Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 101: Narcissist?

Unexpected turn of events seemed to be the signature of this particular night.

First she had planned to stay home, that didn’t go as she wanted, in the end she’d been dolled up and brought to this magnificent event.

Secondly she’d expected to arrive here and be drowned among aristocracy, expected people to look down their noses at her, but the moment she walked in, she felt like an ant beneath a microscope, every part of her under scrutiny.

Third, she’d suddenly been taken aback by two men showing up in front of her and just when she had been torn at how to politely decline, this man whose presence was like a storm had breezed in and swept her away taking her along with him.

The confidence and certainty with which he acted always astounded her. He’d grabbed her hand like he owned her and brought her away from the gazes of many taking her to a remarkable balcony which made her realize how high up they were in this building as the cars beneath looked like tiny ants.

Standing before the railings, the tall man before her looked like he lorded over all he sees, the earth seemed way beneath him. And as the wind blew at his hair, something about his rigid features from the side gave off a deep sense of mystery.

She truly truly wondered if this man could be like everyone else, ordinary people who could laugh heartily, ordinary people who could take joy in the smallest things in life.

Now that she thought about it, she found herself wondering if he had anything that brought him pure joy, she’d never seen a look of sheer delight in his eyes before. Whenever she looked at him, all there was to see was an expressionless coldness or a strict concentration whenever he focused on work.

He suddenly tilted his head glancing at her, she felt the burn of his dark eyes as they roved over her form silently.

"It seems I picked well, the dress did it’s job perfectly well." He remarked lazily raising a glass to his lips.

Noticing that movement Anne found the gold colored liquid in the glass familiar, or it was just the way he sipped from the glass, she felt like he was someone she knew far beneath the surface.

A masked man came to mind, looking at him now, their build seemed exactly the same.

Anne frowned then shook off the thought.

She was doing it again, baselessly comparing Andrew Sterling to the masked person because Andrew Sterling had been remotely nice to her.

Catching on to what he’d said earlier Anne replied.

"Thanks for the dress, though I’m not too sure if I should be thanking you because all the staff at work received free clothes to wear to the event, I was no special case."

"Everyone received clothes, but no one received one personally picked by Andrew Sterling, that alone makes it special." His voice as usual carried an air of loftiness that made Anne give him a side eye before saying,

"Ah, the great Andrew Sterling felt the need to personally pick out my outfit. I’m beyond honored, though I can’t begin to understand why."

He raised a brow at her, his expression showing a hint of question.

"I mean..." Anne began to elaborate not realizing that somehow she could understand his every expression even without him saying a word yet, "SE opened the design department for all the staff to pick the outfits they would wear to the event to maintain a good reputation so staff wouldn’t be seen wearing attires unfit for the occasion, why did you, Mr Sterling feel the need to pick mine personally? Furthermore you had stylists sent to my home directly. And...why have you been so nice to me lately?"

After asking these questions that burned her with curiosity, Anne awaited his answer.

The man took his sweet time, something light glinting in his eyes before his lips raised coldly at the side,

"So curious to know my thoughts, aren’t you miss Thompson?"

The wind picked up at this moment, causing a shiver to make the hairs on her skin rise, she would have attributed this to the man next to her, he usually emanated a coldness that would keep people away. But right now there seemed to be a harmlessness to his aura.

"I do things that benefit me, don’t begin to get the misunderstanding that Andrew Sterling has been smitten by you."

She couldn’t help but let out a light scoff in disbelief.

"When did I even...?"

He suddenly turned to her, taken aback by that swift move Anne shifted backwards finding her back pressed to the railings, the wind that hit her made her heart lurch at the fear of the height below but the man closed the distance between them, his face was awfully close.

"Are you sure you didn’t start having ideas? You must have entertained the thought, even for a few seconds, you must have thought that a man like me, sees you as a woman."

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she parted her lips to reply.

"I’m not half as narcissistic as you, I don’t go around thinking the world is obsessed with me." Anne suddenly grounded out before realizing what she’d said.

"Narcissist?"

Oops, she’d insulted him to his face again.

Trying to find something, anything to explain herself and take back what she said, Anne found nothing, in the end the next closest option was to flee so she did just that.

Pushed past him and ran, but what she didn’t expect was for something to stop her.

A hand gripping her from behind.

When she turned her head, her wrist was perfectly held in his grasp.

"You’ve done this so many times, don’t think I’ll let you run off this time."

Shit! He already knew her tactic.

Running from a mistake, what was easier than that?

"What was it you said last time?" He suddenly began to advance towards her.

Since all Anne knew how to do was flee, she began to take little steps backwards.

She obviously couldn’t run, her hand was in his grasp, and the more she moved backwards, the more he advanced, when her back hit the door to the balcony, that was when she realized she had nowhere to run.

Was this the classic example of, your own words will come back to bite you?

"I am a ticking time bomb?" He quoted her exact words making her swallow nervously. His breath hitting her as he leaned down towards her.

"I walk around looking like everyone owes me a thousand bucks, no more like ten thousand?"

Alright, she got it, she’d said all that, was there a need to quote it word for word?

Now hearing it from his mouth made her realize how audacious she had been to have actually said that.

He must have held a grudge and would undoubtedly get back at her right now.

Anne suddenly began wising for the ground to open up and swallow her up right now.

"Whenever you look at me, all you see is a walking talking tornado..."

Gulp, she’d said that too?

Why had she added that part? 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

She looked away but his fingers suddenly trapped her chin keeping her imprisoned under those deep eyes.

His eyes were as hypnotic as his voice, as hypnotic as his scent that smelled like wet earth and musk.

Was she a criminal about to be sentenced or a victim caught under his spell.

She knew she was being called out for what she said right now, but why was it so hard to not look into his eyes, why did his aura become some enamoring?

Was he truly not casting a spell on her?

She knew what it was, he was too close, way too close to her that a strangely familiar feeling was rising within her, but she’d only had this feeling with one person before.

The scene inside the Black Thorn Manor returned to her mind, specifically the moment she’d raised herself on the tip of her toes and kissed the masked person in the darkness.

She’d only had this feeling with him, why was she having it right now?

That feeling came with the loud thumping of her heart, a light fluttering thrill down her stomach.

The desire to breathe him in as much as she could. To get lost in his gaze where no thoughts would register, no doubts, just the sweet moment of her eyes locked with his.

This had surely taken a quick turn.

She needed to flee now, desperately!

But the man had her trapped, his broad body covering every avenue she could escape through.

"If you dislike every part of me so much, I’ll give you one single part you’ll never be able to hate." His voice came out lowered, a deep husk in his tone that made a warmth dance over her skin.

He really was too close, but why did she feel like he was coming closer?

She wouldn’t deceive herself, but the look in his eyes right now made her feel inexplicably desired.

Like a precious gem under the gaze of it’s adorer.

It was rare to believe the cold man could have such a look in his eyes, but when his hot breath brushed over her upper lip, that was when she realized he truly had come too close, but it was too late to act now, or maybe she didn’t want to act.

Like the start of a blissful melody, warmth suddenly covered her mouth.

She didn’t get a chance to panic, nor did she get the chance to protest but...he was kissing her.

The giant tornado was kissing her!