40

The first thing she saw as she stepped out of the car was the majestic red carpet, where people from the business world and numerous famous figures from the entertainment industry paraded.

The place looked like the Oscars ceremony.

Nathan took Suzanne by the waist to help her walk down the imposing carpet. Flashes came from all directions, blinding her since she wasn't used to any of it.

He, on the other hand, walked down the carpet with firm steps, confident as ever.

Suzanne tried to make her smile look less fake, thinking that if it weren't for Nathan's firm grip, she would have lost her balance long ago.

Upon entering the grand hall, she sighed in relief, thinking the worst was over.

"Are you alright?" Nathan whispered to her.

"Yes, it's just that this is so strange to me," she said, embarrassed.

"It's normal to feel that way; you're not used to all this," he smiled at her. "You'll have to get used to it because, as my woman, you'll need to accompany me to countless events."

She smiled, but it wasn't out of happiness; it was to cover the sadness that invaded her.

"His woman. I could never be that; he doesn't love me like I love him," she thought.

"Nathan!" exclaimed a plump woman who approached them. She hugged him effusively, and he responded affectionately. "It's a pleasure to have you here, darling."

"Barbara, it's good to see you," he smiled gallantly.

"Likewise," said the woman, turning all her attention to the young woman, looking her up and down.

"This girl is not like those skinny ones you used to date," said the woman, making Suzanne feel inferior, like a useless object.

"Barbara," Nathan said in a warning tone.

He had great affection for that woman, but he wasn't willing to let anyone humiliate Suzanne.

"Quiet, boy, let me finish," said the woman, focusing on the girl again. "I'm glad you've progressed; this girl is spectacular. You can tell she's not only beautiful but also intelligent. Not like those plastic ones I've seen you with before. I don't know how you could date them, but I guess instead of thinking with your head, you were thinking with your balls," said the woman, letting out a laugh that echoed through the hall.

Suzanne looked at Nathan intently, as she had never heard anyone talk to him like that, but she saw him roll his eyes in amusement for the first time.

Then she knew that woman was special, and if it weren’t for her age, which made her old enough to be his mother, she would have felt jealous.

"I see you still keep that sense of humor," Nathan said.

"It’s the only thing the years can't take away from me," she replied naturally. "Dear, it's a pleasure. Nathan, take care of this girl, there are few like her."

She walked away, not without first noticing the sparkle in the magnate's eyes. She knew what that meant, though he might not realize it yet.

Several people came over to greet Nathan. Some looked at Suzanne with sympathy, others with disdain, mostly women, but she didn’t let them intimidate her.

He introduced her to all his friends present at the event, causing quite a sensation.

"Lucky you, Strong."

"What a beautiful young woman."

"Magnificent."

"Simply incredible."

Those were some of the compliments his friends had given.

By then, he had laughed, pleased and proud. He looked at her as if she were the most important thing to him, and although she didn't know it, she was.

He led her to a more intimate room, taking a seat in the front row. Barbara turned out to be the hostess, and the event was actually an auction.

Everything started, and Suzanne couldn’t hide her astonishment at the outrageous sums of money the attendees offered for the auctioned items, reaching up to millions.

"One hundred thousand dollars," said a middle-aged man accompanied by a young blonde.

That ring was the last item of the night. It was beautiful, with a fascinating diamond inlaid, seemingly simple but not, as the bidding reached two hundred thousand.

"Three hundred thousand," said Nathan nonchalantly, and she looked at him, stunned.

"Anyone else?" Barbara asked, but no one responded. "Well, sold to Mr. Strong."

"I won’t go bankrupt for that," he said amused, seeing how she looked at him.

"Of course not," she said, clearing her throat.

"Shall we go?" he proposed, and Suzanne nodded.

They both rose from their seats intending to leave, but their departure was interrupted.

"Nathan," a feminine voice behind them made him stop.

The woman approached them and looked at Suzie with disdain, then focused on him.

"Oh! It's been a while, darling," she said and threw herself into his arms, ignoring Suzanne completely.

"Deborah," he greeted her politely but somewhat coldly.

"You owe me a dance, handsome." He sighed, annoyed, but he knew that woman and the last thing he wanted was her causing a scene there, with Suzanne present.

"I'll be right back, babe," he whispered in her ear and walked away, in a very bad mood.

But that dance turned into another and then others. The women present had taken a fancy to dancing with him and didn't let him go for quite a while.

Suzie felt tired and dizzy. She looked at the dance floor for Nathan, but he wasn't there.

Annoyed, she decided to go back to the hotel alone.

As the taxi drove through the deserted streets of New York, she watched the sky. She noticed that a storm was about to break and prayed it wouldn't happen.

Upon entering the room, she sighed in relief, but thinking of Nathan surrounded by women at that moment filled her with anger.

He had forgotten about her again.

She turned off the light intending to sleep, but a lightning flash illuminated the room and a thunderclap echoed through the space.

"No!" She tried to turn the light back on, but in her nervousness, she ended up falling to the floor.

The memories flooded her mind, tormenting her. It was as if everything was happening again.

Her tears seemed endless, and each thunderclap scared her more.

She remembered leaving her room to find a stormy night with lightning and her parents arguing horribly.

Her father's head was covered in blood, an unknown man was laughing at the scene, and her mother looked on indifferently. She feared that man would kill her father and then her and her little brother, who was just a baby.

After that, her mother had left with her lover, and she had never seen her again.

She was lost in her own hell, detached from reality, and that was how Nathan found her, with her back against the wall, sobbing like a little girl.