"Why are you acting so astonished, mister? Do you truly believe I meant my statement? Furthermore, you aren't handsome, so don't let my words flatter you." Lilith sarcastically replied, a teasing smirk playing on the corner of her lips.
He opened his mouth to defend his actions but said nothing. This was the first time a lady had left him tongue-tied.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out his palm to the artwork behind Lilith. "Make way for me. I'd like to look at the painting." He said in a cold voice, his tone unpleasant as his gaze pierced deep into Lilith.
She scoffed and wrapped her hands around her stomach. "You want me to make way for you? Can't you just walk beside me to see the oil painting?" She questioned him, responding coldly.
Since the hall was big, the young man could take any route he wanted and still get to the artwork but he wished to behave mannerless towards Lilith.
He had spoken to Lilith in a cold and harsh tone, and Lilith felt that it would only be fair if she matched his energy.
Without saying anything, the young man turned around and walked away, unconcerned that Lilith had just spoken to him in a nasty tone.
"What a rude jerk!" She spat as she walked away in the opposite direction that the young man had gone, ignoring the fact that she wanted to gaze at the oil painting of the lady holding a human skull.
As Lilith continued walking, she realized that people were hurrying towards the direction that the mysterious young man had taken.
"Pllll…"
Lilith wanted to question a young lady who had walked past her about why everyone was going in the same way, but as she opened her mouth to speak, words refused to come out.
"So...does this mean I can only speak whenever I'm around him?" She questioned herself, and despite her reluctance to answer her own damn question, she knows the answer.
With no other option, Lilith stood motionless as other people walked past her in a hurry while she attempted to see from a distance where they were all heading.
After a few minutes, no more individuals were walking past Lilith.
'Why do I have this peculiar feeling that something horrible is about to happen?' Lilith muttered to herself as she chose to proceed in the direction of other people.
As Lilith approached the area where a large crowd had gathered, she was taken aback when they all began to make way for her, their eyes widening in astonishment as they gaze at Lilith.
They paved the way for her to pass their middle and the crowd which was more than a thousand all stared at her with respect, almost as if she was an important figure.
'What's going on?' Lilith questioned herself as her eyes shifted from left to right, then left again.
At first, she wanted to halt and question someone about what was going on, but when she noticed those present were all staring at her with respect, she decided to continue walking.
"Welcome ma." A young man who Lilith had just walked past whispered, his eyes glittering with almost respect.
Lilith arched her brows as she pointed her index finger at herself. 'Ma?' She whispered within herself because she felt that she was too young to be addressed that way.
As she walked further, more people made room for her, and a blush began to appear on her cheek.
In the depths of Lilith's mind, an intriguing thought began to take root, her imagination blooming with possibilities. "Could it be that I'm unaware of my status as a significant figure in the art industry? And that someone has surreptitiously held this art exhibition to reveal my identity?"
Despite her awareness that the thought was nothing more than a fleeting daydream, she allowed herself to savor the sensation of being at the center of a grand artistic mystery, if only for a moment.
She allowed herself to be delusional for a moment.
'This cannot be a one-minute fame.' Lilith reflected on herself as her lips formed a brilliant smile that radiated in the chandelier light.
"Everyone welcome our beautiful model." A lady on a large stage smiled as she referred to Lilith.
The crowd began to clap their hands, smiling at Lilith with amusement.
Lilith arched her brows when she heard the lady's statement because she wasn't a model and the statement seemed preposterous.
As she raised her phone, she began typing while trying to clear the air. "I'm not a mod…"
Before Lilith could finish typing, the lady's comment cut through the air. "This is Miss Juliet and she's our nude model who is going to strip naked for her nude to be drawn tonight." The lady spoke, prompting Lilith to come to a standstill as she arched her brows, hoping to allow the lady's words sink in but the claps from the audience distracted her strain of thought.
Before the lady word could fully skin in, two towering men, their muscles rippling beneath their tailored suits, descended upon her like shadows in the night, their intentions as clear as the tension in their imposing frames.
Lilith's breath caught in her throat as their hands reached for the delicate fabric of her gown, their fingers closing in like vices around the delicate material as they intended to rip it off.