Chapter Two: The Playboy Who Isn't
EDENS POV
The ballroom was alive with the kind of energy that only a Williams family event could generate. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the sound of clinking glasses. I stood near the bar, a glass of whiskey in hand, surveying the room with practiced ease.
To anyone watching, I was the picture of confidence and successful tech entrepreneur, the charming playboy, the man who had it all.But appearances could be deceiving.
I took a sip of my drink, my gaze drifting toward the piano where Clara was holding court. She was radiant, as always, her golden hair catching the light as she laughed at something one of her admirers had said. She was the star of the show, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
She had always been perfect, the kind of woman who commanded attention without even trying. It had been that way since we were young.
For the past six years, Clara and I had been together but only in secret. No one knew, not even our families. Her career came first, and a public relationship with me Eden Blackwood, the heir to a financial empire's would only invite speculation, distractions, and unwanted headlines. So, we kept it hidden, meeting in places where no cameras could follow, stealing moments when no one was watching.It had worked for a while. But lately I exhaled slowly, watching her from across the room.
Lately, I wasn't sure who was hiding who anymore.
Well ,well, if it isn't the man of the hour, a voice drawled, pulling me from my thoughts.
I turned to see Marcus, an old friend from my banking days, smirking at me.still playing the field, I see.
I rolled my eyes but smirked. you know me, Marcus. Always keeping things interesting.
Marcus laughed, clapping me on the back, that's what I love about you, man. You never change
If only he knew.The truth was, I wasnt the playboy everyone thought I was. Sure, I had a reputation, but it was more of a carefully curated illusion than anything real. In the past, I indulged in the lifestyle of casual flings, expensive dates, relationships that lasted about as long as a business negotiation.
But then came Clara.She had been the only one to ever matter.And yet, I still wasn't enough for her to claim publicly.The irony wasn't lost on me.
I downed the rest of my whiskey, feeling the burn as my gaze drifted back to Clara. She was now surrounded by a group of admirers, her emerald-green gown hugging her curves as she threw her head back in laughter.
She was everything I had ever wanted beautiful, talented, driven.
So why did I feel like something was missing?
I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the task at hand. Tonight was about the Williams family, not my existential crisis.
The Girl No One Noticed ,As I moved through the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, my gaze landed on someone I hadn't thought about in years.
Lily Williams.
She stood near the refreshments table, a plate of hors oeuvres in one hand, her shoulders slightly hunched as if trying to make herself smaller.
She was still the same quiet, unassuming, effortlessly blending into the background.
But something about her felt different tonight.
Her long brown hair framed her face, her green eyes scanning the room with quiet observance. She wasnt talking to anyone, but she wasnt t exactly alone either. There was a certain self-sufficiency about her, a quiet confidence I hadn't noticed before.
And suddenly, I was remembering things I hadn't thought about in a long time.
I had met Lily before long before all of this.
She was thirteen the first time I noticed her, sitting alone in the Williams family library, completely engrossed in a book. I had been fifteen, bored out of my mind at one of these same lavish parties, and I had wandered into the quiet room hoping for a moment of peace.
She hadn't even looked up.Not when I sat across from her. Not when I cleared my throat.
Not until I said, don't you get tired of being invisible?
She had blinked up at me then, her brown eyes wide with surprise. I am not invisible, she had said, completely serious. People just don't know where to look.
I hadn't known what to say to that.So, I had left.
And I never really thought about her again.
Until now.
I watched as she took a bite of food, completely oblivious to the way people whispered around her.
Lily ? Shes just the other Williams girl.
people dint even realize she was here.she not like Clara "Clara is special.
Something in me tightened.
I knew what it was like to be underestimated.
People assumed I was just a pretty face with money, a man who had never struggled for anything in his life. They didn't know what it was like to constantly prove your worth fight for a name that had already been decided for you.
And somehow, I knew Lily understood that feeling better than anyone.She was ignored. Overlooked. Unseen.But not by me. Not tonight.
The Moment That Changed EverythingI made a decision.I was going to talk to her.Not because I felt sorry for her.Not because I wanted to rescue her.
But because for the first time in years, I was curious about the girl who had always been there, quietly observing, quietly blending in.
I took a step forward
And then a delicate, familiar hand slipped into mine.
There you are, Claras voice purred beside me.
I turned, my heart pounding for reasons I didn't understand.
Clara eyes followed my gaze. And then she smirked
Lily looks nice tonight, doesn't she?
I swallowed.
I had no idea why my throat was suddenly dry.
I nodded. yeah She does