Harper. I'm Mr. Larsen's pilates instructor."
Eva immediately caught on to Isabella's introduction and smiled at her as if nothing weird happened.
"It's nice to meet you, Isabella. I'm Evangelia Fraulein," she said and immediately saw how Isabella's behavior altered before holding Aiden's hand even tighter.
Then Isabella gulped before looking at Aiden and smiled. "This is Aiden Sullivan, my boyfriend."
These words immediately struck Eva in the heart like sharp knives. She somehow anticipated hearing those words from Isabella, but it still managed to hurt so deeply.
"You guys are looking great together," Cameron complimented. "I'm happy for you, Ms. Harper."
She giggled sweetly. "Oh please. I told you to call me Isabella."
As Cameron and Isabella laughed together, Eva and Aiden were quietly left with nothing to do but stare into each other's eyes, not even planning to break it off.
Aiden feels as though he should take the chance to speak with Eva even though Isabella was there.
And by the moment he was going to speak, he was prepared to take the risk. However, Eva prevented him from doing so.
"Cameron." It came as quite a shock to him when Eva called him by his first name before abruptly touching his arms. "There's not much time. You still want to show me something, right?"
"Oh, well… uh, yes," Cameron faltered. "Y-Yes. That's right."
"Forgive us for interrupting your moment together. We will be heading back inside the hall, if you'll excuse us." They were settled with a smile from Isabella as she and Aiden walked away.
Cameron and Eva eventually arrived in the artsy sculpting studio which contains a few women's bodies that had been expertly carved.
Eva watched him as he walked around his sculptures, keeping her engaged with a plethora of stories about his experiences and progression when it comes to sculptures, carvings, and even potteries.
The most striking feature on Cameron's face was a nose that pointed downward. Due to his contagious smile, anybody would want to smile with him.
These observations brought her back to that time where she first went to a nightclub with Mara, the night before graduation.
"You must be secretly wondering where you have seen me before," Cameron's statement startled Eva in some manner and caused her to quickly look away from him, just as he turned to stare at her exquisite side profile.
"Why would I?" She sneered at him, her light touch brushing on the sculpted bodies.
He smirked at her agitated response. "You didn't simply deny it, which proves I was correct."
Eva turned to face him, and they exchanged intense gaze until she wandered to a wide bow window and peered out.
"What is there to deny? I don't even know—" Her voice faded as soon as she sensed Cameron's presence behind her, and she looked round promptly at his touch on the side of her shoulders.
Because of how near he was, she could feel him breathing on the back of her head. She could feel his body leaning slightly toward her, almost completely pinning her against the windows.
"Tell me…" he breathed densely as he spoke to her in whispers. "...why did you kiss me that night?"