Zara stiffened. She should have been happy to hear that, but she felt conflicted about it.
Meanwhile, Kai turned to the crowd, his calculated gaze scanning for a certain someone.
"My father, a retired veteran, and of course, the original owner of the drug farm we've been expanding has this obsession with finding a woman for me. He plans to come with other old guys in the business as investors, and seeing you alone is going to impress them."
Zara couldn't care much about his family problems. There was something he told her that couldn't quite leave her head.
"So I'm a prop to you?" She asked.
"You're a chess piece," Kai replied smoothly, still close to her. "And tonight, you're the queen. So smile. Hold your glass like it's royalty. And let them believe I'm smart enough to keep a woman like you beside me."
She held his gaze for a moment, then gave the faintest, sharpest smile. A smile that hid so many conflicted emotions within.
"One question first." Zara spoke.
"What is it, princess?" Kai enquired.
"Well. This is meant to be one of the biggest events in all noble history right?"
"Of course." Kai responded.
"And you supposedly invited all the nobles across the lands?"
Kai thought for a moment.
"More or less", he said.
"I couldn't help but notice that Bertha's parents aren't here. Roland and Hannah Drew?"
At the mention of those names, Kai's gaze grew stormy.
It was something that would've been hard to notice, a flicker of flames quickly extinguished when he noticed that Zara was still staring.
His expression became light, his tone, more so.
"Like I said. More or less. Not every noble can come here today. And they are just one of those people."
Zara wanted to ask more questions but she thought it best not to. She barely knew who this man was so asking him too much was the last thing she wanted to do.
"So. How's our deal for the night?"
Zara looked back at him with puzzled eyes.
Was everything just a deal to this man? A business transaction he could get gain out of?
She took a deep breath. She knew she was going to regret agreeing with this.
"Fine. But if anyone tries to kiss my hand, I'm breaking fingers."
Kai leaned back in his seat, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Now that's the woman I need."
The next few minutes droned by. Kai was engrossed in other chats with other nobles on the high table, so Zara was stuck in the loneliness of her own company.
Just when she was about to take a bathroom break, she finally spotted them.
The Blake family.
They came in like royalty, walking in with an effortless grace unmatched by few. People parted for them as they made their way to their reserved section. People greeted, and arms waved their way.
Zara looked a bit to the right, and saw the Desmonds.
Rena and Rouge with arms intertwined and their son next to them. In his own arms was her despicable half sister Ariana.
Zara squinted, looking a bit closely and trying to focus on the details, and she saw that on Ariana's finger, glinting under the golden chandelier lights, was her own wedding ring.
She hadn't seen it on Ariana since the day of her failed marriage. Maybe the obnoxious girl had decided that throwing it away was the best way to spite her. Zara would've even preferred if she had done that…
But something about seeing her expensive diamond wedding ring on Ariana made her blood boil. When Collins offered her that ring, she had thought he truly loved her, to some degree at least.
Even though Zara knew he could be cheating she also knew that men had to be men in some regard. He still respected her, and that was all that mattered.
But Zara had long changed since then.
The now joint family hadn't spotted her yet, which was good. When the emcee came along Omo announce the important people of the day, she would love to watch their mouths drop at the mention of her as the right hand of the host himself.
But for now, she would have to wait.
The automatic doors opened, and someone else walked in.
This was someone that Zara had never seen before. A stunning blonde with blue eyes whose handsomeness alone would take most women to bed. He had a manly confidence in his stride as he walked in all smiles, waving and shaking people like he had known them their entire life.
A man in a simple waistcoat and bow tie followed closely behind him, most likely his personal assistant.
Zara couldn't help but feel drawn to his aura, wondering who he was. For a moment, both their eyes locked and a look of confusion flashed across the man's face, but then something else came, maybe recognition. Zara wasn't so sure.
But just as quickly, they parted gazes, Zara feeling prickles under her skin at the man's afterthought.
But her afterthought quickly came back to life as she realised the man was heading straight for the high table.
As he approached, Kai narrowed his eyes in apprehension. It seemed he didn't know who this man was either.
"Mr Kai Frost", the man spoke with a polished accent that sounded both native and foreign at the same time.
He extended his arm for warm handshake, which Kai returned customarily.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Yes. I'm so glad you could make it.", Kai responded with a strange politeness that rivalled his underworldly nature. But there was still that look of apprehension, almost like he was trying to place a face or name with this man, but could not.
He finally asked the question that addressed the elephant in the room.
"Sorry but you are? Apologies. The number of guests are so much that I could tend to forget some names or faces."
"No it's fine.", the man replied curtly.
He immediately turned to Zara, who felt her heart skip a beat.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss."
They shook hands, the man holding onto her a bit longer than expected, which Zara found strange.
However, there was still that sense of curiosity hanging in the air.
Who was this man?
Zara wanted to know now more than ever.
"Actually, my name's—-"
"ZARA PENELOPE BLAKE!"