Sophia’s POV
I arrived a little late to the event, luckily they were just about to start. I had woken up late thanks to spending the night tossing and turning in bed. I stood at the back of the event hall behind the tall, stone pillars that were adorned with white and yellow flowers. I remained beside the pillars for a good while, until the crowd started to move toward their respective tables as the announcer gave an announcement that things would soon begin.
I glanced around looking for the table with my name tag and I sighted Harry. He smiled widely and waved at me as he spotted me from his table placed higher than everyone else’s, there were men and women seated on both his sides and I assumed those were the friends he’d talked about. I returned his smile and waved back.
He gestured to a table on his left and I turned to it, it had my name tag. I mouthed thank you and walked to the table.
I claimed the seat situated directly in front of my name tag on the table. The seat to my right was empty and to my left was a short, buff man.
Soft music began playing as The attendees started conversing with each other.
The man to my left leaned into a young beautiful woman I assumed was his wife, they whispered to each other and quietly trembled with laughter. They seemed like a happy couple.
“Good for them,” I muttered under my breath.
A few minutes later, Harry and three of his friends stepped onto the stage. He introduced himself and passed the microphone, I tuned out not all interested in being here, don’t get me wrong. I give to charity, I just wasn’t in a good mood today. I started playing a game on my phone to pass the time as the event progressed.
From my peripheral view, I noticed a tall figure taking the seat to my right. But that’s not what made me turn my head quickly to the right, it was the familiar scent.
“Ivan?” I whispered.
My heart beat faster and my stomach flip-flopped as dark blue eyes turned to meet mine. He said nothing as he adjusted himself in his seat. His hair was neatly done into a sleek bun at his nape, and his strong, set jaw was graced with neatly trimmed stubble. Why does he always smell and look so good?
I shove the thought away.
His thigh brushed against mine and I jerked away from him as I felt my stomach tighten. I cleared my throat. “What in God’s name are you doing here?” I hissed quietly. I was sure I didn’t see his name tag earlier before I sat down. I turned the name tag in front of his seat. Sidorov K.
He cocked his brow at me as if I was stupid for asking that, but he ignored me again as he took out his phone.
I was pissed now. “The name tag doesn’t even belong to you. Seriously, are you stalking me now?” I huffed. “I already told you we are done, I’m getting married, Ivan.”
His lips turned down into a frown. “Not everything is about you, princess. My cousin gave his name to the organizers instead of mine, hence the mix-up. I’m here on business and Harry invited me,” He replied calmly.”
My face heated up with embarrassment when I realized he was being serious. But I didn’t let that stop me. “Enough with the endearment, why would Harry invite you?” I asked.
He took in a deep breath and released it slowly, and for a while, he said nothing, I thought he was going to ignore me again. “He found out I was opening foundations for cancer patients across Europe and he contacted me because he thought this was a good opportunity for me to meet important people who could be interested in the project,” he replied simply and went back to typing on his phone.
I instantly felt like someone had dumped a bucket of iced water on me. The last time I’d met with Ivan, I didn’t even offer my condolences to him. I was too caught up in my feelings to do so. I knew he loved his mother even though I couldn’t relate to that kind of love or relationship between a parent and child.
“I-I uh…” I started and he turned to me with a questioning look. “About your mum, I’m sorry. I found out about it days after I returned here. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, doesn’t matter,” he said tightly.
I nodded.
The lights in the hall dimmed, and the servers filed out all dressed in black carrying trays of food in their hands with effortless ease.
We leaned back in our seats allowing our waiter to place plates of food in front of us. I reached for my napkin, setting the cutleries aside to drape the napkin on my thighs.
“Nice ring,” Ivan said coldly. I turned to find his gaze on my hand.
I hid my hand under the table quickly. “It’s nothing. Harry wanted me to have it.” Shit. Why was I explaining myself to him? “Thanks,” I said instead.
He grunted, inhaling the glass of champagne in his hands, jaws clenched and his gaze cold.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. Everyone else started eating their food and I picked up my fork, moving my food around on my plate. My appetite was non-existent as my stomach clenched around a ball of knots and blades.
After everyone was done eating, Harry moved to the stage again, giving a nice speech about what we were there to support and how much it meant to him. I listened for a bit before I tuned out again.
The tension between Ivan and I was almost unbearable, I was partly grateful he had listened to me last time and didn’t try anything because I didn’t trust myself, not one bit.
“How is Mila? She was wounded that day… I couldn’t help her,” I blurted out and instantly regretted. Guilt ate me up anytime she crossed my mind, and maybe I wasn’t the best person in the room, but I did care about her.
“You left.” That was all he said.
What does he mean by that? Of course, I left, wasn’t that the most sensible thing anyone who was kidnapped would do?
Harry’s voice cut me off just as I was about to talk to Ivan.
“… she is very important to me, I’m pleased and honoured to have her. I’d like to thank her for being such an amazing person.” I looked up at him to find him beaming at me.
“Please, Sophia, come up,” he said grinning widely at me.
Someone fucking shoot me now. I put on a fake smile as I stood up, I glanced down at Ivan to find him looking at me, with no expression on his ridiculously handsome face.
I joined Harry on stage while he rambled on about us and our future. After the main event was over he introduced me to his friends while he beamed at me with pride.
I looked toward my table and saw that Ivan was engrossed with whatever it was on his phone. My heart sank, and for some weird reason I wanted him to look at me, I wanted him to be unable to look anywhere else but me.
But you told him to stay away, the voice in my head mocked.
Just then, a beautiful lady gracefully walked up to Ivan pulling his attention from his phone, she was almost my age or a bit older. She smiled at him and it was obvious she was interested in him with the way she was eye fucking him. My chest tightened and ached. I fought back the urge to pull at her hair until she squirmed in pain.
Harry placed a soft kiss on my cheek, startling me. “You’re incredibly breathtaking tonight and I’m the luckiest man here to have you by my side,” he whispered for only me to hear.
Fuck, was he flirting now?!
This wasn’t the way things were supposed to go, we couldn’t be more than what we were. Business partners, that was all. I needed to find the right time to discuss with him. I needed to tell him I couldn’t return his feelings not now or in the near future.
Why did I have to be caught up in such an uncomfortable position?
It was now or never. “Harry,” I called. He turned his attention from a man he’d introduced as his cousin’s husband to me. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”