Chapter 3 Scowl and Smirk

Isabella's POV

As the evening approached, the mansion transformed once again into a scene of grandeur and excess. Another party was in full swing, and I found myself once more drifting through the crowd, attempting to blend into the background. The guests were as opulent as the surroundings, their conversations a blur of superficiality and pretense.

But that wasn't what surprised me; it was how I looked right now that was the shock, more precisely, what I wore.

"Dazzling." A man whispered as I walked past him.

I couldn't agree even more.

Elena knocked on the door of my room around ten in the morning and said she was tasked to get me ready for the evening. At first, I was overwhelmed with fear, but as she continued, I became curious; ' What seriously was she doing with my hair? '

After she was done with my long, brown, usually frizzy hair that was usually tied into a tight bun, she left the room for a few minutes and then came back with a box.

In the box, I saw the most beautiful dress I had ever seen in my life!

It felt so smooth to the touch, and the colors... No words could describe how exquisite it looked.

What was in my mind when I saw the dress was:

' How the hell am I going to pay for this? '

Antonio Ferraro practically bought me in exchange for helping my parent's company, yet he was giving me an expensive dress like this? What was he playing at?

I tried to refuse the dress, explaining to Elena how I might ruin it but she wasn't hearing any of it. Elena dragged me to the closet forced me to put it on, and then dragged me back towards the mirror.

My mouth hung open when I saw who looked back at me from the mirror.

It was not the grieving girl who had just lost her only anchor; her parents, just after graduating from college, but a beautiful-looking person, two things I had been made to believe I was not.

The dress had a large opening at the back and the front also, with a long split from the mid-thigh down to the edge of the garment. Compared to what I was used to wearing, this felt very revealing, but its beauty was undeniable.

I looked... I looked, stunningly sexy!

It took a while before I was able to convince myself it was me in the mirror and by the time I was able to do that, the party had already begun.

Even though I was dressed like them, I still found it difficult to associate with any of them, so I stuck to the shadows, carefully scrutinizing every one of the guests.

The party wasn't looking like the last one a few days ago; this time, the people here were different.

There were two types of guys here. The first wore an emotionless face with a visible scowl planted on their lips, whereas the second wore an emotionless face with a visible smirk planted on their lips.

Do you get the difference?

The scowling guys looked like they were forced to be here while the ones with a smirk looked like they were just going with the flow of things.

Both reminded me so much of Antonio Ferraro and our brief encounter.

He both scowled and smirked.

While the females, there were also two types; the young, pretty ones wearing almost nothing were moving around the men, and then the older ones had a stern look on their faces, the first more numerous than the second.

"Why were they dressed like that?" I wondered, a frown appearing on my face as I stared at them.

If I had thought my dress was revealing... Then they were practically wearing nothing!

Some of them were among the waiters while the others just danced around the men, waiting for them to be called, but after they were, the men groped them harshly, slamming them on the floor... But guess what? They come back!

What was wrong with these people? Did they enjoy getting beaten up?

At a point, I just had to look away; my fragile heart was unable to bear what was going on.

"Why were they doing that?" I asked myself in a panicking tone. Was that what Antonio was going to do to me?

I shut my eyes taking in deep breaths before I would think myself to having a panic attack.

"No signs of him so far, thank goodness," I muttered releasing a sigh of relief before resting my back on the wall.

My heart has been beating non-stop from the second I stepped foot in the party.

I wasn't ready to meet Antonio again, especially after figuring out what he intended to do with me.

But it seems like God wasn't ready to listen to what I was ready or not ready to do.

A man suddenly climbed up the stage and picked up the mic.

My brows came together in confusion as I twirled the glass of wine in my hands.

' What does he want to say? ' I wondered.

This was not my kind of party. Well, I didn't attend parties, but even if I did, it wouldn't be anyone like this.

"The boss is here." He announced curtly before looking towards the main door.

All the guests looked towards the main entrance also.

My frown deepened. "What's going..." The rest of my words got stuck in my throat as my eyes caught sight of the one person I so wanted not to see.

Antonio's arrival was heralded by a sudden hush. He moved through the room with the same cold grace, his presence commanding immediate attention. The guests parted to make way for him, their deference evident in their posture and expressions. I watched from a distance, my heart pounding in my chest.

He was here. He was freaking here!

' What was I expecting? Of course, he'll be here. How can he throw a party and not come? '

When Antonio's gaze finally swept across the room, it seemed to pause on me for a moment before moving on. I couldn't be sure, but the brief flicker of his attention sent a jolt of anxiety through me. I was all too aware of the power dynamics at play, and the subtle shift in his gaze felt like a reminder of my precarious position.

I looked away from him taking a huge gulp from the glass in my hand. My second hand went to my chest, gently patting it so I would breathe better.

"Maybe he was only here for a few hours and would return." I comforted myself, repeating the words over again until it sank and I calmed down a bit.

Maybe I was being paranoid, or maybe I was right, but I felt as if all the chatter had died down and everyone, I mean everyone, was looking at me.

My heartbeat, which I tried too hard to calm, sped up again, and I looked down to the floor, pretending to be scrutinizing its design when really, I was freaking out.

' Why were they all looking at me?! '

"The reason for this occasion is to celebrate Isabella Moreno..." Antonio's voice boomed very loudly from the mic.

When did he get up there? And more importantly, what did he just say about me now?