Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 10 - Venus

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What are the odds of running into him again.

His eyes are like this magnetic field, it is impossible for me to look away. It's only when Bri draws my attention back to her, that I break our intense stare.

Bri is already staring at me, roaming my face. Hopefully she didn't catch me staring at this stranger, "What?." I make it sound like I do not know what is going on. Just me casually taking in the surroundings.

"Sophia asked if we want some drinks." She repeat the question again.

"Oh, sure." I respond casually, but deep down I am relieved. Maybe a drink will help to settle my nerves.

"I will introduce you to my fiancé first, and then we will get some drinks." She responds bubbly, bouncing through the crowd, to the seats in the back.

Please dear Lord, don't let her fiancé be someone at that group of men. I will die.

"Come on," Emily shoots me a questioning look, dragging me along as Sophia and Bri stroll ahead, arms intertwined.

When the realization sets in that Sophia's fiancé is indeed with that group of men, my stomach drops. What have I done to deserve this?

"Mio amato," Sophia calls out, catching the attention of a man in a tailored blue with white stripes suit. His stern expression softens as his gaze meets hers. Undoubtedly he is handsome, with lighter brown hair and deep brown eyes. Even in a suit, his athletic posture is still noticeable.

Before he can respond, Sophia interjects, "Bri arrived, and she brought her friends from London with her, remember?." His eyes scan Bri, then settle on Emily and me. He rises, warmly greeting Bri in Italian with a kiss on her cheek. "London?." His gaze shifts between Emily and me, his New York accent evident. Perhaps he's one of Bri's family friends from New York.

"New York." I unintentionally murmur, mostly to myself. Just my luck, he catches it, "what's that?." He focuses entirely on me, taking in my presence before meeting my eyes again.

"Your accent. New York." I manage to say, feeling the weight of all the men's attention on us, or particularly me.

His lips twitch in amusement, nodding impressed, "You've got a keen ear," he compliments.

Unsure how to respond to his compliment, I offer him a polite smile.

"Gosh, were are our manners." Emily interjects, coming to my aid, extending her hand to Sophia's fiancé. "I'm Emily," she says, as he takes her hand. "Nice to meet you, Emily," he politely responds. Despite his heavy New York accent, his Italian flair is still noticeable.

"And this is Madeleine." She introduces me before I can, using my full name. Nobody ever calls me that.

"Nice to meet you, Madeleine. I'm Alonso." He says, and hold his hand out for me to shake.

I smile and shake his hand. "Nice to meet you." I return the politeness.

"Let me introduce you to the others." Thankfully, Sophia steps in again. I am not good at meeting new people. I am just too awkward for my own good. I quickly scan the group, intentionally avoiding those blue ones. There are five men spread across various seats, along with two females who don't seem related to any of them, not even Italian, So I assume they're just... company.

Sitting next to Alonso is the man Bri pointed out earlier, the one in the beige suit. Some
how he resembles Sophia, but not entirely, however you can see that they are somehow related. While Alonso has a serious demeanor, this guy seems more laid-back, sporting goofy smile. "That's my cousin, Dante." The man nods at us and salute us with his hand.