Conflict of Heart

Chapter 17

Isabella's dark gaze flickered over the growing crowd later that evening. The West Garden was alight with soft fairy lights wrapping around a few of the sculptured hedges, and the warm glow of candles made the evening appear soft and enchanting. There was a soft breeze that caressed her bare shoulders, and she smiled at each of the guests as she passed them, stopping to speak to a few for a while before continuing her inconspicuous search for a certain man with blonde hair.

She shouldn't have been surprised not to have seen him yet, as he did appear to be the kind of man to be fashionably late. Heck, the first time she had met him, he had been late for a meeting. That was just who he was.

But despite her reasoning, her heart kept doing uncomfortable little thuds in her chest, a little nervous of being stood-up.

Her deep chocolate eyes moved towards a table where she saw her younger sister seated by their grandparents. Rosa looked breath-taking in her deep violet dress, and her sapphire eyes were highlighted by the diamonds on her dress. But despite her beauty, Isabella noticed a deep sadness lurking behind those pretty eyes.

She couldn't help but frown, unable to comprehend why Ethan had rejected her sister. It was obvious how much he cared for her. So why did he refuse? And judging by the way Rosa has been acting the past few days, she had a feeling it was more than just a refusal that went down between them.

So lost was Isabella in thought that she didn't notice a figure walk up behind her until she felt a whisper of a touch against the back of her head, and goosebumps suddenly flooded her skin when she heard a smooth voice whisper in her ear, "You look beautiful, Grumps."

Isabella's stomach twisted itself into nervous knots at his words, and it took a tremendous amount of effort to keep it from showing on her face as she looked over her shoulder. "Damien," she greeted, her voice sounding a slight bit breathless to her ears.

His icy blue gaze appeared darker under the dim lighting of the garden, and the charcoal suit that he wore brought out the fair features on his face. Her gaze returned to his eyes quickly when she noticed a look of smugness make itself known on his handsome features. She cleared her throat and attempted to fight off the heat on her cheeks by stating, "I thought you weren't going to show."

He pursed his lips and gestured to their surroundings. "And miss out on the party of the year? Not in this lifetime, Grumps."

Isabella smiled and shook her head, glancing at the people around them. It was true. There were over four hundred people present, most of them being highly affluent members of society. Not to mention the fact that there had already been an incident with paparazzi earlier on in the day.

"So, are we just going to stand here all night or . . .?"

She looked back at the man before her, and an embarrassed grin formed on her red-stained lips as her eyes grew uncharacteristically wide. "Oh, sorry! We better take our seats," she said, and her hand instinctively reached out to clasp his larger one as she turned to move through the crowd.

The sudden skin-on-skin contact felt like a hot ember against her, and she drew a sharp inhale into her lungs before quickly let go of his hand. She glanced over her shoulder, her cheeks growing painfully warm. "Sorry," she muttered and looked away, taking quick steps while wondering why she was acting so jittery around him all of a sudden.

But her actions paused, and her breath seemed to catch in her throat when she felt his hand creep back into hers. Other than her second of paralysis, she did nothing to acknowledge his daring move, but let him continue to hold her hand as they weaved between the guests, trying to squelch the giddy emotions rising in her.