The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 55: The Party

I kept Alvarez distracted for as long as I could. The entire night we spent within the house…was just hours of us remaining in the bed, tangled in the sheets.

He was just too frustrated with having to stay inside the Alvarez manor for too long! Even after we were called downstairs to greet his cousins who just arrived, he refused. Luckily, no one tried to break in while we were like that…

We’ve only spent the entire time with each other. He was…taking all of his frustrations out on me in bed. I didn’t mind, of course. It’s just that I was quite worried…

“Are you okay now?” I asked Alvarez when he opened his eyes, with me being the first thing he saw.

He blinked several times as he stared at me. “Hmm…?”

“I asked if you’re okay now.”

“Why…”

Oh, is he still in a daze?

I waited for him to finally snap out of his reverie, finding it funny that he was suddenly in this kind of mood. Well, that’s rare. He’s either clingy or snappy when he wakes up, and I sort of expected it to be the latter after having to sleep in this place.

Either way…

I’d rather we avoid bumping into any Alvarezes before the party begins, but there’s no way fate would let things go our way. He’s also already expecting his cousins to be waiting for him everywhere.

“It’s okay, Diaz. Don’t be scared. I’ll stay by your side…”

I blinked twice at him. “I’m not really that scared…”

If anything, I think he’s the one who’s having a difficult time. I thought distracting him with pleasure would suffice, but it turns out that it’s a lot worse than I thought.

To be honest, the Alvarezes don’t scare me anymore. I know how frank they can be already as I’ve practically grown up beside Papa and Grandpa Emil. That’s why it doesn’t really matter to me anymore.

“Diaz, you have to be scared,” he replied as he shook his head. “If they’re not in a particularly good mood, they can be worse than the old man.”

“What? Is that why you’re on edge?”

He shook his head. “I’m used to them, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s you that I’m concerned about.”

“But I’ve already met your cousins a little while ago.”

“Sky and Al can’t even compare to Red. That guy is much worse than me.”

I really didn’t understand what that meant. Is he saying that there’s someone even more terrible than him, the current head of the Alvarez clan? But there’s no way…

I stared at Alvarez in confusion, trying to understand what that meant. He wouldn’t jest about such a thing, especially when it’s about the members of the Alvarez clan. It’s got to be serious.

“But you’re the head? Shouldn’t they be bowing to you instead? Why does this all seem… far-fetched?”

I couldn’t help but doubt it! He’s supposedly the most powerful man within their family as of today, right? That’s what I was told, and that’s how I’ve always seen him!

Alvarez sighed and nuzzled his face on my neck as if trying to remain comfortable. “I am.”

“Then, why are you acting as if they all have equal power as you?”

“Because they do. Diaz, trust me when I say they do.”

There was something about his tone that made me feel scared of what I might encounter later. I knew the Alvarezes were of different standing from everyone else, and I thought I already felt that down to my core.

Perhaps I was wrong. Again…

Or maybe I was trying to deny it when I met Sky and Alistair back then. Of course, I would deny it. It made me feel as though I was nothing more than a peasant compared to them.

By simply looking at an Alvarez, you are bound to feel as though you are being forced to grovel before them. Even when I’ve tried so many times to act like Gray’s equal…I always, always end up faking it.

And this cousin he’s been talking about. I feel like I don’t want to meet Red Alvarez at all, especially with the way Sky and Alistair mentioned his name before.

And so I ended up asking Alvarez, hoping it would allow me to save myself from humiliation or so.

“What is Red Alvarez like…?”

He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowing at the mention of his cousin. “Why do you ask?”

“I want to know how I can avoid him.”

“Oh…” He then buried his face in my chest, looking comfortable. “You can’t avoid that asshole.”

“Then, what do we do?”

“Diaz, we don’t need to avoid Red.”

“But I get the idea that he’s a man you wouldn’t want to bump into.”

He nodded, sighing. “You wouldn’t. He’d try to steal you.”

Steal me? Was that why those two paid us a visit? Just to get Alvarez to bring me here so Red can do whatever he wants? I didn't quite follow, but I continued to listen to him anyway.

“Red’s not someone you can predict. He’d do what he wanted regardless of how it would affect the people around him. Even I can’t stop him if he tries.”

“You won’t be able to do anything if he tries to take me away?”

Well, that kind of hurt. Did he mean that even if that Red guy tried to take me away, he’d just stand and watch? Damn, what kind of coward did I marry—

“That’s funny, Diaz,” he replied, chuckling. I felt his embrace on my waist tighten. “You know I’d never let anyone touch my property.”

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with greed and fury. Did he get mad thinking his cousin would actually try? Damn, I’m taking it back. He’s definitely not a coward. He just doesn’t care if it doesn’t involve anything he owns.

“Don’t look at me like that…” I muttered. Goosebumps. I pursed my lips and covered his eyes with my hands. I didn’t like what his eyes emanated. I really despise it when Alvarez has that kind of look on his face as if he’s going to devour my entirety.

Gently, he held my hand and took it in his mouth, leaving feathery kisses. His eyes were closed, and I was able to heave a sigh of relief.

We savored the feeling of our bodies being so close to each other as the sun’s rays hit us. The warmth felt good, especially with the coldness the manor exuded.

The two of us bathed together, still basking in the warmth we could only get from one another. I feared we needed to go down to have breakfast, but Alvarez had the maids deliver food for us upstairs.

“They’re down there,” he told me.

“Are there a lot of people there?”

He nodded and placed the tray on top of the bed. “Red’s also there. They’re probably going to start preparing for the party around this hour.”

“Do we have to go down, then?” I asked, worried.

“No, we’ll stay here until we need to get ready. The party starts at midnight, so we still have plenty of time.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Plenty of time for what?”

“To prepare for what’s about to unfold…”

I didn’t like what I heard. I thought it would be nothing more than a party, but for some reason, it felt like there’d be trouble. f**k, I don’t understand what’s going on with the Alvarezes!

As time progressed, the two of us simply stayed inside the bedroom, refusing to go out or at least greet his cousins. There were times when they tried knocking, but it seemed like Alvarez’s door had some sort of passcode that wouldn’t allow anyone in unless he allowed them to.

We heard them calling several times, mostly trying to tell us to go out or simply yelling their greetings as they passed by our door. And I’m not sure, but they seemed to be the same people every time.

“It’s those four…” Alvarez muttered as he started to change his clothes.

I’d already changed into the dress that he wanted me to wear. It was a black bodycon dress that showed my bare back, and the long slits were tied by laces.

It was simple, but you’d know it was tailored by a famous designer at one glance. And it hugged my curves perfectly, almost as if meant to show my body off! This wasn’t what I expected him to make me wear during such an important event!

“Are you sure you want me to go out there looking like this?”

He turned to me with a bored expression. “They can ogle at you for as much as they want. It’s not like they’ll be able to touch you, anyway.”

“But isn’t that a formal event?”

“It is.”

“Should I really be wearing this there?”

He sighed and turned to me, asking me to fix his tie. He bent down a little, his face a few inches away from mine. Damn, he smells so good. I feel like kissing him…

But now isn’t the time for any of that!

“Hey, I’ll stand out if I wear this and they’re all—”

“That’s the point, Diaz.”

My breathing hitched when he whispered, looking directly into my eyes. I almost ruined his tie, but I managed to fix it. That was too close for my own good.

Alvarez looks dashing right now. He styled his hair himself! It was a messy slicked back style, and he’s definitely rocking it. He looks so good, smells so good…

His hands immediately fell on my waist as soon as I was done fixing his tie, his face leaning forward. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to avoid looking into his eyes.

This isn’t me at all! Why am I letting myself lose to this asshole in this kind of thing?! Why am I not holding my ground like I’m supposed to?!

“I want you to stand out among those morons…” he whispered against my ear.

My heart skipped a beat, almost like how the teenage me acted whenever someone handed me a bouquet of flowers. f**k, there’s no way…

I blinked a few times and held his arm because I was being pushed back. There’s no way he’s making me feel weak outside the bed.

I pursed my lips when I was pushed back against the wall, with him in front of me, locking me in his hold. His right hand came up to my face and then began to play with my hair. All while looking me in the eye.

“What are you…”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence because I was afraid my voice would crack. With him not taking his eyes off me, I was unable to calm my nerves. It’s as if every fiber in my body is responding to his presence.

Something in me wanted to run away, but I was unable to do it anyway. I hate how he just knows how to play his cards right, especially when it comes to intimidating me.

What’s even more infuriating is the fact that he’s much taller than I am, and I’d always have to look up at him. And, of course, he knows how much I despise him. That’s precisely why he’s looking down at me with the ever-exasperating grin of his.

“Why? Do you not like the dress?” he asked as he looked down at what I was wearing.

I shook my head. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I’m just worried things could get dicey if we don’t follow.”

“It doesn’t matter whether we follow or not. They know when to not anger me.”

Will it really be okay, though? I just want to avoid creating a mess if anything, especially when Alvarez is on edge.

“But—”

He cut me off by putting his index finger on my lips. “I want and need you to own the spotlight, Diaz. Your beauty ought to be displayed, not kept.”