Jack couldnât help but think that this proved how special Nancy was to Jacob.
Then, he spotted Nancy out of the corner of his eye. He couldnât help but speak up, âMr. Murray, isnât that Ms. Smith over there?â
Startled by Jackâs words, Jacob jerked his head up to follow his gaze. His eyes landed on a figure in red.
Nancy was wearing a red backless evening gown with her long brown hair pinned up. Every move she made was captivating.
The red gown accentuated her beauty, making it impossible for anyone to look away from her.
Jacobâs eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, he was taken aback by her beauty. But when he noticed other men staring at her, his expression turned cold, and his eyes narrowed.
The men were intimidated by Jacobâs powerful bearing and quickly looked away.
He recognized the man standing next to Nancy as the same one who had claimed to be her childhood friend. A shadow crossed his eyes at that moment.
âMr. Murray, it seems like Ms. Smith is the companion of Mr. Jennings. They seem to be getting along quite well-â
Zackâs words were cut off as he felt a chill run down his spine. He met Jacobâs emotionless gaze and swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Looking at Stanley Jennings standing next to Nancy, Jacob felt a surge of annoyance. His grip tightened around the red wine glass, and a palpable tension filled the air.
Why had Nancy agreed to be Stanleyâs companion when she had clearly been annoyed by him before?
On the other side of the room, Stanley reached out to take Nancyâs hand.
âNance, how about we dance?â
Nancy felt uncomfortable with his forwardness. Frowning, she avoided his outstretched hand and coldly refused. âI donât want to dance. Please ask someone else.â
She had only agreed to be Stanleyâs companion on a whim, and now she regretted it. But she was a person of her word, so she had come to the event despite her reservations.
Nancy just wanted the evening to end already. She didnât want to stay here a second longer.
âNancy, do me a favor and dance with me. My friends are all watchingâ¦â Stanleyâs face turned red with embarrassment as he tried to persuade her.
Nancy glanced at the group of men standing nearby, her expression growing even more annoyed.
They were all a bunch of spoiled rich kids, and Nancy had no positive feelings toward them. She wasnât going to give them the satisfaction of having her dance with Stanley.
âI only agreed to attend this event with you, and Iâve already done that. Donât bother me with anything else. âShe then turned to leave.
After she spoke, Stanleyâs friends gathered around, chiming in with their opinions.
âStanley, Nancy is embarrassing you in front of everyone!â
âLook at her, sheâs so arrogant. So sheâs a famous designerâbig deal! Whatâs she being so cocky about anyway?â
âI know, right? Even though she comes from a good family, Stanley, youâre no slouch either. Youâre a Jennings, for goodness sake! For her to treat you like that is an insult!â
Stanleyâs face turned a deeper shade of red with embarrassment. âEnough, guys. Sheâs always been like this, ever since she was a kid.â
The group of rich bachelors snickered and winked at each other, making suggestive comments.
âStanley, why donât you slip her a roofie? Once sheâs under your control, sheâll do whatever you want.â
âYeah, and once sheâs yours, sheâll be begging for mercy. Iâve got some pills right here, mix them into her drink and sheâll be putty in your hands.â
Stanley hesitated for a moment. âI donât think this is a good ideaâ¦â
âWhatâs wrong?â They kept urging Stanley. âYouâve liked her for years, and sheâs still not giving you the someone else will snatch her from you and youâll be left with time of day. If you donât take action now nothing but regret.â
With that, Stanleyâs doubts instantly disappeared, and he took the pills from his friends.
They were right; he had liked her for so long, and she still didnât care about him. Tonight, he was going to make her his!