Vanessa's POV:

As the song changed, I gracefully turned around and slipped into the arms of my next dance partner, a man with distant blue eyes.

He had his gaurds up and was very stiff when he took my hand in his. It was as if he detested having any contact with me at all. I took in a deep breath, steeling myself because the next few minutes were not going to be easy.

As the music caught pace, I became more confident in my ability to survive through this but then Adrian slowly trailed his finger along my spine. My breath caught up in my throat as his touch set my entire body ablaze, as if ice had been thrown into a furnace.

Once we began taking steps with each other, he drew me closer. I was fixated. How could someone look so gorgeous? His name slipped from my lips but before it was too late, I controlled myself.

Of course he was handsome but he was also a handful. After what he said today morning, I was not going to give into such unwanted temptations. I said softly, but sternly," Don't push it."

"I am not doing anything."

"If you think this is going to work on me, you are wrong."

"Oh! Look at you.,"He leaned over to whisper in my ear, "It is already working."

"Oh really?Go ahead then. Try m..."

Adrian put a finger against my lips, saying, "You don't want to complete that sentence. You know I love a good challenge."

I swallowed a lump of air and firmly placed my hand on his chest, increasing the distance between us and saying,"Save these games for someone else. Right now, let's just get through this dance without any ch..."

My eyes trailed off into the distance and then I caught sight of a familiar face and my grip on Adrian's shoulder tightened.

"You alright?", Adrian asked and for a second, there was concern in his eyes but as he caught on to the fact that I could read his expression, he averted is gaze.

I decided not to think too much of it and instead quetioned, "Do you know Nate's here?"

He looked back at me and concern was long gone. His eyes were mocking me. He didn't reply to me. Instead he just smirked before changing the dance pose.

He turned me around, my back now facing him. He said, his lips grazing my ear, "I suggested Nate to be here."

"You're just saying that to get on my nerves. We fought today morning. It is impossible for him have gotten a ticket so fast or reach here on time."

"I have a private jet, remember?", He smirked as he leaned me to the left. I looked back at him in sheer disbelief. I thought I had seen the worst of Adrian Greys before, I was so wrong.

He suddenly turned me back around, taking me aback. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I just wanted a better look at the shock on your face."

He has no idea how strong my urge to punch him was, right in his perfect face.

"You are unbelievable. I have never met someone so condescending and spiteful.", I sneered.

"Technically Blake would be more spiteful and condescending. Afterall, he is twice the man I will ever be.", He quoted me, the words acid to his tongue.

Before I could reply to that, he spun me around, pushing me away. The song was over and so was my last non-professional conversation with him.

I didn't know when I would see him again and even after what he said or did, I didn't know why I still wanted to see him...again even if it was just to fight.

Why the hell though? He was horrible to me today and I hated him. I hated him, right?

The next few dances went by quickly. My mind was somewhere else. Half occupied with Adrian and the other half with the anticipation of my dance with Nate.

He could accidentally push me into another dancing pair. Or worse, he could make me trip. He had done it before, he could do it again. I shook my head. Being brave was one thing but this was being stupid. No one gets called brave for jumping into an active volcano. I decided to sit the rest of the dances out. Instead, I went to the buffet and stuffed myself with delicacies.

I returned back to my hotel, late at night. I changed into a nightwear and began packing my things. I had a flight early in the morning and I had to go through a ton of mails on flight, to get in touch with whatever I had missed out on in the past four days so I just slipped into my blanket and fell asleep.

I smile spread across my face, the moment my cab drew into the Greys mansion's parking lot. I was still talking to Sarah, who was briefing me about an important deal that dad had closed while I was gone, when I went inside the house.

I gave my suitcase to a maid and then checked my watch. It was about one thirty in the afternoon. Well, I knew where everyone would be, at the dinner table so I told Sarah, "Hey! I just reached. I'll call you later." and slipped my phone into my handbag.

I called out to Kevin, "Kevin! Look who's back. I've got chocolates for you."

"Vanessa!", I heard him yell, followed by loud footsteps.

I gave him a Hershey's bar and crouching down to his level, said, "The rest, I am going to give your mom. If she allows, you can have them."

"No! He just ate, Vanessa.", Charlotte said, crossing her arms.

I smiled at her and then went over to her to give her a hug. I said,"I missed you."

"Me too.", she reciprocated.

"Where is everyone?", I asked, looking around.

"It was sunny so we decided to have lunch at the rooftop."

"Ooh! I haven't been there yet.", I said.

"Well, what are we waiting for.", she shrugged, motioning me to move forward.

We walked upstairs after Charlotte tucked Kevin into his bed for a daytime nap and left him with his nanny.

Charlotte asked me about the dresses and I told her how stunning they were. Just before I opened the door to the terrace, Charlotte said, "Just so that you know, your family is here."

"Kate?", I frowned.

"Everyone."

What was that supposed to mean?

I opened the door and several heads turned towards me. Now I knew what Charlotte meant. I scanned the faces of the people present there. The entire Greys family was there with an exception of Adrian who must have reached his penthouse by now since Nate was here. Dad and Kate were sitting down and looked very stressed. The next two faces explained, exactly why.

I stopped myself from recalling past memories. There was nothing but sorrow and betrayal when I looked down memory lane. I smiled at her,"Hi!"

She smiled back, hesitantly. I looked down at her hands entwined with her boyfriend's in a death grip as if she was afraid I would tear them apart if she let go.

I stood there, still staring at her. It had been so long.

"The most awkward family meeting in the history of time.", Cassandra rolled her eyes, taking a bite from the apple in her hand.

I uncomfortably smiled at her until I heard the terrace door open again and then I was surrounded by a familiar strong deodrant.

"Speaking of family meetings...", I smiled at Cassandra, who looked at the man standing next to me in shock.

She ran towards him and hugged him dramatically. "I missed you too, little sis.", He laughed.

"Where is the food? I am starving, Paula.", I said, rubbing my belly, ignoring the fact that I was in a room full of predators.

"Lunch is ready but go change first. God knows how long you have been in those clothes.", she complained, pointing to me.

"Fine.", I laughed and went downstairs.

I stopped on the way to my room, the memories slowly clouding my vision. Everyone was there, everyone who had choosen Jennifer over me that fateful night. I tried to hold myself back but finally the past had caught up to me. I remembered that night through flashes and words still echoing in my head.

I held onto the railing tightly as the memories flooded into my mind, both of 25th December 2013 and of its aftermath. Hot tears blinded my vision but my mind was still filled with the memories of that night. My knees buckled and I sank down to the floor, wrapping my arms around my legs and burying my face into them. My room was close by but I couldn't get up. I was so overwhelmed.

I felt hands grab onto my arms, shaking me and repeating my name. I was sobbing violently now, gasping for breath. I felt suffocated, drained and so pathetic.

I would have taken a bullet for her but then she shot me, straight in the heart, leaving a hole in could never fill, no matter how hard it tried.