Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring
Billionaire Shadow 11

Chapter 11

"Miss Moore, you look absolutely marvelous tonight. I didn't expect to see you here. Mrs. Walker gushed, her eyes alight with delight. She seemed almost entranced, she didn't take her eyes off Emma. The older woman was all but tactile in her admiration of Emma, and the situation grew all the more uncomfortable for Emma who felt an overwhelming urge to

escape.

Emma forced a smile, feeling the racing of her heart. "Thank you, ma'am. You're looking great, too." The words came stiffly from her lips, as though every syllable grated upon her nerves. She glanced around the room, her mind racing for an excuse, any excuse to cut the conversation short and disappear into obscurity. The pressure was mounting up, and each second seemed to be dragging on longer than the previous one.

Mrs. Walker, oblivious of Emma's uneasiness, lean closer, her voice softened with concern. "How do you were quite white just now. Would you like me to call help for you? feel now, dear? You

Emma swallowed hard as her throat constricted. "No, I'm fine. Really." She forced a strained smile, hoping it would help to convince the older woman. "Please, excuse me." Before Mrs. Walker could say anything more, Emma slipped away, her heart pounding harder as she wove through the crowded hall.

Just as she was about to stepped out of the room into the hallway leading to the restroom, she collided with someone. Panic shot through her as she mumbled, "My apologies," without so much as a backward glance at the person she bumped. She was. focused on finding refuge somewhere, anywhere, to breathe.

She raced into the bathroom, grasping the edges of the sink as she stood in front of the mirror. Her reflection stared back, but all she could think about was how on earth Mrs. Walker knew her. This makeup was heavy, her hair stylized in a totally different manner but somehow, the older woman recognized her. That realization churned her stomach.

Emma let out a long, shaky breath as her chest tightened, the walls of Blackthorn Holdings closing in around her. This was supposed to be a quick appearance, a simple errand. She hadn't anticipated being recognized-most especially not by the likes of Mrs. Walker who has only met her on two occasions.

But she couldn't spend the day hiding in the bathroom. And her reflection in the mirror wasn't offering any help whatsoever, just a warning of the danger of staying too long. Wiping her hands on her dress, she tapped into her supply of inner strength as she left the restroom and plunged into the crowded hallway again, hoping nobody would see her leave.

No such luck.

Before she could take two steps, Mrs. Walker reappeared, wrapping her arm tightly around Emma's as if she'd been waiting for her all along. "Oh, Vero, there you are! I have been looking all around for you. I simply must introduce you to some of my friends." Mrs. Walker was firm, yet light, her voice cheerful, but Emma felt as if the floor was slipping away from under her feet.

What was supposed to be her much needed retreat now felt so far from reality, and all she could do was put on another fake smile, while dread slowly crept into her chest.

Mrs. Walker linked her arm through hers and pulled her toward the center of the bustling room. The crowd felt suffocating, each step amplifying the anxiety twisting in her stomach. Emma's eyes frantically scoured the hall in desperation, hoping for an opening to get away before it was too late.

"Ma'am, I..." Emma tried saying, trying to pull back subtly, but Mrs. Walker was firm.

"It won't take long, dear." Mrs. Walker interrupted her with a warm smile, oblivio

to Emma's inner turmoil.

Before Emma could further protest, they were only a few meters away from Alexander. The pulse at the base of her neck quickened. He was lost in conversation, his towering presence commanding space. He was more rugged than she remembered, his face sharper, eyes darker. The months had made him colder, more distant, like a man untouchable by warmth or emotion. Yet, even now, despite everything, the sight of him stirred emotions buried deep inside.

His cologne, the same intoxicating cologne she had once loved hit her like a wave, flooding her mind with memories. She

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Chapter 11

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remembered that night he had come to her room, holding her as if she were his world. And then he had broken everything by choosing Annie over her. The hurt lacing that memory was one which no amount of time could heal. And there he stood now, only feet away from her, reminding her of what could never be.

Emma clenched her fists and swallowed hard, forcing the lump in her throat to go back down where it belonged. She blinked once, twice, as tears welled up and threatened to spill over. No tears. She warned herself. Not here. Not now!

Mrs. Walker continued to drone beside her, introducing Emma to people she didn't care about knowing. She nodded mechanically as her head failed to register the names and faces on cue. She was focused on being able to stand, avoiding Alexander at all costs. Perhaps if she kept her head down and acted like she wasn't noticing him, he wouldn't notice her. Maybe if she could just survive the moment, she could slip out of the building without being noticed. However, her heart hammered against her chest, a betrayal to her outward calm.

"This is Veronica Moore. She's like a daughter to me," Mrs. Walker announced with a proud smile, her arm still looped through Emma's as she introduced her to the man who had just joined their circle. "And this, Veronica, is Mr. Kings. He's like the son I never had." Emma extended her hand, trying to maintain her composure as the man took it with a warm, confident grip. For the first time that night, she really looked at the man in front of her, her eyes locking onto his. His green eyes were striking, deep, and somehow familiar like they held a quiet promise of safety. Something inside her stirred, and for a moment, her heart, which had been racing with anxiety all evening, seemed to still. In his presence, the panic that had overcome her since the second she laid her eyes on Alexander faded, replaced with an uneasy calm in its wake.

"I'm Brandon Kings, but please, call me Brandon," he said, his smile soft and genuine, the kind of smile that could put any woman at ease. Emma could feel her heart flutter, and knew it was wrong to let it. She couldn't afford to feel this way, not in her situation, not tonight. Yet Brandon's voice and presence tugged on something in her, something she hadn't felt in so long.

"You ran into me earlier." Brandon added with a smile that melted Emma's heart.

She opened her mouth to apologize but before words could form, she felt it, the heat of a gaze burning into the side of her face. It was scorching, and Emma already knew who it belonged to without needing to confirm. Still, instinct made her glance out of the corner of her eye, her breath catching when she saw him.

Alexander.

He stood across the room, his eyes fixed on her with a laserlike intensity that quickened her pulse for all the wrong reasons. His gaze was searing, possessive, and all consuming. He was watching her like a predator watches his prey, his jaw tight, his hands clenched by his sides. The intensity of his presence filled the space between them, and Emma's heart started racing again but not out of panic this time but out of dread!

It had all happened so fast that she didn't even have time to process what was happening. She did know one thing: Alexander was coming. He'd started across the room toward their group, and one look at his face was enough to make her blood run cold. She couldn't afford for this to be happening, not being cornered by him, not here and now, in front of these people. Before her mind could catch up, her body took over.

Emma turned on her heel and took off in a dead run, wordless and without so much as another look. She didn't care who watched or what Mrs. Walker and Brandon would think. She just needed to be out. Her heels clicked furiously against the marble floors as she fled the hall, her air thick with the weight of Alexander's gaze following her with each step.

She did not stop running until she was outside, gasping for breath and her heart thundered within her chest.

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Chapter 12