Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 284: Strange look

Braelyn’s POV

My face burned. He knew what he was doing. The annoying part was the fact that he could keep a straight face while flirting.

I almost shot Lucien a glare forgetting where we were. A hand brushed against mine from under the table and snapped me from my thoughts.

I quickly glanced at Raphael who was staring at me with a concerned gaze, as if he could notice the slight ripple. "Are you alright? you look flushed," he asked with genuine concern written in his clear hazel eyes

I discreetly moved my hand. "I am fine." I blurted but he wasn’t having it. Lucien’s gaze had shifted from me but it didn’t help.

"You don’t look fine. We can always leave.." he said quietly in a tone convenient for just the 2 of us to hear.

My brow arched at his suggestion. "We can’t do that. I am fine." I stated again then reached for the water. Raphael’s gaze lingered but it was my words against mine.

He had no choice but to drop it. My breath shuddered, how careless was I?

I forced my shoulders to relax and took a slow sip of water, letting the coolness steady my nerves before anyone noticed the tension sitting under my skin.

Across the table, conversation slowly resumed, the executives returning to their polite discussions about market forecasts and quarterly projections as if nothing had happened.

The banquet hall itself was gradually filling.

Guests continued to enter in steady waves, their formal clothes catching the warm chandelier light as they moved between tables.

The low hum of conversations blended with the soft instrumental music drifting from the live band near the stage. Crystal glasses clinked gently, chairs scraped against polished floors, and waiters moved in quiet lines carrying trays of champagne and wine.

The entire hall felt alive. At the far end, the massive stage stood ready beneath a large illuminated company emblem. Rows of round tables stretched out before it, each marked with name cards and decorated with tall winter flowers. The closer a table was to the stage, the more powerful the people sitting there.

Naturally, the front table remained empty. Everyone knew who it belonged to.

More guests slipped into their seats, laughter rising here and there as late arrivals greeted business partners and old acquaintances. The music swelled slightly as the final wave of important attendees entered the hall.

Then the main doors opened again. The shift in attention was immediate.

Even before I turned, I felt it ripple through the room like a silent command. Ronan entered first with Natalia arms laced with his looking every bit like the power couple..

He was dressed in a dark tailored suit that made him look every inch the chairman, he walked forward with the calm authority of someone used to owning every room he stepped into. Natalia followed beside him, elegant and perfectly composed.

And beside them, as expected was the abominable in striking red. Amelia.

She moved as she belonged at the centre of the night, her red dress catching the warm lights with every step. The diamonds in her hair shimmered softly as heads turned one after another, whispers already beginning to stir across nearby tables. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

They walked straight toward the front table. The path almost cleared on its own.

As they passed our section, Amelia’s eyes shifted. Not toward me but toward Raphael. The corner of her lips curled up slightly. She didn’t spare me a glance like I was air not that I cared but I couldn’t help but notice the weird look she gave Raphael.

Her gaze lingered on him, Raphael frowned slightly beside me, clearly unsettled by whatever he saw in her expression.

And for some reason, my stomach churned. What was this witch up to now?

A quiet, uncomfortable feeling crept through me, it was settling in a way I couldn’t describe. I noticed Raphael’s fist subconsciously clenched. She scoffed and then looked away.

I watched as they finally reached the front table and took their seats, Ronan in the centre, Natalia beside him, and Amelia placed close enough to remain clearly visible to the entire hall.

The moment they settled, the music slowly softened, and conversations dimmed. The bright lights on the congregation dimmed and the stage lit up..

A man in a formal suit stepped onto the stage, adjusting the microphone as a spotlight warmed the centre platform.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the host began, his voice carrying smoothly across the hall. "On behalf of Volkov Apex leadership, welcome to our annual year-end gala."

Polite applause spread through the room.

"This evening is not only a celebration of another year of hard work and achievement, but also a night to relax, enjoy good company, and share in the rewards of our collective success."

Waiters immediately began moving again as he spoke, signalling the start of the banquet service. Wine was poured, and the first course was prepared to be delivered in synchronised lines from the kitchen doors.

"There will also be several special draws tonight," the host continued with a cheerful tone, "including our staff lottery, executive appreciation awards, and the grand end-of-year prize announcement later this evening."

A few excited murmurs rose at that.

The atmosphere shifted slightly warmer now, more festive. Everyone was a bit more relaxed, as people settled into their seats properly and turned their attention toward the stage while the first dishes began arriving at tables one by one.

From the corner of my eye, I glanced once more toward the front table. Amelia was already speaking softly to Natalia, her posture perfect, her smile gentle.

Everything looked completely normal and yet that strange feeling in my stomach only tightened.

The host voice rang out, "We will be playing a couple of games. The waiter were go around with free lottery tickets and numbers. I encourage everyone to participate to make the event more lively.."

As he spoke a waiter arrived at our table with a box for us to pick individually. One for the lottery then the numbers. Everyone took the mood but we weren’t interested in the lottery.

Raphael and I picked our numbers then checked them. The host voice continued. "Please i encourage you not to swap numbers.. a different box was used for male and female." He explained..

The host started saying some jokes as the numbers were shared. I only glanced at my number once and didn’t care again. Raphael didn’t bother about the game yet...

After a few minutes, the waiters were done sharing the lottery tickets and numbers. The host voice boomed through the sound system again.

"The time is here please if you picked the following numbers step out." The host announced and then read out.

"5, 67 and 90.." he announced. My brows furrowed I checked my number again. The number 90 was glaring at me.

The host urged the numbers to stand up. Reluctantly i stood up but I wasn’t the only one at my table who stood up

Raphael and Lucien also stood up. We all froze my eyes drew to the head table and spotted Amelia who was also up.

What sick game was this?