"Ahm, um, is this yours, by any chance?"

Jessica turned around swiftly, her eyes still closed and barely kept her tone down.

"NO." 

The subtle hint of annoyance resigned itself to the person it was meant for, however, they ignored the hint.

Portia smiled and walked over towards them. She extended her hand and revealed in her palm a silver string that had likely fallen off of the Liam's chained cufflinks. 

"I am pretty sure this is yours; I just saw it fall down." The calm, composure and compassion that laced the voice could make any man swoon and fall head over heels.

If even if they did not fall, our femme fatale would make a lasting first impression on the target. 

This, as per Jessica, was applicable to all men in the world.

All men, but Liam.

Hopefully.

Liam looked down at the extended hand and open palm and swiftly picked the object up, ensuring to not touch as much as a dead skin cell.

"Thank you." Two words, stern and clear.

Then, he looked in Jessica eyes, and smiled, extending his arm for her to take. She took it with grace and the two of them turned around, ready to leave.

But that was not before Liam randomly tosses the thread like thing he had just received back, on the ground of the parking lot. Jessica was pretty sure a car had just run over it, crushing it to atomic pieces.

A certain observer gritted their teeth. Subtly. 

The night had truly, just begun.

***

Once inside the main building designated for the event, the woman Jessica did not want around truly mingled with the crowd. Yet Portia was always visible in the corner of her eyes, as she swayed her hips and confidently engaged in conversation with the elite guests, forming connections with everyone she deemed suitable. Some premonition never let Jessica relax; she knew the woman would not leave her alone.

That was how she used to be, at least, back in school.

The charity event was to be held in three. First was an auctioning event, followed by the ball and drink reception before the dinner is served. 

The auctioning was held in a side hall attached to the main ballroom, spacious and well decorated. Although the decorations faded away with the lighting arrangement that resembled the one in movie theatres. Men and women dressed in fancy, exquisite clothing soon started to fill the seats. The scent in the air was a mixture of alluring perfume smells from all over the world. Wonderous, yet Jessica found it made the place a bit congested. 

Liam and she took their seats in the third row, and waited for the auctioning to commence. He whispered something in Jessica's ears causing her to giggle. She too, responded with something that made Liam's eyes light up. However, their exchanges came to an end when another familiar voice sounded close by.

"Jessica!"

Jessica turned around, her straight, sleek hair moving in sync with her. 

"Ryan!?" An unprecedented smile crept up to her lips. 

He took the empty seat right next to Jessica before acknowledging Liam with a firm handshake and a nod. 

"So, are you with her?" Jessica asked bitterly. Thankfully, the bitterness did not reek from her.

"Yeah, Portia said you could bring a partner along." He shrugged. "Of course it happened to be me." 

Jessica nodded in response to the grin that had appeared on Ryan's face. She wondered if it was because of the fact that he was the one Portia brought along, or whether it was for a reason as simple as the mention of Portia in their conversation.

Regardless, she despised it with utmost passion.

In the back of her head she knew, and felt and knew- she was probably being a mean grown women. 

But this was not something that she had innately. It developed as a conditional response to whatever she had undergone. Portia, of course, topped it all.

When the three of them were silent for a moment, Jessica even wondered how men all around, even women, and all those friends she had lost to her arch nemesis, could be that blind? She couldn't believe they were unable to spot the manipulative skills Portia had ever since she was in grade five.

But then again, all of the manipulation harmed no one but her; no one but Jessica. Only Jessica.

Liam noticed her discomfort and lightly pecked her on the cheek, then smiled against her face. Jessica looked at him shyly, and a shade of red tinted her nose. Ryan did not address witnessing the event, but he had become visibly uncomfortable with the 'public display of affection' which he too, had often done with Portia. 

"Hey baby!" Portia chimed in and made her way towards the seated guests. She bent a little and explained something to Ryan, who then nodded his head in agreement and left his seat for her, and took the next one. 

"Hey Jessica!" She bent and hugged Jessica, who sat as firm as a rock throughout. "I asked Ryan to move, you know, we have a lot to catch up on, after all." Her eyes even caught those of Liam's in such a few words. She was definitely good at making her way into places.

The auctioning then begun and items were brought up on to the center of the stage. Items were auctioned to the highest bidder, and since there was nothing that had caught Liam's eyes, he stayed silent, appreciating the time and company he had missed for long.

He looked over at Jessica, whose eyes were stuck on the stage, expecting a painting to show up. Liam couldn't help but smile. So much was he in love with her. He reached out and held her hand in his, kissing it preciously. Jessica smiled genuinely.

Unprecedently, Liam's eyes collided with that of Ryan, who looked a bit off. If one could mimic the scene in a TV show, it would be as if lightening struck between the two of them. 

Liam had never held anything solid against Ryan. It was true he loathed him internally when Larry died. He knew something was clearly off. But then threw the idea away, for Jessica's sake. She did her best to bring his spirits back, and he did not want to burden her by hammering a dent into her friendship.

Right then, however, Liam could not shake a disturbing thought away. He felt a strange energy radiate from Ryan. And even though he knew Portia was the one he dated; his heart could not be at ease. 

When the auctioning was over, Liam and Jessica had a painting to their name, while Portia got herself a rare jewel found from the tomb of an ancient ruling dynasty in India. The four of them headed out for the ballroom, where musicians had already started playing. Jessica and Liam took to the dance floor and swayed in each other's arms for quite sometime. They had to stop when Liam received an important phone call, and Jessica pouted like a pufferfish at having to halt. 

She looked around the place while Liam was occupied, and found Ryan standing alone. To her surprise, Portia was nowhere near him. The two of them had a friendly banter and eventually headed to the dance floor to pass the time.

Liam was still on call, with a wine glass in his hand when his eyes fell upon the dancing duo. For a moment, he did not reply to the person on the other side- who had rightfully assumed the connection had been cut. He put the phone down and observed them with keen interest. 

Is this how she was when dancing with me?

Jessica, unaware of the eyes that scrutinized them, enjoyed herself to the fullest. The two of them continued talking even as they danced. Soon, the music ended and a new melody had taken over. This one, was like the blossoming rose in the winter morning. It was as raw as the unfurled bud wet with dew; red and soaked with desire. A finger twitched in Jessica's hand when she extended her arm to place it on Ryan's shoulder. 

Strange, it was how they had been dancing before. Why did it suddenly feel so different?

Before their feet moved to match the music, their eyes met each others. Once they met, they moved not throughout the dance. Ryan's hand on Jessica's waist was now burning her skin. It was a foreign flame that felt not quite right, and still she did not want to stop.

The atmosphere had changed, and it was just her and him dancing. Enchanting was the word. Lights had sprinkled all across the dance floor like a mini galaxy full of stars. Ryan too, was stuck in a trance. It was not as deep as the one Jessica was in- but it was deep enough to keep him hooked.

Anyway, it was also then she noticed something that made her shiver.

It was Liam who had dressed in brown to match Jessica's cream-colored gown, but Ryan's burgundy seemed to have fatefully fitted it better.