The driver stopped the car in front of a mansion after the drive of half an hour. The mansion illuminated by hundreds of lights was visible from the end of the road. There was a huge crowd in front of the house that elevated my social anxiety a little.

The driver opened the door for me and I gripped my dress before stepping out. Evan reached me and then placed his arm on my waist, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of the dress.

"Smile," he leaned down and whispered in my ears. He had guessed my nervousness which was probably dripping from my face. Nodding, I stretched my lips into a forced smile and together, we made our way inside.

The hall was filled with people dressed in their best. This was not my type of party. My type was more of a low-budget party with chicken tenders as food and everyone playing funny games and laughing around.

"Mr. Parker." A man came towards us to shake Evan's hand. He was a tall, broad man with salt and pepper hair and a light beard.

"Mr. Glenn," Evan shook his hand. "Meet my lovely wife, Scarlet," he smiled at me and then pulled me close to him. His masculine scent filled me and I inhaled deeply.

"Mrs. Parker, you look absolutely mesmerising." he said. I extended my arm and he leaned down to kiss the back of my hand.

"You both enjoy the party. If you need anything, I'm here. I'll go check on other guests." he said in a pleading tone and then left.

I pulled myself away from Evan and recreated the distance between us, which earned me a scowl from him.

One by one, many people came to meet us. They all praised us and specifically me; some on the dress, some on my beauty, some on my smile. I don't know if those praises were fake or not but they succeeded in making me blush.

"Why is everyone being so nice with us?" I asked him once we were at the food corner.

"You are married to a successful businessman. You should get used to it." he said and placed prawns in his plate.

"Wow, do they know a 'successul businessman' like you is an ass inside the house?" I said and his hands stopped in the plate.

He lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. "When am I an ass?" he glowered.

"Always." I shrugged and put a sandwich in my plate.

"Give me an instance, dear." he cocked his head to a side and asked.

"Well, for example, just before leaving for the party." I stated honestly and his frown deepened.

He was about to ask further when one of the women I met before came and took me along her. She took me to a group of ladies, all of which were talking about different designers and jewelers.

"Your dress looks amazing. Is it designer?" One woman asked.

"Um... Yeah." I said and remembered how Nate practically dragged me to a boutique. Guess I should thank him for that.

"Your skin looks flawless. What products do you use?" Another woman asked.

"I... I use soap." I said honestly and they all started grinning at my answer.

"Are these real diamonds?" The first woman asked me, pointing at the necklace.

"Um... I don't know." I shrugged nervously. "Evan gave me this."

"I'm sure it is real. The sparkle gives it away." A blonde woman said.

"Maybe." I replied uncomfortably.

I didn't like the scrutiny they were giving to me. I felt out of place in them and my continuous shifting on my feet probably made it obvious. I wanted to run away and go to someone who would ask me about me and my likes or dislikes, not about my skin or dress or hair or jewelry.

"Can I steal my wife for a dance?" I heard Evan's voice behind me. He placed his arm on my waist and pulled me along him to the darker area of the hall where some couples were busy in slow dancing. It reminded me of the party right after our marriage. "You look like you were having a terrible time." he said as he rested his arm on my waist and extended the other arm for me to hold.

"Hmm," I shrugged, lacing my fingers with his.

The dark lightning helped curbed my anxiety and I started moving along the slow rhythm. His piercing blue eyes were focused on my face, assessing my actions.

Leaning forwards, he rested his chin on my bare shoulder in a way that the side of his face was touching mine, his stubble tickling my skin. We stayed like that, dancing slowly and feeling each other's heartbeat against our chests.

"What were you saying before? About me being an ass before leaving the house." he asked.

"You insulted me by insinuating that I was trying to take Eliza's place. Your words sometimes make me feel so small." I said, closing my eyes and letting him guide me on the floor.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." he mumbled.

"But you did," I replied in a dry tone.

He went silent for a moment at this. Our feet moved in synchronisation as he slowly swayed me in rhythm.

"Have you ever been in love?" he whispered as he nuzzled his nose along my neck. My breath hitched and warmth settled in my belly.

"No," I said.

"Have you ever looked at a person and think you want to spend the rest of your life with him?" he asked further.

"No," I said but for some reason, Evan's face appeared in front of my eyes. I am screwed.

"Then you won't understand the guilt of moving on in life without that person, the guilt of breaking all the promises you made together. Every breath, every passing day feels like a crime." he said and his voice was dripping with grief. Tears pricked the back of my eyes at his misery and I took a deep breath.

"If the roles were reversed, would you want her to spend her life with just your memory, forgetting about every other person in her life?" I asked, fighting the urge to cry.

He didn't reply for a minute. The only sound I could hear was the sound of the soft music. I wished I could see his face right now that he was hiding on my shoulder.

"No." he said.

"Then how can she want that? Did you love her more than she loved you? Do you think her love was that shallow?" I asked. I knew I was stepping inside dangerous territory but someone had to say this to him.

He didn't reply this time. Instead he pulled away and told me that we were leaving. There was a hint of moisture in his eyes and my heart clenched on seeing this.

Silently, I followed him out of the house. It was raining outside and the driver was waiting for us with an umbrella. He drove us back to the beach house, amidst the heavy rain and the rumbling of clouds.

Throughout the drive, my eyes kept averting to him. I wanted to console him, I wanted to tell him that it was okay, but I couldn't. So I sat there silently, observing the huge drops of water trickling against the glass.

When the car stopped in front of the house and we stepped inside, darkness welcomed us. "The electricity sometimes goes off when the weather here is bad. I will call the technician," the driver told me.

Nodding, I used the moonlight coming through the glass door illuminating the lounge as a source of light and treaded towards our room. Entering the dark room, Evan went into the bathroom using his mobile torch while I made my way to the glass wall separating the room from the beach.

The beach looked much more serene in the rain. The sight of water dissolving into the mighty sea was soothing. It was the perfect description of the havoc going inside me. I was the small drop of water trying to make my room in Evan's life but somewhere in the way, I was losing myself and failing miserably.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I heard Evan's voice behind me. I hadn't noticed when he walked out of the bathroom or reached me.

"Yeah," I whispered and closed my eyes, relishing in the sound of rain.

I felt his cold fingers on the nape of my neck and he slowly pushed all my hair to one shoulder, like they were styled before. He slowly undid the necklace and took it off my neck.

My heart starting pounding against my ribcage when I felt his breath on my shoulder. I angled my neck and sighed when I felt his lips on the place connecting my shoulder to my neck.

Slowly, he trailed a path from that junction to my ear, peppering soft kisses along the way. His lips were unbelievably soft and they felt like feathers against my skin. My lungs stopped working at his small kisses and I balled my fists on my sides in nervousness.

His right hand rested on my waist and he drew small circles over the fabric. His tongue darted to lick a part beneath my earlobe and an involuntary groan escaped my lips. Feeling light and dizzy, I rested my head back on his chest and let him continue his soft torture.

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