Lucca's POV
"Let us all welcome... Give him a round of applause... Mr. Damon Devereux."
The moment I heard that name, I froze. Without thinking, I immediately grabbed Seraphina's hand before she could even finish speaking.
"Lucca, what are you doing? Why are you pulling me?"
"Let's go find Damian, Dominic, and Mira," I said as I frantically looked around.
"You're hurting me!" she cried.
I knew I was. The moment I saw Damon on stage, fear crept over me, not for myself, but for Seraphina and Mira's family. No wonder the investor Mira had been talking about insisted that we attend this party, even though we weren't even related to her family.
I stopped in my tracks as Mira's parents walked onto the stage and officially signed the documents, sealing their partnership. It was proof that they had already become business partners.
I could only stand there and watch.
It was too late to stop them, and causing a scene now would only create chaos.
"The world is so small. I had no idea Damon was the investor my parents were talking about," Mira said as she stared at the stage.
Just then, I spotted Damian and Dominic rushing toward us, both panting.
"Thank goodness you're with Seraphina," Dominic said.
Seraphina looked at him with curiosity, but I paid no attention to her reaction. We had a much bigger problem now, and this wasn't the place to deal with it.
"Damian, why are you and your friends acting so strangely? Is something wrong with the business?" Mira asked.
Before anyone could answer, Damon's voice echoed through the hall.
"Good evening, Mira, Dominic, Damian, Lucca, and Seraphina..."
The moment he called out our names, every spotlight in the room turned toward us.
At that instant, I realized everything had been planned from the very beginning.
He had set us up by using Mira's family.
Seraphina's POV
When the host called Damon onto the stage, I was completely stunned. Every memory I had with him came rushing back in an instant.
I remembered the last time I saw Damon. He had kept insisting on courting me even though I had never accepted his confession. He told me he would call, but he never did. I thought I would never see him again.
Yet here he was, standing confidently in front of a room full of influential people. He looked completely different from the man I had met before. Gone was his casual appearance. Now, he looked every bit the successful businessman.
My thoughts were interrupted when Lucca suddenly grabbed my hand without saying a word. He was panting as his eyes searched the crowd for Damian, Dominic, and Mira.
Why was he acting so stressed all of a sudden?
I knew Lucca and Damon knew each other, and they definitely weren't on good terms. I still remembered the last time they almost got into a fight in front of my house.
A few moments later, we found Dominic, Damian, and Mira.
Mira looked at the three of them in confusion, wondering why they were acting so strangely, but no one answered her. She didn't know anything about Damon.
Our conversation was interrupted when the spotlight suddenly shifted toward us.
"Good evening, Mira, Dominic, Damian, Lucca, and Seraphina..."
Damon greeted us with a smile.
While Damon appeared relaxed, I could clearly see the tension on Damian, Dominic, and Lucca's faces. Mira, on the other hand, simply smiled and waved at him.
Maybe she was the only innocent person among us.
I didn't know how deeply the three of them resented Damon, but judging by their expressions, there was clearly a history between them.
"Damian, Lucca, and Dominic are my friends and business partners as well. I'd just like to acknowledge them because it's my pleasure that they came to this party to support me and celebrate this partnership with us."
Damon flashed a wide smile, but something about it didn't feel genuine. It looked forced, almost calculated.
I knew they weren't really friends, at least not anymore. Perhaps they had been close once, but what had happened to make them look at each other with such hostility?
The spotlight didn't stay on us for long before the host resumed speaking.
Soon after, Damon stepped down from the stage with Mira's parents. We followed Mira as she excitedly approached them.
"This is our daughter and the future heir of Kraft Corporation, Mira," her father introduced proudly.
"She's beautiful, just like you, Mrs. Kraft," Damon said with a charming smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Damon," Mrs. Kraft replied, smiling warmly.
Then Damon's eyes landed on me.
"Hey, Sera. Long time no see."
"Oh? You know Mira's friend, Seraphina?" Mrs. Kraft asked with surprise.
"I know her quite well," Damon answered. "I'm actually courting her."
Mira and her parents turned to me in shock, unable to believe what they had just heard.
"You look absolutely stunning tonight, my love. I almost didn't recognize you," he said, his smile never leaving his face.
Before I could react, Lucca suddenly grabbed my hand and pinched it.
I turned to look at him.
His jaw was clenched, and his grip tightened around my hand. It looked like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Lucca's POV
I wanted to rip his throat out right then and there, but I couldn't risk causing a commotion.
Only Mira didn't know who Damon really was. She wasn't even curious about why the investor had specifically invited us. None of us had suspected his true motive.
"You look absolutely stunning tonight, my love. I almost didn't recognize you," Damon said to Seraphina.
Without thinking, I reached for Seraphina's left hand and held it tightly. Then I gently pinched it, silently hoping she wouldn't pull away.
Damon noticed our joined hands, but Mira and her parents didn't. They were too busy admiring him and praising someone they barely knew.
"Let's have dinner," Damon announced before continuing his conversation with Mira's parents. As they walked away, he glanced at us one last time, his eyes lingering on our hands.
Only after he looked away did I let go.
"Why did you hold my hand?" Seraphina asked. "Do you want Damon to think you're my boyfriend?"
"Isn't that already what he thinks?" I asked.
"I think so," she replied.
"Then let's pretend we really are."
"Why?"
"Because Damon can't be trusted," I answered, unable to hide the irritation in my voice.
"Can you explain? I don't understand."
As much as I wanted to tell her the truth, I couldn't. Doing so would expose all of our secrets.
"From what I've seen, he seems like a nice guy," Seraphina said innocently. "Whatever happened between you and him, I hope you can work it out someday."
I wanted to shout that Damon had never been our friend and never would be.
But no matter how desperately we wanted to speak the truth, we all remained silent.
"Then let's pretend to be a couple," she said. "Maybe he'll stop courting me."
Her words eased my mind, even if only a little.
Seraphina and Mira walked ahead, following Damon and Mira's parents toward the dining hall. The three of us stayed behind.
"What should we do?" Dominic asked, his voice filled with worry. "This party feels like a trap... and we've already walked right into it."
"He knows exactly what he's doing," I said. "This is his comeback. He changed his strategy. Instead of targeting us directly, he's going after the people we care about. That makes us much easier to manipulate."
"Now that Seraphina and Mira's family are involved, it'll be difficult for us to make a move," Damian said. "We can't ruin this party just because of our hatred for Damon."
"He knows how to play the game," Dominic admitted. "I'll give him that."
"We can't play by our own rules while we're inside his trap," I said. "For now, we'll play along. Once we're out of here, we'll make our move."
"Should we even eat with them?" Dominic asked with a grimace. "The thought of sharing a table with him disgusts me. What if the food is poisoned?"
"He won't poison us at his own party," Damian replied. "He doesn't want bloodshed here. He wants everything to look clean. If he's planning something dirty, he'll do it after we leave."
"For now, we go with the flow," I said. "I already have a plan."
Without another word, we followed the others to the dining area.
Seraphina's POV
As we walked toward our table, Mira wrapped her arm around mine and immediately started interrogating me.
"You never told me you had a suitor," she complained, sounding genuinely hurt.
"I never took him seriously. I honestly thought he was just joking," I answered.
"But you should've told me! Don't I have the right to know? That's so unfair. I've always been open with you about my love life," she protested.
"I never planned to take his courtship seriously. Besides, he thinks Lucca is my boyfriend," I whispered.
"What? Since when? When did you and Lucca come up with that?" Mira nearly shouted but quickly lowered her voice so her parents and Damon wouldn't hear us. "Am I the only one who didn't know?"
"It wasn't planned. Damon assumed Lucca was my boyfriend, and I didn't bother correcting him. I just let him believe it."
"You let him believe it because you wanted to?" Mira teased.
"Of course not." I rolled my eyes. "But if I had to choose, I'd rather be with Lucca and put up with his attitude than be with someone who still feels like a complete stranger."
"Okay, okay. I get it," Mira laughed.
"Everyone, please have a seat," Damon announced as we reached the table.
He raised a finger, signaling the waiters to begin serving the food.
Once we were seated, I glanced at Mira's parents. They looked happier than ever, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Damon.
Who wouldn't be?
If I were in their position, I'd probably feel the same way. After all, one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country had chosen to invest in their company.
"Please, enjoy the food," Damon said with a warm smile.
Then his gaze settled on me.
"I've missed you."
I forced myself not to react. I didn't want to ruin Mira's parents' happiness. After all, this wasn't my celebration, and I had no right to spoil it.
A few moments later, Lucca, Damian, and Dominic arrived and took their seats.
Damon maintained his pleasant smile as they sat down.
"I thought you weren't joining us," he remarked.
"And why wouldn't we?" Dominic replied with a forced smile.
Damon's smile widened.
"Then let's enjoy our dinner."
The waiters began serving each course, from the appetizers to the main dishes and finally dessert.
Damon turned out to be quite the conversationalist. He clearly knew how to entertain his clients. Meanwhile, the three men barely spoke. They quietly picked at their food without finishing much of it.
I understood why Lucca wasn't eating much, we had snacks earlier, but Damian and Dominic hardly touched their meals at all.
"It seems the three of you have rather small appetites, Mr. Knight, Mr. Vale, and Mr. Roosevelt," Damon observed.
Before any of them could answer, I spoke first.
"We had snacks earlier, so they're still full," I said with a polite smile.
I could feel the tension around the table.
Or maybe I was the only one who could.
Mira and her parents seemed completely oblivious.
"I'm glad you all had something to eat," Damon replied, still smiling at me.
Why did he keep smiling at me?
It wasn't that I disliked it. It just didn't feel genuine. His smile looked too perfect... too calculated.
"Since you invited us here," Dominic said, "why don't we have a few drinks afterward?"
"That sounds like a great idea." Damon nodded. "We can have a few drinks in my presidential suite after dinner."
A chill ran down my spine.
Why did I have such a bad feeling about this?
Why did it feel like something terrible was about to happen?
"Can I come too?" I asked.
The thought of the four of them being alone in one room made me uneasy. What if they started fighting? Three against one? I couldn't bear the thought of them doing something they'd regret.
"Of course," Damon replied.
"No," Lucca interrupted.
"We'll have a few drinks by ourselves. Besides, don't you remember what happened the last time you drank? You ended up completely wasted."
Why was Lucca stopping me?
That only confirmed my suspicion that they were planning something against Damon.
I barely knew Damon, but violence was never the answer.
"I never said I'd drink," I replied. "I can come without drinking."
"I'll come too," Mira added, raising her hand.
A smile formed on my lips.
Thank goodness.
"Then it's settled." Damon smiled. "Mr. and Mrs. Kraft, would you like to join us as well?"
"It's very kind of you to invite us, Mr. Devereux," Mrs. Kraft answered warmly. "But we're too old to stay up drinking. We'll leave that to you youngsters."
"I understand."
Damon stood from his seat.
"So, shall we?"
Mira and I stood immediately.
The three men, however, remained seated.
I looked at Lucca, who was staring back at me with a slight frown.
"Lucca... let's go," I said, trying to keep my voice firm.
"What?"
"I said, let's go."
He frowned even deeper but eventually stood, followed by Damian and Dominic.
As we headed toward the presidential suite, I walked beside Lucca.
"What are you planning?" I asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" he replied, sounding irritated.
He hadn't looked comfortable all night.
Fortunately, Damon and Mira were too busy talking about future business plans to pay attention to us.
"You wanted to be alone with Damon. I know what you're planning, and I don't like the idea of you hurting him."
"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Lucca asked sharply. "Do you really think we'd do something like that? Do you think we're criminals?"
I stopped walking.
Maybe I had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Maybe they simply wanted to settle whatever had happened between them.
Even so, I still didn't want to leave them alone together.
"Do you really want to hear everything that happened between us?" Lucca continued. "Don't you think we deserve the chance to settle our misunderstandings?"
He looked at me with disappointment.
"Dominic is your friend too, yet you assumed he was capable of committing a crime. Just because we almost fought before doesn't mean we'd do it tonight."
His words filled me with guilt.
I had underestimated them.
They had once been friends. Maybe they simply needed the chance to face each other and finally resolve whatever had torn them apart.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I shouldn't have assumed the worst."
We entered the presidential suite, and I couldn't help but admire how spacious and elegant it was. A server immediately began arranging different bottles of liquor on the table.
I glanced at Mira, who was still chatting happily with Damon.
How was I supposed to tell her that we needed to leave the room and let the men settle whatever problems they had with one another?
After we took our seats, I leaned closer to her.
"Mira, can you come with me to the bathroom? I think I need your help fixing the back of my gown," I said, making up an excuse.
"Sure," she replied without asking any questions.
At least now I'd have the chance to talk to her.
The server pointed us toward the bathroom, and we thanked him before walking inside.
As soon as I closed the door, Mira looked at me.
"So, what exactly do you need me to fix?"
"Mira... listen to me."
"Aren't we here to fix your gown?" she asked in confusion.
"I don't actually need to."
"What do you mean?"
"The men out there have something they need to settle without us."
She frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"Lucca told me we shouldn't be here. This is something the boys need to talk about on their own."
"Oh..." She nodded in understanding. "So you're saying they have a past they need to resolve without us around?"
"Exactly."
"Alright then."
"But what excuse should we give Damon?" I asked.
"I'll handle it," she replied confidently. "Just go along with whatever I say."
I nodded, and together we walked back outside.
When we returned to the table, the server had already poured the drinks, and the men had begun taking their first sips.
"Was everything fixed?" Damon asked politely.
"Yes," I answered with a smile.
"Actually, Damon..." Mira spoke up. "I think I need to see a doctor."
Damon immediately looked concerned.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"My stomach suddenly started hurting."
"I can call the nurse."
"No." Mira shook her head. "I don't want to ruin your evening with your friends. Seraphina will come with me, so don't worry."
I nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Damon asked once more.
"I'm sure," Mira replied. Then she lowered her voice with a smile. "I don't want to ruin the boys' night, so it's better if we leave."
Damon smiled and gave a small nod.
It seemed he had accepted her explanation.
Mira and I left the suite together, silently hoping the four of them could finally settle whatever needed to be settled.