Sophie's POV
The words on the screen made my heart skip three beats and pupils dilate. Winter. The name I told the man who I killed his son.
No, no, no, no. I disguised myself that night, even Damien thought me to be unrecognizable so what went wrong?
"Sophie!" Damien screamed. He had been calling my name, but I just stood there like I was in a trance. My mind went back to Aaron's promises of how we would get married, I thought of Arabella. In situations like this, she always had advice for me.
"Huh?" I asked as Damien shook my hand again.
We had come down from the car, the shock of what had happened was still on my face and Damien could read it.
"Snap out of it, we have a gala to prepare for." He said, walked inside the house and left me standing there.
"Gala? What?" Before I could process what was happening my phone buzzed again.
"Sleep well, we shall meet again."
Was this the protection Damien said I would receive if we went public?
I was standing in a road that had no direction or multiple directions. I was confused, I wanted to run back to Aaron but that was not an option, I could call Arabella tell her everything that happened and we could run away but Damien would find me before I got to the airport.
The weekend passed swiftly, with Damien teaching me to waltz, practicing my smiles for different people, and how to react if Adriano came around or worse, Ava.
The day for the Gala had finally arrived, after several practices I was ready than ever. Evening came and it was show time.
We got there an hour late, as we came down on from the car and straight to the red carpet, photographers had left who they were attending to and turned to us.
I wore a blue dress that had a slit at the front and back was bare, only covering from my waist below, revealing my curves. My earpiece was plugged in for communication when Damien was far, Marco gave us a nod and drove off.
"Mr Santiago, what's the story?"
"Did you do it?"
"Are you guys really together?"
"You look beautiful ma'am."
"Give us an answer, we're dying to know."
They were resilient, pressing on and putting the mic in our faces, I wore shades so I could look round without someone noticing. My eye landed on two people who stood on the stairs inside the hall, watching us carefull, intently even. Before I could whisper to Damien, he held my waist and pulled me close giving me a peck on my cheeks and a gasp escaped my lips.
"Let's not rush my wife now, how about that?" Damien said to one of the reporters and the flashlights kept clicking, the photographers kept taking pictures.
"My wife huh?" I asked with sarcasm as we walked off.
"Yes, Mrs Santiago." He said with a voice that sounded like he was flirting.
"Now, back in action. What did you want to say earlier?" He asked.
I looked at the stairs and they were gone, I looked round and they weren't there.
"Nothing." I answered.
"If it isn't my brother." A voice said from behind us and Damien's face lit up.
"Luca!" He said with such excitement.
"Brother!" The man said and hugged him.
They released each other and the man finally acknowledged me.
"Damsel." He said kissing my hand and bowed.
"Knight in shinig armor." I said matching the vibe and curtsied.
"Damien has told me so much about you, good things only." He said, whispering the last part in my ear.
"I hope." I said, smiling till I was red. It felt good, even as a lie for the Damien Santiago to tell someone about me.
"Oh my gosh, I forgot my manners in France, I'm Luca, Damien's brother." He said smiling a bit.
"Sophie Ca- Santiago." I said correcting myself.
"I'm afraid I have to leave you now, the waltz is about to start." He said.
"Now, it's exactly forty minutes till the waltz. Remember everything I told you." Damien said and left.
I stood there taking deep breaths and bracing myself for action.
"Wow! You look stunning." I said to a lady who stood close to a fountain, she was alone and that was my cue.
"You look stunning yourself." She paused, squinting her eyes like she was trying to recall something.
"Have we met?" She said in a British accent I hadn't heard earlier.
"I don't believe so." I said running the list of people in my head Damien said to avoid.
"Don't mind me, Bianca." She said stretching her hand out for a handshake.
"Sophie." I said holding her hand.
"We could be besties, it's almost time for the waltz, catch you later." She said and ran off.
"What was that?" Damien's voice said over the earpiece.
"Huh?"
"You don't list-" I disconnected the earpiece before he could complete his sentence, I wasn't ready for a scolding lesson.
A few people had greeted me, lots of people had exchanged handshakes with me without greeting, I had successfully waltzed with different people doing all these to make Damien feel the pain of a lady.
He said not to greet people and let them come to me, I had done the exact opposite. Tonight was meant to be the night he announces me as his wife and he had left me there and hour ago and wanted to scold me. Hell nah.
"Lovely evening miss." I heard a familiar voice behind me that made me turn. It was Bianca from earlier, why did her voice make my heart beat twice as fast? I was yet to figure out.
"Bian-" I froze when I saw him and then her. The Romano's came from behind her. Ava and Adriano.
"Well done Bianca." Andriano said.
"I don't understand, you-" I was confused, I had just made a friend with an enemy but Damien never mentioned a Bianca.
"Hey Cousin." She said with a smirk on her face.
I turned back to see Damien standing behind me.
Cousin? What was going on here?
"We finally meet properly Winter or should I say Sophie." Bianca said and circled me. All eyes were on us now.
It dawned on me. It was her who was with the car, the messages. But why? What had I done to her, she didn't even know me.
"This is just the beginning Sophie Santiago." She whispered in my ear and left.