Chapter 336: House party VI

Chapter 336: Chapter 336: House party VI

William led Amelia through the room.

Vivienne followed a few steps behind with Claire and Eleanor.

She was still looking around at the party.

There were far more people than she had expected.

Music filled the room.

Students were talking everywhere.

Some were dancing.

Others stood around with drinks in their hands.

William continued toward a group near the dining area.

Amelia was saying something to him.

Vivienne couldn’t quite hear what.

She smiled to herself.

Then William stopped.

"Hey, guys."

Anthony looked up.

He had been listening to one of his classmates.

Leo was saying something about one of their professors.

Ronald was laughing.

Scott had a drink in his hand.

Anthony barely paid attention to William at first.

Until he saw who was standing beside him.

The girl looked familiar.

Then he noticed the other girls behind her.

His gaze moved past them.

And stopped.

Vivienne.

Vivienne?

For a moment, Anthony simply stared.

He hadn’t expected her.

She looked different tonight.

Her golden-blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

She was wearing a simple sweater dress.

And yet—

She looked more beautiful than ever.

Why was she here?

Then, for one brief, irrational moment, Anthony wondered if she had come because of him.

The thought appeared before he could stop it.

After all—

She had loved him for years.

Even after they broke their engagement, she hadn’t exactly rejected him.

When he had asked her to step outside and speak with him, she had gone.

When he had asked her to reconsider their engagement, she had listened.

She had told him she liked Christopher.

She had said she wanted to see where things went with him.

But she hadn’t said no.

Not directly.

At least, that’s what Anthony had told himself.

And now she was here.

Without Christopher.

With only her friends.

Anthony’s eyes moved over the group again.

Then something occurred to him.

Evelyn was here too.

He knew she was standing nearby with Elise and Rhea.

Anthony suddenly felt an irritation he couldn’t quite explain.

What unfortunate timing.

He hadn’t expected Vivienne to come.

And he certainly hadn’t expected to see her while Evelyn was here.

She might misunderstand again.

William smiled.

"Hey, everyone."

The others turned toward him.

William gestured toward Amelia.

"This is my date, Amelia."

Amelia smiled.

"Hi."

William looked pleased.

Then he gestured toward the other three girls.

"And these are her friends."

He pointed toward Claire.

"Claire."

"Hi."

"Eleanor."

"Hello."

Then his hand moved toward Vivienne.

"And Vivienne."

Vivienne looked up.

And then she saw him.

Anthony.

For a brief moment, she simply stared.

She had just seen him the other day. But somehow, seeing him now felt completely different.

He still had that same dark-blond hair. Those blue eyes. That perfectly handsome face. That effortless male-lead aura she had once been completely obsessed with.

For years, Anthony had been the standard by which she measured every other man.

And once upon a time, simply seeing him had been enough to make her heart race.

Now—

She smiled.

A genuine, friendly smile.

Vivienne felt something familiar in her chest.

Fondness.

Not the desperate sort she had once carried for him.

Just affection for someone who had once been such a huge part of her life.

She had been childish at the pool party.

She knew that now.

She had deliberately provoked him.

She had wanted to see him react.

Perhaps she had been bitter.

But now she was with Christopher.

And she realized something she hadn’t understood before.

She hadn’t really been in love with the real Anthony.

She had been in love with the Anthony she had created in her head.

The perfect male lead.

The handsome duke’s heir.

The boy she had spent years believing was supposed to be hers.

She had expected too much from him simply because she had spent so long loving the idea of him.

That wasn’t fair.

Not to Anthony.

And perhaps not even to herself.

The thought made her smile faintly.

William glanced toward the boys.

"Introduce yourselves."

The first one stepped forward.

"Leo."

"Nice to meet you."

"Ronald."

"Hi."

Scott raised his glass slightly.

"Scott."

The girls smiled.

"Nice to meet you."

Anthony remained where he was.

William looked at him.

"Hey, Anthony. It’s your turn."

Anthony looked at William.

For a moment, neither said anything.

There was something about William’s expression that immediately made Anthony suspicious.

What was he up to?

Definitely nothing good.

William had never been particularly fond of him.

He had always had that irritating habit of smiling pleasantly while saying something deliberately provocative.

Anthony knew that look.

And he knew William well enough to know that whatever he was planning, it probably involved making Anthony uncomfortable.

Still, Anthony kept his expression composed.

"Lady Beaumont and I know each other."

Vivienne smiled.

"Of course."

William looked between them.

Then he shrugged.

"Have you been introduced to her friends, though?"

Anthony’s eyes narrowed slightly.

William smiled innocently.

"I mean, you’ve known Lady Beaumont for years."

A small pause.

"Though, considering what happened between you two, perhaps this is a little awkward."

Anthony stared at him.

William’s smile widened.

There it was.

That was exactly the sort of thing he did.

Anthony exhaled quietly.

"William."

"What?"

"Nothing."

William looked entirely pleased with himself.

Scott cleared his throat.

"You guys are first years?"

"Yes, we are," Amelia said.

Scott smiled.

"Then do you happen to know Rhea Garwood?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately. We’re classmates. Why?"

Scott laughed.

"She’s my sister, and she’s here with her friends."

Then he turned toward the girls standing nearby.

"Rhea!"

Rhea turned toward her brother.

"What?"

"Come here. Your classmates are here."

Rhea looked over.

She saw Amelia.

Vivienne.

Eleanor.

Claire.

Of all people.

For a moment, her expression shifted.

Then she smiled.

She turned toward the girls beside her.

"Come on."

She caught Evelyn and Elise’s attention.

The three girls walked toward the group.

Rhea smiled first.

"Hi."

Claire smiled politely.

"Hi."

Elise followed.

"Good evening."

"Good evening," Eleanor replied.

Vivienne looked toward them.

Then her eyes settled on Evelyn.

Her expression changed only slightly.

But Anthony saw it.

Evelyn’s eyes had already settled on Vivienne.

There was something in that look.

Something Anthony immediately recognized.

The two women had never liked each other.

Vivienne’s eyes met Evelyn’s.

Evelyn gave her a small, almost smug smile.

Vivienne rolled her eyes.

Just slightly.

Evelyn noticed.

Of course she did.

Anthony saw the entire exchange.

He remembered the pool party.

He remembered the balcony.

He remembered Vivienne’s smile when she had brought it up.

Anthony suddenly wished William had chosen any other group to introduce tonight.

William, meanwhile, looked between everyone.

He seemed far too amused.

--

Tbc