Chapter 27: Her Comeback

Avery immediately stood up, “Carson”

He didn’t turn to her and started walking back to the party. “The dress is waiting for you. Get changed and I’ll wait for you at the dining hall.” He didn’t wait for her to respond and left. That was when Avery was sure that there was a distance between them and she was not sure which among her plans was exposed to him.

After he was gone, a young woman entered the garden with a box with her. She looked like she ran from a far away place and handed Avery the box. “Do you need my help wearing it?”

Avery declined the offer as she needed time to think. The woman led her to the washroom and waited outside. Avery looked at herself in the mirror. Her heart kept beating fast and she couldn’t compose herself.

She opened the faucet and let the water run. She took a few deep breaths. “You can do this. You’re still in the game” She removed the pins on her head, releasing her curly hair. She head to one of the cubicles where she changed her dress.

Her new dress has a slit that revealed her leg. It was a white tube dress this time that also showed her curves. Her collar bones were exposed and her pale skin tone matched the dress perfectly. Avery kept her curly hair and applied make-up once again. The new dress gave her confidence once again and she knew that no matter what Carson discovered, she can still change things around.

When she went out of the washroom, the woman was surprised to see her. Avery smiled and handed her the box, “I’m sorry for making you come all the way here. I promise to take care of this dress.”

The woman looked shy and just nodded. Avery didn’t wait for her response and started heading to the dining hall. She planned to change the course of her night, without Carson’s help. When the guard opened the door, everyone turned to her direction.

Avery flashed her best smile and posed for a few seconds as if she was in a runway before walking. Everyone’s eyes were on her. She walked gracefully to Carson who was surprised as well.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting.”

He didn’t respond and pulled the chair next to him to help her sit. She smiled at everyone on the table as some looked away while others smiled back. The grand entrance was perfect to get their attention. Across her was Jenny who was pissed as hell.

Avery then turned to the soup in front of her. “We just started the soup so you didn’t miss anything.” Carson explained. She didn’t say anything back and started tasting the delicious soup in front of her.

The dinner was mostly talking about politics and business. Each owner shared their thoughts, including Carson. Avery was silent as she knew her place. Carson was fine on his own and she didn’t want to meddle in anything. The next on the course was steak. Avery was a huge fan of it and she couldn’t wait to dig in.

Most of the time, Avery would notice Ji looking at their direction but she wouldn’t turn to his side. She wanted to enjoy the moment and be as graceful as she could be. After dinner, the President invited everyone back to the hall to mingle with others.

Avery took this opportunity to meet more people. When Carson was busy with other businessmen, she entertained those who talked to her. This was her purpose all along so she made the most out of it.

“Miss Avery”

Avery turned to the direction to see Ji and his date who looked bored. “It was nice seeing you here.” Carson turned to them the moment he heard Ji’s voice. She heard him excuse himself and head to where Avery was.

Once Carson arrived, Ji’s eyes widen as if he wasn’t expecting this at all. “I didn’t know that you brought her today. This is exciting.” Carson held Avery’s waist, earning another smirk from Ji. “Well, I was told to bring the best date.”

Ji laughed, his usual annoying laugh. But he moved a little closer to them. “So the secretary was the best date?” Avery chuckled, “I think it’s too early to judge me.”

Ji’s smile faded, “Oh! My apologies, Avery. I guess it was wrong for me to do that but I didn’t lie. You are just a secretary.” Carson’s grip on her tightened and he spoke, “for now”

The statement made Ji and Avery surprised. Carson looked determined and he didn’t seem to know that there was a connection between Ji and Avery. She understood that Ji needed to be rude as his usual self so that Carson wouldn’t notice anything.

But with Carson’s reply, that would mean that he knew something else and not the collaboration. Avery looked at Carson as she tried to analyze the situation.

“I look forward to what you meant by that.” Ji took one last look at Avery and left.

When Ji and his date were gone, Carson’s grip on her loosened. He was about to walk away when she grabbed his hand. He was about to say something when the music started playing.

The lights dimmed and the music came from the orchestra by the side. The President brought his wife in the middle of the hall and started dancing. The other guests followed.

Carson looked at her hand on him then on her face. He then pulled her close to him, surprising her. He placed one of her hands on his shoulder as he held her waist. They started moving to slow music like everyone else in the room.

“Carson”

“What is it?”

She took a deep breath and looked at his eyes. She needed to win him back. She needed to say the words he wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry”

“Why did you do it? I thought we were okay. You were different from them. What is your objective?”

She rested her head on his chest as they continued to dance. His heart was beating fast and she knew her plan was going well. But her problem is, she didn’t know what she did wrong. She might say something he didn’t know yet so she needed to be careful with her words.