Date The CEO.com

Chapter 198: The Night is Young

People crowded the end of the hallway.

A server had seen the commotion and dropped his tray. The nearest guests noticed his line of sight. They scrambled to see what had startled him. Their hands flew to their mouths in shock. What a scene! The calm and collected CEO had lost his composure. He grabbed the man's dress shirt and tugged it.

Whatever he said, they didn't hear.

And so the whispers began.

Eve's shoulders tensed when their voices registered in her head. Her fear began to take effect. It was one thing to have her reputation tainted by her crude behavior in the middle of a party, it was another thing to have Ambryan dragged into it. He was the host. Despite everything, he was meant to be courteousbreak off disturbances in a peaceful manner for the lack of better words.

Avery rushed into the scene. The two women locked eyes. 

They shared a silent agreement.

The madam sought the crowd's attention while Eve approached the two men. Her shoes were thrown to the floor. She picked them up on her way. Who knew such things could lead to something like this?

"Uh, Ambryan" Eve said, using a soft tone. She touched his shoulder. "Ambryan, we have to go. Let others handle it from here."

He didn't respond. His fist shook as he stared the man down. She could hear his muscles clench. He only had one thing in mind: Not to strike. His control dwindled and rose again with every second that passed.

One wrong move and he could be triggered once more.

"Ambryan, leave him," Eve attempted again. This time, she leaned lower and used both hands to hold his shoulders. Her thumbs massaged his upper back lightly. "Come on. It's not worth it. He's not worth it."

"He offended you." His words hissed under his breath, low and sinister. 

It sent shivers down her spine.

"And you stopped him," she recalled. "That's more than enough. Don't let this escalate. Think about your other guests. You're their host. Don't let this incident change their perception of you and possibly break their trust."

"What people would think about me, you mean?" Ambryan breathed out. He released the man, letting fall back on the floor. If it injured the latter, he didn't care. His gaze snapped towards a pair of hazel eyes. "Since when did I care about such a thing?"

"Ambryan" Eve choked. Was he out of his mind? Wasn't he the one who taught her how to be professional and civilized? How much wine did he drink? "You know it's important. Manners should still be followed."

"I believe they are old enough to distinguish business from personal matters."

"Except you punched a guest in the middle of your company's party."

"Who tried to take advantage of you!" Ambryan emphasized, rising up and towering her. He placed the palms of his hands against the wall and trapped her within his arms. Eve tried not to cowereven when the position seemed familiar.

And not in a good way.

"If he had any respect for the company or me, he wouldn't have stepped out of line in the first place," Ambryan sneered. "What I did was a result of his own actions. I don't want you or anyone to feel like you're not safe here."

Eve was at a loss for words. She forced herself not to glance at the crowd. Hopefully, Avery and the security team managed to usher them away. This incident seemed to be her fault somehow. 

If she had been more persistent, Ambryan wouldn't reek of wine right now. He wouldn't have acted rashly. If she had worn old shoes, she wouldn't have run into the man. Ambryan wouldn't have needed to save her. 

Defeated, Eve stood on her toes and kissed his temple. "I know. And I understand. But, please, let's go. Even just for my sake. This hallway isn't exactly a place of fond memories."

The sound of shoes shuffling against tiles echoed in their ears. The security team had entered the hallway to retrieve the man on the floor. The latter had fainted after Ambryan let him go. His injuries needed immediate attention. The chances of a concussion were high.

Eve prayed that he wouldn't sue. 

She also prayed that Ambryan wouldn't either.

The last thing she needed was to be brought to court.

"Fine," Ambryan agreed, pulling back. He grabbed her hand. His touch was gentlenot like the hard expression on his face. He led her towards the other side of the hallway. "I'll let mother handle the rest. I don't think I can calm down anytime soon."

His strides were big. Eve did her best to keep up. After a while, he shortened them to match her pace. She remained silent as they went through the back. It was the same entrance she used when she snuck into the Rainbow Launch party. 

Wen arrived, driving Ambryan's convertible. 

She bowed her head and mumbled once Ambryan was within earshot. Eve stepped inside the vehicle while they finalized details. She used the time to apply the ointment and wear her shoes, skipping the use of bandages. It would only prolong the process.

Besides, since they were on the way home, she wouldn't need to use them much longer.

Ambryan sat on the driver's side. 

They officially left the party scene.

Silence filled the car. For some reason, the outside world also cooperated. Traffic was minimal. The roads were quiet. The cloudless dark sky gifted the citizens a few stars to gaze on. It had the ambiance of a perfect night out in the park.

But neither one seemed up for it.

Eve closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself. Although her dress had sleeves, the fabric was thin enough for her to sense another's skin. The areas the man touched burned like slick oil from the garbage dump. They made her feel filthy and tainted.

"Evan?" Ambryan spoke softly.

Her eyes unfolded.

"I always cause trouble, don't I?" Eve whispered out of the blue. When the words left her mouth, she realized they had been lingering deep in her mind. The corners of her eyes drooped. "First, the misunderstanding with Mikael. Next, the appearance of Elias Walker. Now, a dispute with a politician."

The vehicle stopped in front of the apartment complex. Except for security at the top of the stairs, there wasn't a visible living creature for miles. She could almost imagine that they were completely alone.

Despite it being far from the truth, a new wave of tears built up.

"Those aren't your fault," Ambryan objected. He angled his body in her direction. "You did not cause any of those. You are not to blame for any of them."

"Call it what you want but I-I attract trouble. And problems." Eve's thoughtsrational and irrational mixed togetherflowed out of her mouth like vomit. She stared at nothing. " I'm a walking misfortune, aren't I? You had picked me because you thought I'd be the easiest person to make an agreement with. Now, where did they get you? If it had been a different girl, all of these might have been prevented."

"Evan, do you hear yourself?" Ambryan asked. His skin trembled but for a different reason than earlier. His heartbeat quickened, not calming down anytime soon. "Are you saying that you regret"

He stopped short. He knew her statements weren't true. 

Yet, what if it had been him who brought this on her? He had failedfailed to keep her safe. Someone actually slipped off his fingers and touched her. His violet eyes glanced at the way she hugged herself.

She was terrified.

These claims were only out of fear and nothing more.

"Let me take you up," he suggested, reaching a hand to comfort her. "You'll feel much better after a shower."

Eve finally turned her head to face him. She blinked and stared into his soft gaze. Gone was his wrath from earlier. His eyes pierced through her like she was the only thing that existed besides him. 

Her chest tightened.

"I'd like that," she replied, undoing her seatbelt. 

Ambryan rushed out of the car and to her door. He opened it, offering her his hand. Her arms remained crossed. He shrugged off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. They walked up the front steps. 

Eve took a deep breath as the elevator doors closed.

She was safe. No one would harm her here. They didn't have a reason to. She cleared her mind of anything outside the building. There weren't whispers behind her. Calculating glares were also not around. People who only wished to look and not to help.

More importantly, that man was gone. 

He couldn't touch her all the way here.

Mikael had one hand on his doorknob when the lift stopped on the 10th floor. He turned his head towards it as a reflex. His feet rooted to the floor. The pair took their time to reach their destination. Neither of them seemed to notice his presence.

Eve took out her key and unlocked her apartment door. 

Both of them went inside.

Curiosity loomed over Mikael's head.

The company party was this evening. He missed it because of a project that couldn't be rescheduled. But he heard only good things about their first formal public appearance on the red carpet. Their presence here should have been a good sign on their relationship's progress.

But neither of their expressions indicated the same.

What could have happened?