Chapter 10 The one and only Aether Damien Darkstorm!

"Did you talk to him?" Lyka asked Lina. She asked her friend to call Damien to mention the party.

"The call was diverted to his assistant. From now on, they will be handling our needs. Damien is apparently too busy to be bothered with us and he's frequently out of the country," Lina replied.

Lyka nodded without enthusiasm. Why did she have to seek permission from that man and confess everything about where she was going and what she was doing in her life? It was clear he didn't care about her, so she wouldn't waste her time contacting him anymore.

"So, are we going to that party? We don't have any company, and I'm sure Damien is the reason we got invited all of a sudden," Lina said.

"I need to unwind, Lina. Let's go, even just for a short while. Besides, I don't want this to start another round of endless rumors. It's better to go with the flow," Lyka replied.

Lyka wore a casual green dress and flat sandals for the party. The truth was, she wasn't comfortable because she didn't have any close friends in their area. She was often the center of gossip when she got pregnant, especially since the father was an unknown species.

"It's just the two of you?" Larene asked when they arrived at the party. Their president's backyard was spacious, illuminated by yellow lights surrounding the plants. Many people were already there, forming their own groups.

"Do you expect someone else, Larene?" Lina replied with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Aren't you accompanied by the father of Lyka's unborn child? Oops... Does she not have a father?" Larene made a teasing remark directed at Lina.

Lina was about to respond, but Lyka held her arm. Like she said, she didn't want any trouble, and she certainly didn't want to attract attention.

They all looked toward a small stage when the emcee announced the arrival of the president's daughter, Yvonne.

"Oh, she's still very pretty."

"Yvonne is so envy-worthy."

"You're even more beautiful than her," Lina whispered to Lyka. Lyka nudged her. "In fairness to her, her escort is handsome."

Larene overheard Lina's last remark. "That's Andrew, Yvonne's friend from Canada. Aside from the obvious good looks, he's intelligent and wealthy too! We heard he's a cousin of one of the Princes-Of-Hell-oops, maybe you're not familiar with that because it's for the elite circle only," Larene said.

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Familiar with what? The elite lists of billionaire bachelors with attitude? Of course, we know about that!" Lina retorted sarcastically.

"Really?" The girls around Larene giggled flirtatiously.

Lina was about to respond when Yvonne and Andrew approached them. Andrew seemed to be looking at Lyka.

"They are your new friends, I guess?" Yvonne pointed at them.

"No, just neighbors. Lyka and Lina," Larene introduced them without enthusiasm.

"Lyka?" Andrew furrowed his brow. He glanced at her protruding belly. He reached for her hand, but didn't let go. "My name is Andrew. Nice meeting you. Your name sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before. What's your last name again?"

He withdrew his hand.

She hesitated whether to answer him. "De Luca."

"Lyka de Luca..." Andrew nodded. His eyes suddenly became cautious.

"Do you know her?" Yvonne asked.

Andrew shook his head, then smiled broadly at everyone.

"Come on, Yvonne. Of course, Andrew doesn't know her! Lyka isn't popular in elite society. She's just a gallery owner selling cheap items made by mountain people! She's not into partying either because, you know, she has to work hard; she's going to be a single mother!" Larene said.

"It's probably not true, Larene. You really are something. Lyka is beautiful, I'm sure the father of her baby won't abandon her..." Yvonne smiled sweetly.

"Who is the father, Lyka? Don't you have a boyfriend? The rumor is that you got pregnant by just anyone out there-"

"Will you ever stop, you witch?" Lina snapped at her.

"Sorry... but it's true-"

"Just because Lyka doesn't bring a boyfriend home, is that a big deal? Why? Is she the only one who got pregnant without someone taking responsibility? Maybe it's because, Larene, you bring different men to your house. The rumor even says you're not getting pregnant because you're an abortionist!" Lina fired back.

"What did you say?!?"

"Ladies!!!" Andrew intervened between them and Yvonne. "Let's calm down, we don't want to ruin Yvonne's welcome party, right?"

"Excuse me..." Lyka interrupted. She forced herself to run away from the chaotic guests. Andrew followed her with his gaze.

She wanted to go home, away from the condemning looks of the people around her. She knew she shouldn't have attended the party, but she had hoped that after tonight, her neighbors would stop bothering her. Apparently not. She decided to leave when a group of curious neighbors blocked her way.

"You're leaving, Lyka? Not yet. I'm sorry for Larene, she's just jealous of you, that's why she's saying all sorts of things," one of the ladies said.

It seemed everyone had been listening to their conversation. Lyka lowered her gaze, feeling the attention focused on her. She wanted to shrink and disappear.

"It's a mystery who got you pregnant since everyone knows you haven't had a boyfriend yet. Maybe she's just curious," the woman beside her commented.

"You mean the one with the Ferrari?" the teenager staring at her, added.

"What?" Lyka's lips trembled with disbelief at the direct prying of the nosy neighbors. She reached for Lina. Where was her friend?

"That's a personal question. Lyka, would you like to have a drink? They've chosen a delicious wine for the party," a man nearby interjected.

She wanted to refuse, but perhaps one sip would grant her some peace, as she was on the verge of exploding from annoyance and to finally leave that place. She reached for the glass. Just as she was about to take a sip, someone snatched the glass from behind her. When she turned around, her heart skipped a beat.

"Damien?"

He appeared dark, his elegant eyebrows furrowed. She could see the anger smoldering in his eyes.

"The woman is pregnant. Are you people blind?" Damien didn't shout, but each word he uttered cut sharply.

"Damien..." She clung to his arm. She could feel his anger, and she worried that someone might get hurt in the vicinity.

"I'm sorry, man. It's just a glass of wine." The man who offered her the drink raised his hands in surrender, indicating he wouldn't fight back.

But Aether Damien Darkstorm was never kind nor forgiving. He threw the glass of wine at the man's face. The man got angry and attempted to challenge Damien's gaze, but Damien remained unfazed, his eyes burning even brighter.

"You people are nothing but unimportant pieces of shit. I can send you all to hell, but it's not even worth my time. So just to cut all this bullshit short, I'm the father of Lyka's baby. I hope I made it clear to everybody. Now, shut your fucked-up mouths if you want to live longer than what you all deserve!"

Lyka couldn't utter a word, and neither could anyone around them, as he threw the glass onto the stage. Even the surrounding sound system mysteriously vanished. He forcefully took her hand and pulled her away from the scene.

"Was that your cousin?" Yvonne asked Andrew in astonishment.

"The one and only Aether Damien Darkstorm. He's the only person I know with such explosive kindness," Andrew sarcastically whispered.

Larene couldn't believe her ears. Before leaving, Lina left Larene with a sweet yet insulting smile.