My CEO Bestie And Me

Chapter 13, Dancing on the stage

Ben walked onto the stage with Lerisa, as the event had yet to fully commence.

As they stepped outside onto the stage, the romantic music continued to play, and Lerisa felt all eyes on her. It seemed as if everyone in the event hall paused to watch her and Ben, who held her closely, their hands intertwined.

She avoided glancing over to where her parents sat, surprised by her presence on stage. She remembered her mother expressing her hope for she to marry Anthony.

With Ben holding her waist so closely, Lerisa felt her cheeks flush. Even though Ben was taller, he shared a similar masculine physique to Anthony, which made her wonder why she couldn’t stop comparing them. Perhaps it was because she had always hoped that someone as handsome as Anthony would notice her, especially since they lived in the same vicinity.

“Shall we dance now?” Ben finally asked again, and Lerisa gulped, feeling nervous standing on the stage with him.

She noticed some couples who had been dancing to the love song now stepping aside to give her and Ben a chance to dance. However, she didn’t feel brave enough to dance in front of all the guests.

“Yes,” she managed to reply.

“3, 2, 1, go,” Ben counted down, guiding her waist as he began to dance with her in a romantic style, their bodies moving closely together.

Lerisa couldn’t help but think that it should have been her dancing with Anthony instead. She held onto Ben and gazed up at his face, trying to focus on the dance as they entertained the guests in the enormous hall.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Gregson frowned as they observed the scene from their VIP seats. They had discussed the night before their desire for Anthony to consider marrying Lerisa, but they wanted him and Lerisa to bond as friends first, not wanting it to appear as though they were forcing a marriage.

Seeing the tall, handsome man holding Lerisa’s waist made Mrs. Beatrice frown, while Mr. Joshua looked away, displeased at the sight of another man being so close to Lerisa.

“Where is Anthony?” Mr. Joshua finally asked calmly, turning to his wife.

“I don’t know,” she sighed in response.

Mrs. Antonia frowned as she muttered to her husband, “Who is the man Lerisa is dancing with? How can she humiliate us like this in front of the Gregson family?”

“It’s just a harmless dance, Antonia. It’s not as if he’s kissing our daughter,” Mr. Fred replied, smiling as he watched his daughter dance happily. “Besides, Lerisa and Anthony aren't officially together yet, so there’s no reason to feel humiliated.”

“No, honey. I want Anthony to marry our daughter, not this tall man with her,” Mrs. Antonia insisted.

“I want that too, but we can’t force them into marriage if that’s not what they want. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, not something to be rushed. It’s best we allow them to make their own choices while we support them to avoid any future blame.”

“Hmmm,” Mrs. Antonia hummed in agreement, turning her attention back to Ben and Lerisa, who were still dancing closely.

She could see that Ben truly admired her daughter, but she didn’t approve of him as a potential son-in-law. Taking a sip of her red wine, she continued to watch silently.

Soon, Clara arrived at Anthony's family home, dressed in a long floral gown and wearing heavy makeup. She had taken her time to prepare, wanting to impress Anthony and his family.

Stepping out of her black car, Clara walked up to meet Anthony, who had been waiting outside. He smiled in relief as he welcomed her with a warm hug and a kiss on the lips.

“What took you so long to arrive, babe?” Anthony asked.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I just had to look my best for you tonight. Happy birthday, honey!” Clara replied with a smile.

“You look wonderful, thank you,” Anthony said, kissing her knuckles. “Shall we head inside? The celebration has already started, and I came out here to wait for you.”

“Sure,” Clara agreed, and they walked into the mansion together, making their way to the event hall.

As they entered the hall through the back door, Anthony held Clara’s hand closely, scanning the room. His gaze fell upon Lerisa and Ben dancing together on stage, and he smiled at the sight.

Ben had been urging him to speak to Lerisa on his behalf, but Anthony sensed that Lerisa was unhappy about something he couldn’t quite identify.

As the music ended, the audience erupted in applause for the dancing couple. Anthony stepped onto the stage with Clara, holding her close, while Lerisa finally let go of Ben’s hand and noticed Anthony approaching with Clara by his side.

Lerisa’s eyes met Clara's, and she frowned while Clara smiled sweetly and said, “Hi, Lerisa.”

“Shall we dance, sweetheart?” Anthony asked Clara, and she eagerly replied, “Yes, my love.”

Lerisa felt as if she would faint as she watched Clara and Anthony holding hands like the couple of the night. She saw Anthony guide Clara’s waist close to him, and Clara gazed up at him.

Clara was aware that Lerisa hadn’t told Anthony about seeing her with another man earlier that day. She knew Lerisa had a crush on Anthony, given how often Lerisa lied about his whereabouts and watched them with a hint of jealousy.

After all, Anthony was handsome, rich, and the CEO of LH Group. Who wouldn’t have a crush on a billionaire with a generous heart?

Clara smiled sweetly at Anthony as the music began to play. His hands encircled her waist, and they started dancing together, the bright lights shining on only them while the rest of the hall dimmed.