Dressed in an all black suit, Elijah arrived at Seraphina's mansion 10 minutes before time. He adjusted his tie one last time before stepping out of his car, striding confidently up the pathway to the main door of Seraphina's mansion.
The evening air was cool and crisp, carrying the sweet scent of roses that were planted around the pathway. Not only did they make the surrounding air smell good but they added to the aesthetic appeal of the mansion as well.
Smiling, Elijah rang the doorbell and waited patiently for Seraphina to open the door. He heard her before he saw her, "Coming!" she said before opening the door.
The door swung open to reveal a smiling Seraphina dressed in a knee-length, black coat that only revealed the deep red, shimmery bottom of her dress. Her hair were styled in voluminous waves, and this was the first time he was seeing her with such glam makeup on.
"You look -" he couldn't think of the right word to describe her beauty, so he used the word, "nice. You look really, really nice."
"Thank you!" she smiled widely and waved her hand in greeting before staring at him from head to toe and then back up, "Hhhmm." she moved back a few steps, her gaze travelling over his form appreciatively.
"Elijah," she began while stepping closer, her tone soft and intimate, "you look absolutely striking tonight." she said causing Elijah's ear to turn pink slightly.
She came forward and let her fingers lightly brush against the lapel of his jacket, feeling the fine fabric beneath her touch. Her expressions were exactly the same as he had seen when he had gone to her company to pick Chloe up for the first time.
Focused and business like.
"This black suit suits you so well. It brings out the depth in your eyes and highlights your confidence and strength." she spoke like a fashion designer that she was, "I was a little concerned wondering if you would be able to carry an all black outfit but I must say that this looks quite sophisticated on you without giving off mafia vibes."
Elijah chuckled warmly at her praise, "Thank you for your kind words, my lady." his words and the exaggerated bow made Seraphina laugh, a melodic sound that sent a shiver down Elijah's spine.
He offered his arm, which she gracefully took, and they began to walk towards the car. Elijah opened the door to the backseat for Seraphina and helped her sit before walking around his car to sit on the other side.
Once they were seated, Elijah's driver started the car driving them to the event venue which was at about 35 minutes distance from Seraphina's home. During their journey, Elijah kept glancing at Seraphina from time to time until he gave into the urge to ask, "So, I am still not getting even the slightest of a hint about where we met for the first time?"
Seraphina's lips curled into a mischievous, self-satisfied smirk as she turned to look at Elijah. She shook her head in negative and commented, "Now that would make things too easy!"
Elijah almost groaned in frustration but kept himself calm and composed while Seraphina continued, "You'll just have to keep guessing, Mr. Grayson. Otherwise it would suck all the fun out of this."
He chuckled despite the flicker of frustration, "All right, then." nodding his head, he added, "How about I tell you about the places I think we could have met and then you tell me if I am correct or not?"
"Okay." agreed Seraphina with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Let me see, hhhmm." Elijah thought about it before asking, "Was it at the Art Gala last spring, in London?"
"No." smiled Seraphina and shook her head.
"The Book fair in Italy, two years ago?" questioned Elijah.
"Nope." responded Seraphina.
"At least tell me how long it was that we first met." insisted Elijah and Seraphina was in half mind to tell him the truth but this was not the right time.
"Okay -" she acted as if she was seriously contemplating about it, "Fine! It was about 4 years ago."
"Four years ago!" Elijah was momentarily stunned, "And you still remember that?"
"I do but apparently, you don't, Mr. I Never Forget A Face!" giggled Seraphina, her choice of words adding to Elijah's curiosity.
"Oh, now that's a challenge I must win!" declared Elijah, "You know what, after this event, I am going back home and make a list of all the places where we could have met 4 years ago. Then, you will have to tell about it, okay?"
"Deal!" Seraphina agreed and shook hands with him to seal the deal.
Elijah continued to try for the rest of their journey despite his earlier declaration but he never came closer to the truth. It frustrated Elijah while Seraphina was whole heartedly enjoying his befuddled expressions.
Soon, they pulled up to the opulent venue, a luxury hotel that catered to the wealthy. Elijah stepped out first and hurried around his car to help Seraphina step out. He extended his hand towards her that she accepted with a sweet smile and got off the car.
Wrapping her hand around his arm, Seraphina walked inside the hotel and to the ballroom. Once at the door, Seraphina stopped, pausing for a moment to remove the coat that she was wearing, revealing the elegant and stunning gown that she had chosen to wear for the event.
The sight in front of him took Elijah's breath away. He knew that she was a stunning woman and a great designer with acute fashion sense and was aware that she must have wore something that would suit her stunning appearance but he was not prepared for what he saw.
The deep red colored gown shimmered and moved like a liquid under the light of the glittering chandeliers. The gown hugged her figure perfectly, exposing just the right amount of skin. As she adjusted her hair, she blew Elijah's mind by letting him have a look of her smooth, glowing, and exposed back.
She looked like a vision, an ethereal being descended from the stars.
"Wow," he managed to breathe, his voice a bit hoarse as he said, "You look incredible." Elijah was not able to remove his gaze from the alluring woman standing right in front of him.
There were so many words known to human that he could use to describe the beauty in front of him that made his heart pound like a war drum. But, in that moment, Elijah was in no position to form coherent sentences to praise Seraphina in a way that she deserved.
Seraphina's eyes turned sharp seeing the expressions on Elijah's face but she managed appear soft and delicate, a hint of shyness creeping into her expressions as she lowered her gaze and said, "Thank you, Elijah."
Elijah's reaction was a testament that her plan was working just fine. Soon enough she would have him completely wrapped around her little finger and will be able to make him dance on her tunes.
Then, then she would use Marcus's own son against him and the rest of the Grayson family. Oh, how fun it would be to use her enemy against another enemy. This would serve as the best revenge against Marcus. What best way could she hurt the man than have his own son destroy him completely.
Seraphina chuckled and approached Elijah with a coy smile on her face. "Elijah." she called out his name while staring directly into his eyes.
Their proximity made Elijah's heart flutter. This was the first time that a woman was able to make him feel anxious but in a good way. He wondered if this nervous excitement that he could feel in the base of his stomach was what they call "butterflies in the stomach".
"Yes?" he gulped hard before speaking.
"Shall we?" she asked looking innocent and oblivious to what was going inside Elijah's mind.
But she knew.