Page 39 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

“Come here, boy.” Lance lifts Eric up to head into the house. His gaze lingers on me for a while longer. I’m unable to read his thoughts.

I enter the house to the aroma of dinner prepared by the cook, while the nanny takes Eric. Lance heads to his room. After leaving a word with the nanny, I follow Lance to the room. I find him undressing. I go to the closet, taking off my jacket.

“Are you excited for the launch ball?” he asks, pulling his jeans off.

I remember that we are having a launch ball for the official release of the year end wine line. It slipped my mind. I shrug off my blouse before replying. “I am. Is there a problem?” I turn to look at him.

He's sitting at the edge of the bed, his legs open in a man's spread. I look up from his prominent groin, from his athletic physique to his even features. I let out a sigh. I’m terribly attracted to him; I feel my heart pound just at the sight of him. “You’ve been withdrawing into yourself. I’ve been thinking about it...that you might be worried we’re getting back into the public eye after being away for so long.”

I let out a strained breath. That hadn’t even crossed my mind; and now that he mentions it, I’m unable to get it out of my mind. We’ve been away for so long and been off social media. What should I expect at the ball? I rub the bridge of my nose, feeling conflicted. It’s either Claudette or the media.

Lance is suddenly in front of me. He lifts my chin. “I want you to stop thinking about it…”

“It’s so easy for you to say. You’ve been doing this all your life. This…all of this is new to me. Pardon me if I’m breaking under all this.” I shrug his hand away, moving out of his reach. I clench my hands in frustration. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I dread seeing the look on his face.

“Is that what you think?” His voice sends a chill up my back. “You think I haven’t been worried sick about you, doing all I can to make things as easy as possible?”

Tears sting my eyes. I round on Lance. “I didn’t mean it like that. You should understand what I mean!” I hate being sulky, and now I’m being sulky.

He tenses his jaw. I see the muscles in his face moving. I had forgotten how cold and grumpy he gets when challenged. I open my mouth to say something, but he beats me to it. “What I’m getting from you is that you’re ungrateful and expect me to cater to all your whims. Get over yourself!” His words hit me like a slap, and I reel back.

Anger and hurt well up in my chest. How did it come to this? “You…” I point a finger at him, struggling to find the right words to say. Is he right? No! I push that thought aside. “Damn you!” I snatch my blouse up from the floor and dash out of the room.

I don’t look back. I’m too hurt to care about an apology or any solace he might offer. I find my previous room and crash into bed. I punch the pillow in frustration, biting it to muffle my screams. He had no right to say that to me. Who does he think he is? Despite my anger, my mind answers, your boss.I don’t care. I won’t talk to him until he gets back to his senses.

Lance does not come back to his senses the next day. We’re tense around each other. I’m always waiting for him to say a word of apology, while my own words seem to be stuck on my tongue.If only he makes the first move.He looks so unbothered about the whole situation, and it makes me angry.

The ball is tonight. I’m feeling pressure about being back out there with so many eyes trained on me.He ought to be helping me through this.I stare at the beautiful crystal-studded white gown on the bed. I run my hand through the soft, cool material. Steeling my nerves, I say to myself,I don’t need him, I’ll show him!I get dressed. With the gown on and my dark hair falling behind me, I put on a white fur knee-length coat.

I leave the room to see Lance at my door, staring at his wristwatch. He’s in a black tuxedo with a navy blue overcoat. His hair is gelled back, giving him a suave look. I bite back from complimenting him. Still, I want to place my hand on him. My hands dangle by my side as if I don’t know what to do with them.

He extends a hand and smoothly pulls me to him. Suddenly being in his arms after the cold treatment is a drastic change. I look up at his face, hoping for anything from him. “You look like an angel, Chasmin. I miss you,” he says that and kisses my forehead.

I draw in a deep breath. I must admit that saying and doing this has doused water on the flames of my anger. “I’ve been around you, so how could you miss me?” I smile, fiddling with his collar.

“True, but not in my arms. We said words we ought not to have said. I hope to make it up to you tonight. Shall we?”

“Yes.” I link my arm through his as we head for the door.

On our way to the ball venue, I regain some of my previous enthusiasm. With Lance in a better mood, I am ready to have the media’s attention.

We arrive and Lance parks by the red carpet, leading into the building. I see the cameramen, the lights and, of course, the elegant guests. Every camera will soon be on me.Time to be in the spotlight.Lance alights and comes to my side of the car to help me out.

The cheers and roars fill my head. The flashing lights from the cameras are a bit dizzying. I grip Lance’s arm. He wears a soft confident smile as he shields me from the lights. I stop panicking, giving him a small nod to show that I’m fine.

With our arms linked, we face the crowd. I plaster on a smile and stride confidently on the red carpet with Lance. We aim for the arched entrance. After passing through, I’m transported into another world. The ballroom is quite large; even with the number of people present, it’s barely filled.

Red curtains parted with gold ties show the multicolored windows. Above us, four gold chandeliers adorn the ceiling. A section of the room is dedicated to a white grand piano. A lady in a green dress is playing a soft romantic song. The marble floor boasts several intricate designs that complement the room decor.

As soon as Lance and I enter, we become the center of attention. We stride into the ballroom properly and greet the many familiar faces. I find it easy to ignore any suspicious gazes. I don’t need others’ validation to be with Lance. We weave through the modest crowd and find the new wine being launched from an array of servers.

Lance and I are about to dance when the music stops and his brother, Igor takes the stage to give a speech. We stop to listen, but I feel uncomfortable and pressed to relax. Murmuring a quick “I’ll be back” to Lance, I ask a server to direct me to the restroom.

After easing myself, I head to the sink to wash my hands. Someone’s high heels clack loudly until they stop beside me. I wipe my hands with a disposable towel and glance to my side to see Claudette. She has a lazy smile on her lips. She looks wealthy in her burgundy fur-trimmed dress. Her lips are a deep red; her smokey eye makeup gives her a menacing air.

Composing my voice, I utter, “Claudette, it’s a surprise seeing you here.”

“Is it? The contract doesn’t keep me from attending public events,” she sneers. “Rest assured that I mean no harm. How are you, dear?”

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