Page 16 of Obsessing Over His Favorite
“They don’t seem to have a bad relationship. Maybe it was all just rumors. Lucas brought her here. They look... close.” A woman murmured.
“I heard Emily has a history of causing trouble for Amelia... always jealous over her friendship with Lucas.”
“They’re talking so calmly now. I doubt there’s any real issue,” another voice said.
“Or maybe she’s hiding her true nature. Some women fake everything in public and torture others in private.”
“Amelia is such a sweetheart. I don’t believe she did anything to deserve this kind of jealousy.”
“Are Amelia and Lucas a thing? Or is it Emily and Lucas? Honestly, who’s the girlfriend?”
“I heard it’s Emily, but I’ve seen Lucas at so many work events with Amelia. They’re always together.”
Emily’s chest tightened as she turned away from the whispers and moved toward another section of the buffet. The voices faded behind her, swallowed by the rest of the party noise. But they lingered in her mind.
She made her way to a quiet corner, standing alone with a plate in hand, her gaze drifting across the grand ballroom.
And there she was again.
Amelia.
By Lucas’s side.
Her arm linked through his as Lucas spoke to a well-dressed man in front of him. Amelia laughed, her eyes fixed on the man, but her body leaned into Lucas like she belonged there.
It looked... practiced. Comfortable.
‘If what people were saying is true,’ Emily thought, her heart sinking slightly, ‘then Amelia must’ve attended dozens of events like this one by Lucas’s side—as his partner.’
Emily leaned against the wall, her eyes drifting toward the large glowing signboard across the hall as she quietly sipped her cocktail. Her thoughts spiraled deeper with every drink.
‘No one seems to know exactly how I got hurt in that accident.’ She took another long sip, letting the bitter sweetness of the drink slide down her throat.
‘Did I really throw myself in front of someone’s car because of Amelia? Or did someone hit me?’ She frowned, her grip tightening around the glass. ‘I was hurt so badly... the pain in my head hasn’t even fully gone away. I can’t imagine throwing myself in front of a car just because of jealousy. That doesn’t sound like me at all.’
She set the empty cocktail glass down on the nearby table and immediately reached for another, her fingers curling around the fresh glass. She stared at the swirling pink liquid inside as if it could somehow answer her questions.
‘That’s not who I am. I’m not the kind of person who lets jealousy get the best of me. I don’t hurt people. I can’t even kill an ant... so how would I ever hurt myself just to get Amelia in trouble?’
The cold drink slid down her throat in one long gulp, making her shiver. Her head grew fuzzier with each sip.
‘And how did I end up as Lucas’s girlfriend?’ Her eyes dimmed as she stared at her reflection in the glass. ‘I don’t even remember having a boyfriend in college. Then suddenly, I’m with a man like Lucas? Why would I throw away friendships, distance myself from my family just to be with him?’
She didn’t notice someone walk up beside her.
Lucas had been standing across the hall, talking to a business associate, when he caught sight of Emily standing alone in a far-off corner, completely zoned out. Her expression dazed and distant.
He excused himself from the group, pulling away from Amelia’s grasp without a word. His long strides crossed the room, his gaze fixed on her as he approached.
She still hadn’t noticed him by the time he reached her side.
He looked down at her quietly. This was the first time the whole evening he’d actually had a chance to take her in properly.
She rarely wore white, but tonight, she had silently accepted the dress he’d gotten her from Dior—a form-fitting gown that clung to her curves, hugging her chest before flowing into a mermaid silhouette down to her feet. Her makeup was soft, her hair elegantly pulled into a half-updo that left a few loose strands to frame her face.
His eyes scanned every detail of her, his chest tightening.
‘She looks especially beautiful tonight,’ he thought, his gaze filled with admiration. ‘She always used to wear simple outfits to these events... but now that she’s wearing something like this, I almost wish I hadn’t brought her. I should’ve kept her all to myself. She even looked gorgeous in the simplest clothes.’
