"Took a while to find the restroom!"
Blinking long and hard, Hattiea finally opened her lashes steading herself to face her so called fiancé with enough confidence to look unfazed and fine.

She made sure not to mention anything about the incident happened back in the hallway.

It was weird, so weird.

She should tell her fiancé about the stranger who stalked her and tried to take her somewhere with him, held her, threatened her and what not in the span of last 10 minutes.

The stranger could have done anything to her and sure as hell she would have needed Jayson's help desperately.

But strangely she did not want to mention a word about anything anymore.

Not when, she was too enraged by Jayson to make her come here to attend a freaking charity event at the very first place.

It was all because of him.

He made her attend the event when she didn't even want to come. If he hadn't forced her then all of this wouldn't even have happened.

Most definitely, Jayson was to be blamed for everything.

Hattiea remember being a woman who used to share every little thing with Jayson when they were together but now things were different.

Their connection weakened the moment she got to know that he cheated on her with another woman behind her back.

Not only that, he also fathered the woman's child.

A god damn child.

That was enough of a reason for her to draw her boundaries with him.

Maybe deep down Hattiea knew that Jayson was not worthy enough to know anything that was happening in her life anymore, good or bad.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.

He doesn't deserve to know anything.

If things were not so complicated between the two of them then she wouldn't have acted so hesitant to run to him for help and complain about what the stranger did to her but she obviously was not going to do that now.

She started disliking Jayson enough to keep things to herself.

Meanwhile Jayson frowned at Hattiea's reply finding her excuse rather lame.

He was too clever to know something was wrong with her and obviously the washroom's excuse sounded purely bullshit to him earlier too.

10 minutes, she never took so long. No matter how urgent the situation could ever be. She would never excuse herself for that long before.

Hattiea always acknowledged the fact that she had to be professional enough to act up right at social events as such.

She has an important role to play staying by Jayson's side.

Putting it that way, Jayson was way too depended on Hattiea too.

Like she monitors his agency mostly, she partially controls his business and she makes every deal possible for Jayson.

She supervises most of his work.

It is her because of whom Jayson's name has the sort of identity today.

Jayson cannot survive any business related events without Hattiea by his side.

And seemingly Hattiea never tried leaving him alone either, she has always been a super supportive partner to him all those years they had been working together.

But tonight, indeed it was an exception.

Jayson could see it in her eyes.

Hattiea was hiding something but what?

Though serious doubts could be reflected through Jayson's eyes for a couple of seconds but he decided not to question Hattiea about anything at the moment, considering they were still in the public.

Acknowledging there were people watching them closely, he knew he just can't react and question her more about her sudden disappearance, even if he desperately wanted to do so.

Both needed to look representable enough to remain in the decent books of the people.

Jayson nodded his head firmly once as he resumed chatting with his partner again while still settling his arm on Hattiea's waist with all of his rights.

Hattiea though did not like the idea of having his hands over her body that much but she certainly knew that, it would be one relevant way to make that stranger understand that she was off of his limits, considering the fact he might be still watching her from the VIP section.

Sure he was!

He was still watching her intently, Hattiea frowned looking everywhere else but him still she felt Jordan's eyes all over her body regardless trying very hard to avoid his stare at her best.

Jayson's touches now seemed quite unknown to Hattiea making her feel more strange after the incident took place minutes ago, crazy but true.

She was not comfortable around her own fiancé anymore.

Disliking the entire situation she has been put through, Hattiea still couldn't do anything about it but endure another hour with Jayson, pretending to be a happy couple for the sake of the people.

"May I have your kind attention please?"
Breaking her string of her disturbing thoughts, a voice echoed around the huge auditorium capturing everyone's attention almost immediately.

A man around in his early 50s held the mic up with a welcoming smile on, looking like the host of tonight's charity event.

"Thank you for all your precious time tonight. Now with your kind attention, allow me to start the showcases with your much awaited interests."
The same man announced formally as shortly after the charity event finally started, which was also the auction of Asian diamond jewelleries...

Everyone was well aware about the aim of tonight's charity event, though the management well intentionally surfaced the faces of the business tycoons and huge personalities being guested in...

But in reality, on the name of charity the riches only worked on correcting their image for the public most of the times.

Few and rare are those who actually have the heart to do charity without any greed. Hattiea knew that too well.

Over all these years, one of those big names was Lawrence's.

Or

Jordan Lawrence. The godfather of industry who never preferred lame light for himself or for his name alone.

He used to do charity without caring about his public image. The only evidence to support the statement was, him spending 30% of his income last year on the untreated and unwanted.

Jordan Lawrence was said to be a man of big heart for all those untreated and unwanted whom he had once sheltered and taken care of. He had numbers of hospitals and NGOs round the entire North America helping people in need.

Obviously, Hattiea have heard a lot about the Lawrence's interest in social works but she never met Jordan personally.

Although for Hattiea's best knowledge and surprise, the stranger she bumped into the hallways earlier was none other than the very same man she always heard about.

Jordan fucking Lawrence!

To put it in a simpler way, the main reason of everyone's presence tonight wasn't exactly for any charity reasons, rich people in this world come to mostly show off their wealth.

Donating or helping isn't for any good intentions, rather they do all these things to gain popularity.

The more they donated, the more they earned the good eyes of people.

Even her fiancé was no different than the rest.

After the host announced that, one after another expensive and impressing jewelleries started to show up in the view.

People started bidding on their desired diamond, the gorgeous shining stones pierced in the beautiful sets had the prices of hell too.

Hattiea zipped her mouth up for good, forgetting about her relationship problems and other things going on in her life for a second, she was just admiring the artwork in front of her now.

Although jewels were never her favourite assets but strangely the designs were calming her mind.

All those diamonds were indeed luring and gorgeous but they weirdly acted like a distraction for her.

Hattiea was mesmerised.

Still busy in admiring the jewelleries, a light squeeze on her waist did the job of dragging her back to reality.

It was Jayson, obviously.

"Do you want anything?"
A whisper from her left made her heart numb, for a second she forgot that she was still around him.

Without looking at him, Hattiea's amusing smile disappeared in the thin air.
"I don't like wearing jewelleries!"

She exclaimed with her straight face without any emotions, to which Jayson sighed heavily.

"I know you don't but wearing them once in a while won't hurt you right? Although without putting any effort to look good you can still outshine the crowd of women, but you still can get one as a matter of asset Hattiea!"
Jayson's statement was cheerful as he caressed her waist slowly.

His words meant to lighten up her mood and to make the air around them less awkward.

But it didn't work that well as he intended.

Hattiea at this time understood very well that Jayson was now taking the initiative to appease her with materialistic things but she ain't no toy.

He provided her the wounds which cannot be cured with these petty formalities.

Never!

"Don't hesitate Hattiea, If you like anything then just let me get it. I am not that much of a jerk to get you nothing for coming here. And who knows maybe after buying you what you like, you would forgive me a little for acting stupid earlier?"
Jayson tried harder convincing her as the first few seconds only dead silence responded until Hattiea sighed out heavily being tired of his acts already.

"There is no such thing in the entire world that you can buy me to get my forgiveness anymore. The moment you insulted my past, I lost all sort of respect for you."
Hattiea replied back without sparing him a single glance.

Indeed!

If Jayson thinks he could just make her fall for him again after what he did then he was absolutely wrong.

So very wrong.

"I can no longer allow you in my heart Jayson, if anything... you will only have me for the sake of the favours you did to me in the past. Business is what you always chose, business is what you are going get from me."
Hattiea firmly spelled out putting an end to this discussion already.