Scarlett's smile deepened as she took a deep inhale, placing her hand on Killian's arms stretched out to her. She could feel the gaze of everyone that was there. Their hushed whispers and confused gazes on her. Only a few knew exactly who she was and that made almost everyone curious. They were dying to find out just who she was to Mr Blackford.
Scarlett ignored them all, her only focus was on Gabe. From the storm of emotions in his eyes, Scarlett could tell he'd been thinking of her. Slowly, her gaze traveled behind and rested on her stepsister's face. Emily was standing right there in the crowd, her face completely void of emotion, but the anger in her eyes was evident as she stared at Gabe.
She ignored them both, moving with Killian to say hello to guests who had honored her invitation. After a brief speech from her, everyone in the museum soon learned she was Killian's fiancee.
Scarlett had just moved on from speaking with one of the wealthy clients interested in her work, she glanced around the room for Killian only to find him in a conversation with some businessmen, but his attention was on her.
Their gaze locked, and she smiled, taking a step in his direction when suddenly she felt the presence behind her and got a whiff of his familiar cologne.
She turned around to meet Gabe's gaze.
“We meet again, Miss Scarlett Johnson,” Gabe said with a smile, one that she was definitely not returning. “If you remember, and I hope you do, I'm Gabe—”
“Peterson,” She finished taking a sip from her champagne but her cold gaze on him.
“It's Patterson,” Gabe's smile never faltered.
“And I remember telling you I do not care,” She held his gaze. “You weren't invited,”
“And that's surprising. My company—” Gabe started and Scarlett fought the urge not to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe Gabe's audacity in calling the company her father worked hard to build, her very own legacy his company. It was infuriating. “is one of the leading successful companies, and yet we weren't invited even though,”
“That tells you what?” She could barely keep her anger away from her voice.
“I'm not quite sure—”
“It means neither me nor Ford Empire Group wishes to do any business with you,”
Her words shocked him and he furrowed his brow, about to speak but she beat him to it.
“Isn't it one of the reasons you are here?” Scarlett raised a brow. “To meet my fiance, in hopes of talking to him regarding the Bardin project?”
Gabe wasn't really surprised how she knew that information. He'd called Richard and asked him to get everything he could on the woman before him. One of the pieces of information he'd learned was she held a high position at Empire group and was part of the board.
He was beyond happy to hear this. He had tried to get Killian Blackford to listen to his proposal in the last hour, but that proved impossible.
“You know about the project?” He knew it was a stupid question but he needed to know how much she knew and how he could play his card right. Maybe, just maybe Scarlett was what he needed to get the contract.
“Of course, I was the one who rejected it thrice in the past year,”
Gabe parted his lips to speak but was interrupted by the woman walking over to them.
“Gabe, I was wondering where you were,” Emily stopped right next to Gabe, her gaze shifting to Scarlett. And she did her best to hide her anger but Scarlett could see through her mask.
Emily was furious. Beyond furious. For the last hour, she'd watched Gabe unable to remove his eyes from this woman before her. She could recognize that look in her lover's eyes. That look of excitement. Gabe was interested in this woman.
Emily wasn't stupid, she had been well aware of Gabe's man whoring ways. With the help of the men she had always tailing him, she knew he still slept around with random whores, but she had let it slide. At least he didn't bring them to the Tate mansion. And Emily was certain once Gabe and she made their relationship official in a month, he'd stop his man whoring affairs. She'd make him. He'd only have eyes for her and only her. But now watching him pine publicly for another woman made her furious.
Emily carefully scanned the woman before her, before pulling her gaze to meet her, and involuntarily, she felt s familiar sickening feeling in her guts and she froze
Her entire body froze, her eyes unable to move away from those blue eyes of the woman before her. They felt so familiar. Too familiar. It was almost as if she was staring at someone else. Someone who’d been long dead and forgotten. Someone she shouldn't even be thinking about. But here she was thinking about the one and only woman she despised so much, Diana Tate.
“Emily?” Gabe cleared his throat, his gaze flickering from Scarlett to Emily. She was completely frozen, staring at Scarlett almost like she'd seen a ghost. “What the hell is wrong with you? You're staring,” He whispered stylishly in Emily's ear, nudging her slightly.
Emily recovered herself completely, but somehow her eyes couldn't leave Scarlett who stared back coldly.
“I'm sorry, have we met before?” Emily asked, gripping her fingers tightly around the stem of her champagne glass.
“I don't know, have we?” Do I somehow look familiar to you?”
