Alexia’s POV
I could feel the weight of the eyes on the mont we entered the party. It was like I had walked into one of those dramatic K-Dramas where the poor, unassuming girl suddenly becos the center of attention because of a single outfit.
But this wasn’t a drama, this was real life. And I was more than aware of the effect the dress was having.
The rich, influential people in the room—people who seed to live in an entirely different world—were staring at like I was so kind of precious jewel. I could almost hear the whispers, the murmurs of, Who’s that?Where did she co from?How is she with Aiden?
I swallowed the rising tide of unease. I hated being the center of attention, hated how out of place I felt in this world that wasn’t mine. The way they all looked at with curiosity, mixed with judgnt, made my skin crawl.
But Aiden was beside , his hand firmly at my back, acting like he owned —and maybe in so way, he did, even though neither of us would admit it. He was making it clear to everyone in the room that I wasn’t up for grabs. His possessiveness hung in the air like an invisible thread, weaving us together in a way that made every single person in the room aware of us, even if they weren’t supposed to be.
"Relax, you look amazing," Aiden said under his breath, leaning in just enough to make sure only I heard him.
I shot him a look, my lips pursed, trying to keep my nerves in check. "It’s easy for you to say. You thrive in this environnt."
He didn’t reply, but his grip on tightened just slightly, his eyes narrowing at anyone who dared to linger too long on .
I had to admit—if only to myself—that the way he claid in front of these people, with his possessive attitude, did sothing to my insides.
As we made our way through the crowd, I felt like we were in our own little bubble. Everyone else was just background noise. The murmurs, the occasional flattery, the casual glances—they didn’t matter when he was with .
But the mont we walked past the high society won, I felt a shift. They looked at like I was so sort of curiosity. So whispered behind their hands, clearly judging my presence, my clothes, my everything.
Then there were the n. They gave the kind of looks that made feel exposed, as if my every move was being calculated. Every slight adjustnt, every shift of my hips as I walked was under their scrutiny. I knew Aiden had noticed, and for a mont, I saw a flicker of sothing in his eyes—sothing dark, possessive.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice it.
The way he stepped closer to , almost as if to shield , made my pulse quicken. The man had a way of making feel both safe and trapped in equal asure.
But I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to be.
"I’m not going to bite, you know," I muttered as we reached the bar, trying to break the tension that was building between us.
Aiden gave that signature smirk of his, the one that made my stomach flip. "I wasn’t worried about you, Alexia." His hand slid from the small of my back, brushing my side for a mont, before resting possessively on my hip.
I glanced around at the crowd, trying to avoid looking too much at the people staring at us. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? The attention, the power."
"Maybe," he said, leaning in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "But I’m more focused on you."
My heart skipped a beat at the words, even though I knew he didn’t an it the way I wanted him to.
I pulled back slightly, crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, try not to let anyone else notice how much you really focus on ," I teased, trying to mask the unease that still bubbled inside .
He just chuckled, a low sound that made shiver slightly. "You really think I care about what anyone else thinks?" His eyes darkened slightly, and I saw the raw edge of possessiveness flash there again.
The effect he had on was dangerous. Every mont spent with him, every word, every touch—it was like we were walking on a tightrope, and I wasn’t sure if I was about to fall or fly.
We stayed by the bar for a while, and even though I could feel the weight of the stares on , Aiden remained unfazed, completely in his elent.
I could feel Aiden’s presence next to as we moved through the crowd, his hand firm at my back, guiding through the maze of well-dressed strangers. My heels clicked sharply on the polished floor, adding to the hum of voices and clinking glasses that filled the air. I wasn’t sure if I was more nervous about the way the room was watching us, or how Aiden was handling it all with ease.
At one point, Aiden paused to greet a few colleagues, introducing as his wife. He said it so proudly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"This is Alexia, my wife," Aiden said, his voice rich and confident. The way he said it was like a declaration, like he was marking his territory and making sure everyone knew it. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it—part of wanted to lt under his attention, part of recoiled, unsure of what it ant.
But he didn’t give ti to think. Every introduction was followed by a firm handshake and a few polite words. I could hear the slight murmur of people impressed by Aiden’s success, and though I tried to focus on the conversations, all I could feel was the tension building between us. I caught a glimpse of his eyes flicking to with every introduction, his gaze never straying too far from mine.
He was proud of . Or was he proud of the idea of having by his side?
"Alexia, this is Liam, one of my partners in the company," Aiden said, pulling slightly closer to a tall man in a sleek black suit. The man smiled at with a polite nod, but I could sense the curiosity in his eyes. I smiled back, hoping my nerves didn’t show.
It wasn’t like I was shy. It was just... overwhelming, this world I had been thrown into. I wasn’t sure how to navigate it, how to fit in with the perfectly curated smiles and carefully tid pleasantries.
"Nice to et you, Liam," I said with a polite smile, trying my best to not let the pressure of the situation get to .
The introductions continued, and though I was doing my best to hold my own, I could feel the nerves creeping up on . Aiden, however, seed completely unfazed by the attention. He effortlessly made conversation with everyone we t, never leaving my side, always subtly guiding through the sea of unfamiliar faces.
I found it a bit comforting, honestly. I had expected him to lose interest or wander off to speak with his colleagues, but he didn’t.
After a few more introductions, Aiden led to a quieter corner of the room. There, a few people were gathered around a table with drinks, discussing sothing casually.
"Alexia, this is Julia," Aiden said, introducing to a woman with bright red hair and a sharp business suit. "She’s one of my oldest friends in the industry."
I shook Julia’s hand, offering a smile. She was friendly enough, but there was a certain edge to her, sothing that made wary. As we continued speaking, I couldn’t help but notice how Aiden interacted with her—easy, familiar, like they shared so unspoken history.
It wasn’t jealousy, exactly. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing was off.
But before I could linger on it, Aiden leaned closer, his hand brushing lightly against my back as he pulled into another conversation. It was as if he sensed my discomfort and sought to redirect my attention.
His touch was grounding. His presence beside —confident, assertive, almost protective—helped feel like I was just part of his world, like I wasn’t entirely out of place.
But that didn’t stop the swirl of questions in my mind. Was this what he wanted?
I caught his gaze again—those eyes, always watching . His possessiveness, his pride in , was palpable. It made feel special... and, at the sa ti, like I was trapped in sothing I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
I followed Aiden’s lead, eting everyone he introduced to, even as the world of wealth and power continued to feel like a world I didn’t belong in. And yet, with each new face, Aiden never let go of . He was always close by, always there, his hand at my back, his arm around my shoulders, subtly reminding everyone—especially —that I was his.
It was both suffocating and comforting, a constant tug-of-war between independence and the feeling of being cherished. But I was starting to wonder: Did he know what he was doing to ?
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. All I knew was that, for better or worse, I was in this whirlwind now—caught between a man who had my body and was starting to claim my heart, and a part of that still wasn’t sure if I could ever let him in.
The night was still young, and I had no idea what would happen next. But as the sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air, I couldn’t help but wonder if this evening would shift sothing between us.
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