Chapter 13

Yvonne stepped into the great hall, her senses stirring at the nostalgic thrill of extravagance and luxury that once had been a regular experience to her in her former lifetime.

Scores of people drew closer to Erick, hoping to engage him in conversation and he perfunctorily introduced Yvonne to every guest who managed to garner his attention.

Just then, the entire hall fell silent suddenly.

A man, dressed in a smart suit, strolled slowly towards them from the entrance of the hall.

Tall and strong, beautiful and yet dashing, the man walked with an immaculate presence of authority and power that swept the entire ball off its feet.

Damon Brown.

There was not a person in the great hall who did not look his way the moment he stepped inside.

Most, if not all, of the guests that attended the ball tonight were here because of him. Eager to speak to him, they craned their necks in anticipation as he meandered by, yet no one dared to approach him because of his staggering presence.

Damon Brown walked slowly. With every step, he carried purpose and weight, his eyes locked ahead of him. Only when he passed by Yvonne did his gaze drift by her faintly, lingering for only a brief moment.

A moment that seemed to carry some unknown significance.

Stupefied for a brief beat, when Yvonne regained her senses, Damon Brown had reached his mother, Old Lady Brown.

Erick pointed to a secluded corner and muttered, "Stay here. I'll send for you if I need anything."

He left her side brusquely, with not so much as a look back at her.

Hardly perturbed by the cold shoulder herself, Yvonne got herself some pastries in front of her and sat down on an empty couch, nibbling to fill her empty stomach.

Then she heard people approaching, speaking hushedly as they came near.

"I admit, we have been too hasty with the Mt. Swallowpeak project. I implore you for a second chance, please?" A man begged Damon Brown reverently.

"You had one chance. It's gone now." Damon Brown hissed placidly, hardly interested in prolonging the conversation.

The man begged and begged, but it was futile, and he left disappointed and dejected moments after.

More people began to notice Damon Brown's presence and they buzzed around him like wasps around a jar of honey.

These people had spent a great deal of money to procure themselves the invitation to this ball and it was all to meet Damon Brown personally. Any one piece of scrap from Damon Brown's table would be enough for them to last for a couple of years.

But Damon Brown pressed on undeterred, obviously accustomed to such bother and made a bee-line to the secluded corner where the clusters of sofas were. He was sitting down when he finally noticed Yvonne's presence.

She was biting on her food, her fresh and spry features now missing its former mystique. If anything, he found her eating appearance rather adorable.

His eyes squinted with mild interest.

Yvonne was just looking up from her plate when she saw Damon Brown settling down. She scrambled to her feet and yelped, "Er... Hi, Mr. Brown!"

Seeing the retinue of men huddling after him, she slithered away, knowing that the men wished to talk business.

Only, Damon Brown had the least interest in listening to any of the proposals the guests were saying. Instead, he watched Yvonne's leaving back with fascination.

He had kept tabs on his nephew when he heard about somebody actively pursuing Erick.

Only, the Noelle York that he knew was a stark contrast to the Noelle York recently. She looked wholly different; not only her make-up and appearance, but even her temperament and disposition as well.

The Noelle York he knew was nothing if not indecisive and wishy-washy, he brooded and wondered, "But the Noelle York today..."

"This woman is skilled in pretending," Damon Brown thought, "Erick shouldn't even be her target."

"So, what is her purpose for skulking near House Brown?"

"Was it because of that? That particular incident?"

In no time, the ball opened, and the opening dance naturally begun by members of House Brown.

Damon Brown stood alone, having brought no female companion with him. In fact, even as he neared thirty years of age, he had never been rumored to have any woman in his life before.

For that very reason, Old Lady Brown nodded to Erick and Yvonne to open the dance.

Only, the notes of the music rose and Erick remained missing. Old Lady Brown waved for a servant, about to ask him to seek out Erick when Damon suddenly spoke, "Allow me."

He walked up to Yvonne and graced her with an invitation to dance.

She looked into his eyes, a pair of dark, bottomless orbs that flashed captivatingly in the ambiance of the lights flaring overhead. Yvonne could not quite believe what happened. Damon Brown invited her to a dance?!