Chapter 9
Hailey’s voice was like melted sugar–to soft, so sweet, it could melt anyone’s heart
Owen knew she was just playing the cute act, and a smirk tugged at his lips. His expression softened with that affectionne almost indulgent look that made Selena bum with jealousy.
She was practically glaring at them, eyes wide, as if she might burst
Owen, clearly loving the attention, matched her tone and lowered his voice, smooth as hell. “Tell me where you are. Im coming to you. I’m at the party”
Hailey, clearly surprised, replied. “You’re here too? In the lobby! I’ll come down and find you”
He hummed a quiet response.
With a sweet and sugary smile. Hailey chirped, “Wait for me, before hanging up.
Once the call ended, Owen Calhoun took long, confident strides into the heart of the ballroom, making sure Hadley would see him. He wasn’t about to let her miss him.
Selena, not missing a beat, hurried to catch up with Owen
The second Owen entered, he stole the room’s attention.
He was every woman’s dream–a perfect mix of young, wealthy, and drop–dead gorgeous. And unlike the other playboys in the elite circles, he didn’t have a cloud of scandal hanging over him.
In the eyes
of everyone around him, if a guy like him fell for someone, he’d spoil her rotten. A love like that was something everyone envied.
But Owen wasn’t one to show up at just any old event. So, naturally, people were dying to know why the hell he was at the Dalton family’s gala.
The moment they saw Selena standing right behind him, a bit shy but undeniably anxious, the reason clicked
“Well, damn, looks like Miss Selena Dalion really worked her magic. She’s got Owen wrapped around her finger”
Selena was a top actress, and Owen: A high–society heir. They were a hell of a match. Plus, both came from the same top–tier families, so it made sense.
Just then, Jaden–Owen’s younger cousin–showed up at the party. As soon as he walked in, he spotted his older cousin with
Selena.
Jaden was only twenty, and he’d definitely had a thing for Selena back in the day.
This little piece of gossip had already spread like wildfire.
When the crowd saw Jaden, they couldn’t help but gossip.
“Think Jaden’s gonna flip out seeing his cousin with the girl he likes?”
“Shit, is this about to turn into some family drama?”
“Selena’s got it made, huh? Two guys from the Calhoun family after her!”
“I swear, I’m so fucking jealous. Doesn’t matter if it’s Jaden or Owen. Either one’s a win”
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06:14 Fri, 28 Mar b
Chapter th
“Looks like Selena’s pretty much locked in for marriage with the Calhoun family.”
Selena saw Jaden, and her heart skipped a beat. She was definitely nervous,
She thought to herself, ‘If Jaden and Owen start lighting. I’ve gotta back Owen up!
Jaden saw Selena and Owen together, and his face immediately darkened. He stormed toward Owen, practically ready to blow up.
“Two Calhoun boy’s fighting over Selena? Hell yeal, this is gonna be a show.”
“Who’s she gonna pick? Guess we’ll find out.
“Honestly, if I were her, I’d never stop talking about this moment.”
Selena immediately rushed to stand between them, her voice shaky. “Jaden, please, don’t do this…”
But Jaden didn’t give a damn. He ignored her completely and locked eyes with Owen, his voice filled with hurt. “Bro, are you seriously with Selena now?”
Owen was caught off guard, completely confused,
Before Owen could even respond, Jaden’s voice cracked, dripping with disappointment. “Dude, you’re out of your How the hell can you be with a woman like her?”
The crowd was stunned, all eyes wide, watching this trainwreck unfold.
Selena’s face paled, but she couldn’t stop Jaden now.
mind.
He kept going. “Selena Dalton, this woman? She’s anything but what she looks like. She’s a damn expert at pretending- sweet and innocent on the outside, but a total bitch underneath.
“Dude, you’ve always been the sharp one. How the hell did you get tangled up with her?”
Selena’s face went pale, and she struggled to speak. “Jaden… is there some misunderstanding between us that still needs clearing up?”
As an actress, Selena was quick on her feet. She lowered her head, her eyes starting to tear up, her voice breaking. “Jaden, I know turning you down back then hurt you, but you shouldn’t be throwing me under the bus in front of everyone like this.”
In just those two lines, everyone quickly pieced it together.
“So it’s a case of love turning into hate. He’s pissed now.”
Jaden Calhoun really has no class, publicly trashing a girl like that.”
“Good thing Selena didn’t end up with him.”
“His perfect guy image? Yeah, that’s ruined.”
Jaden wasn’t about to play those dirty games. He was at a loss for words now. Sure, back in the day, he liked Selena–just some silly teenage crush.
But then, in their senior year, he saw Selena and her best friend bullying someone, and his whole “goddess” image of her fell apart in an instant
After that, he had no feelings for her–if anything. he hated her more.
Jaden wasn’t stupid, and he had manners. Even after seeing Selena for who she really was, he never planned to expose her.
06:14 Fri, 28 Mar b
Chapter
That was why Selena could never figure out why Jaden suddenly distanced himself from her.
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Jaden never imagined a girl could be so thick–skinned, so bold, and shameless enough to do that in front of everyone.
He wanted to explode, but as a Calhoun, he’d been raised with gentlemanly manners. He couldn’t afford to lose his temper
His face turned red, and he couldn’t get a word out. He just stood there, watching the whole thing blow up in his face.
And Owen… he wasn’t even paying attention to all this. His eyes were locked on Hailey, standing by the stairs. Nothing else mattered.
To him, everyone else was just background noise–only Hailey was real, only Hailey mattered.
Before this, Owen didn’t believe in love at first sight. He never thought he’d fall for anyone
But the moment he saw her, it felt like his heart had just vanished.
“So, it really can happen, he thought to himself. You can meet someone who blows you away, and then you can’t stop thinking about them.
Hailey had already noticed the scene, casually watching everything unfold. She was curious to see how the Calhoun kid would deal with Selena.
But, to her surprise, Jaden couldn’t even handle it. Selena shut him down in just a few sentences.
When Hailey didn’t move, Owen finally took a step toward her.
The crowd was shocked. ‘Wait, is the main guy really walking away?”
“Owen,” Selena called softly.
Owen didn’t even bat an eye, didn’t even care.
The crowd saw the tall, elegant guy walking calmly toward the stairs with long, graceful strides.
At the stairs, besides a few random people, there was just one girl standing there.
She was dressed in a white dress, poised and elegant, her skin as fair as snow, and her beauty was so captivating that just standing there was enough to make everyone stop and stare.
“Hailey, why aren’t you coming to find me?” Owen who was always so cold and distant was now speaking to her with an unexpected softness, like a total different person.
And in his voice, there was a hint of guilt and a touch of frustration. He was basically more like a big, fluffy, adorable puppy. Cold as ice to everyone else, but sweet as hell when it came to her.
“Mr. Calhoun’s charm? Unbearably adorable,‘ Hailey thought.
AD
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06:14 Fri, 28 Mar
Chapter 10
