Chapter 3

Natalie

“Do you want to dance with me?” The infamous playboy Cyrus Knight asked me and my eyes widened in shock.

I instantly looked to my right where Amanda was standing earlier. And as I had expected she was shooting daggers in my direction with those eyes of hers.

I shifted my gaze back to the man standing in front of me. His eyes stared me up and down with his ocean blue eyes, making me a little anxious.

He held his hand out for me and asked, “Shall we?”

I forced a small smile and replied, “I don’t know how to dance, I am sorry. Please excuse me” I turned him down politely and again made a move to walk pass by him.

But he came in front of me to block my way. I looked up at his face to find him staring down at me with a small smirk on his lips.

“Now that is the worst excuse ever, don’t you think? It’s just one dance beautiful” he said with a playful smile as he once again held his hand out for me.

The way his gaze is fixed on me is making me want to run away from him. He is screaming trouble to me.

And if I don’t get away from him this instant then I might actually get in trouble with Amanda.

“I am sorry, I am already with someone else. I can’t leave that person waiting for me and have a dance with you. So please…” I said while ignoring his hand.

I was about to walk away but before I could do that he held my wrist in his hand to stop me, taking me by surprise.

“Who are you with?” he asked while keeping the same smile on his face.

My eyes again went to Amanda who was fuming in pure anger.

“Please leave my hand” I said while trying to remove my hand from his grip.

“Andrew Smith, right?” He asked and I frowned.

‘How does he know that I was with Andrew Smith?’

Before I could inquire it Mr. Smith came there. “Mr. Knight?”

Both of our heads whipped in Mr. Smith’s direction. Once again I tried to free my hand from his grip and this time luckily he let go.

“I was right, it’s you. First of all Happy Birthday Mr. Knight” Mr. Smith wished while extending his hand out for a hand shake.

Mr. Knight shook hands with him with a smile as he thanked him.

“By the way what were you doing with Natalie. Do you know her?” Mr. Smith asked curiously as his eyes darted between both of us.

I am feeling like what am I even doing here with these men. I just want to get out of here.

“We don’t actually know each other but I heard that she is Mr. Miller’s daughter and was asking to have a dance with her. I heard she is with you…” he paused and looked in my direction.

“Would you mind if I have a dance with her?” he asked again making me a bit surprised.

Mr. Smith looked at me and I just wished in my mind that he won’t say yes. Because if he said yes then I won’t have any other excuses to make.

By looking at his face Mr. Smith looked like he was going to make some kind of excuse or refuse Cyrus’ request but before he could say anything Cyrus spoke up again.

“Oh yeah, I was talking with some of my business friends and heard that you wanted to have some kind of business deal with me”.

My eyes widened at his words when I understood what he is trying to do. I saw the expressions on Mr. Smith’s face and I knew that Cyrus’ trick worked.

‘But why is he going out of his ways to have one dance with me?’ I thought while still hoping that Mr. Smith will refuse.

But to my bad luck he nodded and said, “Of course, you can dance with her”. I sighed internally at my bad luck.

Cyrus looked at me with a victorious smirk on his face and I couldn’t understand what is it that’s making him so happy.

He raised his one brow as if he was asking me mockingly, ‘Now what?’

“Mr. Smith I can’t…” I tried to refuse again but Mr. Smith cut me off saying, “It’s okay Natalie. It’s his birthday today. We shouldn’t refuse him for anything”.

“But…” I tried to make another excuse. It’s not been even five minutes that I have met Cyrus but already I am having a bad, really bad feeling about all of this.

This time Mr. Smith took an inpatient step towards me as he said with gritted teeth, “Just go already. It’s just a dance. What’s the big deal”.

He is getting irritated because of my refusal. Is he scared that he might lose the deal with Cyrus if I don’t dance with him?

Then what does it make me? A thing which he can use as collateral?

The thought made me angry. I just wanted to say ‘f**k off’ to both of these bastards and leave this place.

I looked up at Cyrus who was staring at my face in amusement. This is all just funny to him.

I moved my gaze to look at Edwin who was now standing beside Amanda. He was holding her hand in his as if he was stopping her from creating a scene.

When my eyes met with Edwin, he gestured me to do as Mr. Smith says. Of course, he just cares about the deal he wants to sign with Smith.

I sighed in defeat because I can’t say no anymore. If Edwin wants me to do it then I will have to do it, no matter if it’s against my will.

I fixed my gaze on Cyrus and said blankly “Okay”.

He smirked at me and bent forward a little to take my hand in his, “It wasn’t difficult, right?” he mocked.

I didn’t respond to his words and stood their without any expressions on my face.

“Let’s go” he said and started walking towards the dance floor which was filled with people who were already dancing. I just followed him without a single word.

Once we were there, he placed one of my hand on his shoulder and held the other one in his hand. His other hand wrapped around my waist and we started swaying to the music.

My eyes were fixed straight ahead. I was not even glancing in his direction. But at the same time I could feel his intense gaze boring hole through my face.

“Why are you so tense? Relax” he said and this time I lifted my eyes up to stare into his ocean blue eyes.

Now that I am looking at him up close like this, he is actually a handsome man. Now I understand why would those magazines write thousands of articles explaining his beauty and charisma.

But does having handsome face mean everything? Does that make them a good person? I don’t think one’s outer beauty can define how that person is from inside.

“Actually I just wanted to compliment you at first” he said and I narrowed my eyes in confusion but his next words made me scowl.

“After all you were the first woman who got my attention in this boring party”.

“But then I thought a dance with you is not a bad idea” he completed with smirk on his face.

I ignored his words and went back to staring blankly at everything in front of me.

Suddenly I felt his hold becoming a little tighter around me as he pulled me more towards himself. Still I didn’t look at him until he whispered into my ears.

“Isn’t everything so boring here? How about we go and have fun in my room? What do you think?” he whispered the last part huskily in my ears.

Hearing these kind of words is not something new for me but still every time I hear something like this, makes me wanna throw up. That’s how I am feeling right now.

I lifted my eyes and glared at him in disgust but before I could say anything I felt his hand that was resting on my lower back sliding up and rest on my bare back.

I literally felt a shiver running down my spine, covering my whole body in goosebumps.

“Shall we?” he asked seductively and that was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. There was something in his eyes that genuinely sent chills right to my bones.

I tried to push him away but his hold tightened around me. I glared at his face and said with gritted teeth, “Let me go”.

He chuckled at me and instead of loosening his hold, his hold became more firm as he started caressing my bare back with his fingertips.

“I will let you go but first let’s have some fun” he whispered in my ears.

My blood started boiling in my veins and I did something which I know will definitely bring some bad consequences my way. But I couldn’t care less about it in this moment.

I gathered all of my strength and pushed him away from myself. He stumbled back a little as he was not expecting me to push him like this and I immediately took few steps away from him.

It caught attention of few people who were dancing on the floor. Maybe few others as well but I didn’t care.

He looked taken aback at first by my actions. I decided to just get out of here so I turned around but before I could take a single step, he held my hand turning me around to face him.

But I shoved his hand away with a jerk and said, “Don’t touch me”.

“Natalie…” he tried to take a step towards me but I took few steps back as I shouted this time, “I said don’t touch me”.

If me pushing him earlier didn’t caught the attention of many, this time my voice really did. People turned around to look at us.

Cyrus’ eyes widened in pure shock. Even I am surprised at my reaction. Usually I am very good in handling this kind of situations, but I don’t know why this man is making me scared.

I ignored everything. His intense gaze, the look of anger on Edwin’s face, surprised face of Mr. Smith and many others, I ignored everything and ran away from there.

I ran out of the party to leave this place. My breathing was coming out heavy and my heart is racing in my chest.

‘What was that look in his eyes? Why did it feel like he was saying that he would ruin me with those eyes of his? Why did it feel so creepy?’

I reached the deserted hallway but didn’t stop running. I just want to get out of here. I can’t stay here anymore.

Suddenly someone grabbed me by my arm and pinned me against the wall.

A shriek of surprise left my mouth and when my eyes met with his angry ocean blue eyes my heart thumped in my chest due to fear.

He looks offended by what I did. Of course a self centered, egoistic person like him would hate anyone refusing them or act like how I did few minutes ago.

“What’s wrong princess? Why did you run away, huh?” He asked in his raspy voice. He is trying to control his anger, I can see it.

I tried to push him away but he held my wrists in his hands and pinned them beside my face. He covered the distance between us and whispered again in same tone.

“You didn’t like the idea of going to my room? We can go somewhere else, anywhere you would like as long as I get what I want”

“What kind of behaviour is this Mr. Knight? Let me go” I said with gritted teeth.

“You are talking about behaviour. How dare you insult me in front of so many people, in my party?” he also spat with gritted teeth.

“You insulted me first by asking such a vulgar question” I said while struggling to get my hands free from his hold. “Leave me” I said.

He chuckled humourlessly and said, “Vulgar? Why are you acting so innocent princess? As if you have never done it before, huh?”

I didn’t comment on his words. “Let me go” I struggled even more but he was just so strong for me.

“I saw you earlier with Mr. Smith. How he was touching you? So what’s wrong with me wanting the same thing as he did” he asked in husky tone.

“Stop saying bulls**t. Whatever I do with anyone is my business. It doesn’t give you any right to do anything that you want with me. Let me go now or else I will scream” I spat in anger.

He smirked like a devil and said, “Do it. I would love to hear you scream my name. But is this where you want to do it?” he asked while looking around.

My blood started boiling because of how he is talking to me.

“You are a complete bastard, aren’t you?” I said and he once again chuckled at my words.

“But I am good in bed” he said cockily and I just wanted to wipe that dirty smirk off of his face.

I decided to do as I said. I started shouting for help hoping that someone might hear me in the blasting sound of music.

He took both of my wrists in one hand and pinned them above my head but he didn’t make any attempt to cover my mouth. I was struggling so much that now my wrists were starting to ache.

“You wouldn’t want me to shut your mouth using mine, right? Or do you? I can do that for you if you want” he threatened but I didn’t stop.

In a swift move he suddenly leaned forward and stopped just an inch away from my lips. I stopped breathing for a moment. All of my struggles stopped and I froze in his hold.

He smirked victoriously and moved a little back.

“What do you want from me?” I asked now getting really frustrated by his childish but rude behaviour.

“I already told you” he replied.

“I can’t do that. I am not a kind of girl who dies to sleep with a playboy like you. You got the answer. Now leave me alone”

He shook his head. “Do you mean you are an innocent kind of woman?”

I didn’t say anything to answer his absurd question.

“But you coming to this party, wearing this kind of dress, having the kind of interaction you were having with Mr. Smith, you don’t seem innocent to me” he whispered in raspy voice.

My breath hitched and I felt goosebumps appearing on my skin when I felt him caressing my exposed thigh with tip of his fingers.

“Move your hand” I gritted in anger. But he ignored my words and continued.

“To me it feels like you were desperately asking for man’s attention when you entered in this party wearing this kind of dress” he leaned forward to whisper in my ears.

His lips brushed against my ear when he whispered, “And I am willing to give that attention to you”. Saying this he lightly bit on my ear.

My eyes widened when he slid his hand under my dress and that was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. I lifted my leg and stomped on his feet with my high heel.

He grunted in pain and his hold loosened on my wrists. I took the opportunity to free my hands and gathered all of my strength to push him away.

He stumbled back on his feet almost losing his balance as I pushed him really hard. But he managed to save himself from falling.

He lifted his eyes up to glare at me in anger, “You b**ch” he shouted and was about to take a step towards me but before he could do that, I swung my arm with full force.

His head whipped to the side and a loud sound echoed in the empty hallway.

I slapped him.