The sound of laughter, mixed with the clinking of champagne flutes and the soft harmonies from the string quartet hummed in her mind as she took in her surroundings with an air of indifference. Her mind drifted to the unquenchable excitement she used to possess when she accompanied her parents to one of these prestigious events. The colour of her dresses always matched her mother's, as they shopped together for the perfect outfits amidst the upscale boutiques in the distinguished Fifth Avenue district in Manhattan. The honour and pride that formerly arose before she appeared at these functions now seemed laughable. That naive excitement soon extinguished when she discovered the harsh realisation of her role within this elite social circle. The benefits and fundraisers that were once revered, she soon despised, such as the one she was currently attending. For years she continued to extend her presence to these events, suffocated by the scrutiny and oppressive expectations they harboured. Long gone was the happiness she felt as her mother arranged her hair with beautiful detail or taught her to apply make-up which complimented her fair complexion and dark hair. Presently, she bared absolutely no interest toward any of the conversations transpiring or cares for a single individual within the lavishly decorated ballroom, yet alone her appearance.
"Don't you agree, Serena?” a voice echoed.
"Pardon?" Serena Carter replied, pulling away from her reverie and immersed herself back into the on-going conversation her consciousness had gratefully left.
"Don't you agree that more funding should be invested into protecting our city's monuments?" an authoritative male voice inquired. The eyes of her husband, Brandon Parker, looked expectantly at her, anxiously anticipating her response, before it flicked back toward the gentleman questioning her.
"Why of course, Clive!" she proclaimed with a muted passion. "It is imperative we preserve such monuments, so that we can honour and commemorate the pivotal moments within our history. They also act as reminders of the beauty from our previous cultures and enable us to reflect upon them as we progress within society."
"A sound argument, I couldn't agree more", Clive mused, as others murmured in agreement. "You've got yourself a real catch here, Brandon. Beautiful and smart", Clive chuckled as he turned to address Serena's husband. Brandon nodded in appreciation and pulled Serena towards him, wrapping his arm around the slim curve of her waist before placing a kiss at her temple.
Serena's attention drifted from the conversation and she detached herself once again from the continued exchanges agreeing with her well-rehearsed response. Whilst her mind wandered, her gaze was entrapped by a pair of unyielding, piercing, blue eyes, belonging to a enthralling man unknown to her. Even though his attire mirrored the finely-tailored, black tuxedos adorned on every other male attendee, his broad muscles and towering stature, coupled with his closely-cut black hair, immediately segregated him from the rest of the men in the ballroom.
"I disagree", he said holding her gaze as he stepped into the group of conversing guests. She felt the soft, yet coarse tones of his voice - which had disputed her answer - seep into the pores of her skin, as if stirring her very existence. Serena silently remained in her position, immobilised by the intensity of his stare. There was something captivating about his eyes, which made her unable to break contact. It was then that she noticed the streaks of gold ignite within the deep, sapphire blue, burning into her and laying claim. The attention of the others shifted towards the interloper as he continued. "Monuments only hold reminders of our past misjudgements and failures. Most of the monuments commissioned were erected to honour autocratic leaders as false idols. Forget those within New York or even America, and consider statues in the form of Stalin in Russia or Chairman Mao in China - should we really be preserving images of men who inflicted nothing but mistreatment and cruelty upon their country's people? By preserving these images are we not glorifying their crime? Are they really images of beauty which we should hold in our hearts and admire? I think we should destroy them all." A quiet settled amidst the small gathering of people, as they awaited Serena's response. The even and unhurried tone in his voice further unsettled her, along with the fact that no one has ever undermined her opinion or contradicted her during these functions. Her answers were always perfect; tailored to appease each member of her audience within a conversation, and so were never doubted.
"Indeed, such monuments are in existence, but they can also act as reminders for our future leaders and ourselves to ensure that we do not commit the same mistakes", she rebutted. "And regarding beauty, I believe your perception is a fairly primitive form. Regarding the examples you previously mentioned, forget who or what the monument represents, but appreciate the skill of the sculptor and artist; the smooth lines defining his face or the depressions etched to highlight the creases of his uniform. It is the talent within these features which should be preserved, not necessarily the men it represents". A perfect answer. A second murmur of agreement surfaced amongst her audience before the conversation reignited discussing a tangent topic. His dark eyes remained focused on Serena, appearing unperturbed by her rebuttal, as he slowly sipped his champagne from the crystal flute. Serena could not fathom why, but this foreboding man had captivated her attention and sparked an interest; a feat that had not been achieved in years.
"Forgive me, but I don't think we've been acquainted. Brandon Parker", Brandon interjected, extending his hand to the newest arrival, "And my wife, Serena", he continued, gesturing towards her. The edges of his mouth tipped upwards, a smirk settled upon his devastatingly, handsome face before breaking his gaze and introducing himself.
"Cade Reyes", he said, accepting Brandon's proffered hand. "I apologise for the intrusion, but I lack the ability to refrain from voicing my opinion." Cade directed his eyes back towards Serena almost anticipatively, as she smoothed the red silk of her floor-length gown, running her fingers lightly through her perfectly styled hair. The light sparkled off the diamonds ornamenting her hands and neck, illuminated from the chandeliers suspended above. "A pleasure, Mr. Reyes," Serena acknowledged, nodding in her polite, generic manner as she attempted to feign disinterest.
Her eyes flickered to Cade as he continued to engage in polite conversation before excusing himself shortly after. Cade cast a final, piercing glance upon Serena's elegant figure that stirred, yet again that foreign feeling within her. The evening then progressed in the same mundanely, uniform schedule. She looked blankly towards the other guests, accepting champagne when it was offered, producing a response when expected and smiling when necessary for photographers. However, amidst her role, her mind still continually drifted back to the brief encounter with Cade Reyes and the unsettling feeling that he may be able to penetrate her carefully orchestrated facade.
