Love’n’Lust

A new piece of jewelry was brought to the stage and unveiled. It was a diamond piece. All the ladies in the room had their eyes on it immediately its covering cloth was taken off it.

Ben turned his eyes to catch Belle also staring at it; he finally found something that she liked or so he assumed… but she had to like it, everyone in the room had their eyes on it. He smiled lightly before asking:

“Do you like it?” Belle grinned a little shyly.

“I mean, it’s beautiful.” She replied with a shrug.

“I will get it for you.” He saw her eyes light up with unhidden excitement when he told her.

“But what if someone makes a higher bid?” She asked but heard him snicker. He didn’t say anything afterward, he just took her right hand in his and rubbed on it slowly and gently.

“Twenty million!” The auctioneer announced the first amount received as entered for him to see. Ben snickered and Belle noticed it.

“Forty million!” a new amount was announced in a few seconds.

“Fifty!”

“Fifty-eight!”

“Ninety million!” Belle looked at Ben worriedly. She wondered how much he would have to input in his transmitter after seeing the amount in millions these elites were typing in.

Alex decided to see how much Ben liked Belle so she typed in a much bigger amount for the jewelry even if she knew she wouldn’t be able to have it because Ben would top it to get the necklace for Belle.

“A hundred and fifty million!” The auctioneer announced the biggest amount mentioned yet, for the night.

‘I guess I’m not the only one who likes this necklace’Belle sighed to herself after she heard the amounts in millions increase. She was no longer surprised at how much these people were willing to spend since she started to spend time with Ben.

The auctioneer let a few minutes pass by and when he saw that no higher figures were coming in, he decided to speak.

“No higher bid?! This item is going to the highest bidder in the room, Ms. Koller!” He announced Alex’s surname.”Going, going anddd gon…”

“… Hold on, something just came in!” The auctioneer paused his previous words.”Three hundred million! Three hundred million!” Gasps filled the room, followed by muttered chatters, everyone present knew it was Ben Larkson.

Alex rolled her eyes, unlike everyone else in the room, she knew that would happen. Ben usually wouldn’t care about the necklace, but Belle was with him tonight so she expected it.

Belle had been distracted by the auctioneer’s presentation that she didn’t see Ben type in the amount but when it was announced, she immediately turned her look to him.

“Any higher amount?!” The auctioneer questioned again even if he didn’t expect anyone to bid higher but he got one to his surprise.

“Three hundred and fifty milli…”

“Five hundred million!” The auctioneer hadn’t finished announcing the challenging amount when he received a new one from Ben.

“Ben, what are you doing?” Belle whispered to him. Her only reply was his hand caressing her slit-exposed thigh accompanied by a light smile.

“Five hundred million, going, going, anddd gone!” The auctioneer sealed. A proud smile painted Ben’s lips.

****

It was time for the after-party of the charity event. Everyone had been redirected to a different hall which was more conducive for a party. They were still tables to sit around but a space was made in the middle of the hall to act as the stage for any couple who wanted to dance.

As the different couples entered the new hall, they took their respective seats as they were referred to. Alex had entered before Ben and Belle so she had a front-row view to see them when they walked in.

She fumed secretly when she saw the expensive diamond piece around Belle’s neck as it reflected some of the night light used to decorate the place.

Ushers were walking around holding different kinds of wine for anyone who wanted; they just had to recognize which wine it was they wanted and call the waiters.

Meanwhile, soft music was playing in the background and some of the couples had graced the middle stage to dance.

Alex’s partner for the night whispered to her:

“Do you want to dance?” He asked her but only got a disgusted look from her that screamed ‘No, I don’t want to dance stupid. I only came here with you to watch Ben.’

Alex didn’t want to dance, not at all, she wasn’t in the mood for it. She was seated where she could see both Ben and Belle and she saw him whisper in her ears every now and then, it made her angrier.

She remembered the first time she attended this annual event. She had attended with Ben, but it was just her being the model to escort him. He didn’t whisper things in her ears like he was doing with Belle, he didn’t kiss her forehead after silent talks and got the people around wondering what was going on.

In the meantime, Ben saw that Belle had been watching the people dancing with utmost interest so he decided to ask her to dance with him.

“Let’s dance,” Belle felt his lips touch her ears when he whispered; she knew he did that on purpose because he never missed out on an opportunity to tease her, whether in public or not.

“I can’t,” she replied to him but what she didn’t know was that his last two words to her weren’t a request or suggestion, he was telling her to get up to dance.

She saw him stand up and before she could reason anything out, he pulled her up from where she sat. Belle saw herself being taken to the middle of the hall. Her heart started to beat faster than previously when he grabbed her waist and brought her closer to himself in front of everyone present. Some of the couples stopped dancing when Ben arrived there with her.

“Ben…” She wasn’t sure she could do what he wanted so she called his attention but didn’t expect he would lean in and bring his face to hers in response.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing, I can’t dance.” She told him while trying to muffle how loud her breath was getting.

“Don’t worry about that, just move with me,” he gave her a peck on the lips and started to move in controlled, synchronized movements with her, trailing the tips of his fingers slowly across her exposed back.

What he just did raged Alex so much, she felt like she couldn’t handle it anymore. Still thinking of what to do, she got the perfect opportunity when the music was changed to a song that had known dance steps. The couples would exchange partners after a while of dancing together.

She finished the drink she had in hand by gulping the whole glass, got up, and tapped her plus one on the shoulder, and when he looked up at her, she gestured towards the dancefloor.

She made sure to stay around Ben and Belle as they danced on. She couldn’t wait for the part where they got to switch partners because now Belle was resting her face on Ben’s chest and his hands were caressing her back nonstop.

What Alex wanted finally happened. Ben twirled Belle over to her partner and she did a pirouette with a chance to dance in his arms.

Although Ben’s eyes weren’t very welcoming when she switched with Belle, she didn’t mind. Ben knew what the dance was all about so he danced with her but he didn’t hold her close like he held Belle and all the while, he couldn’t take his eyes off of Belle as she danced with someone else.

“Ben,” Alex called his name to catch his attention.”You act like you don’t want to dance with me.”

“I don’t,” She heard him. She hated how honest he was sometimes.

“You can’t take your eyes off her now even if you’ve been with her this whole time?” She admitted to her jealousy.

“She is beautiful.”

“I am too,” Alex argued. Ben said nothing else, he just looked on at Belle, waiting for when she would be back in his arms, he didn’t very much like that she was dancing with another man.

“The way you act with her, it’s like you are in love with her,” Alex said, having a reason for starting with that statement. She planned to tell him after the party but she had had enough already of his affectionate attitude towards Belle.

She didn’t get any reaction from Ben so she continued.

“I wonder what you would do if you find out she’s sleeping with other men too…” She got a threatening look from him and was almost too scared to continue but she did anyway.”… she sleeps with her bosses too, you know, it’s not just yo…” He stopped dancing with her before she could finish.

Everyone else on the dancefloor also stopped but not because he stopped dancing with Alex. They paused when he grabbed Belle by the wrist, away from Alex’s plus one, and out of the room.

Belle had no idea why he did that so she tried to catch a glimpse of his face to predict a reason as she was being dragged along. She was pulled into a room by him and the door was shut. She had no idea they were rooms there.

Finally, Ben wasn’t pulling her so fast and she could look at him. As soon as he had closed the door, he made her rest against it, imprisoning her with both his hands. She saw rage in his eyes when she looked at them so she made to look away immediately but he grabbed her chin and made her look back at him.

She gasped as sudden fear consumed her when he did that. She felt like she knew what he was angry about but she prayed deep down that it shouldn’t be that reason.

“I want you to tell me the truth and nothing else, Belle,” she swallowed when he started.”Did anything happen between you and him?”

‘I was right,’ tears formed in her eyes as she thought.’I was right, he knows, he found out.’ She needed not to be told who the ‘him’ referred to.

“Belle?” He took a deep breath after calling her name, trying to calm himself down.

“I’m sorry,” It was all she could mutter. Ben snorted when he heard that, but it wasn’t a snort motivated by laughter.

“Give me a yes or a no, Belle. Did anything…”

“Yes,” she looked down as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t hear anything from him after she said ‘yes’ so she looked up at him and she saw in his eyes for the first time since she had known him, pain and somewhat disappointment.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

Both his hands were still stopping her from going elsewhere so she had no choice but to stand in front of him and watch him bite his lower lips and avoid looking at her. She soon stopped making any noise as she cried silently but she suddenly heard him yell in anger.

“Fuck Belle! Fuck!!” He moved away from her and went to another part of the room, facing the wall and clenching his fists. She felt some of her tears manage to find their way to her lips and they tasted salty as she cried silently still.

Ben ran his fingers through his hair after, then he returned to her. She looked down because she felt like she couldn’t face him but he lifted her chin like before.

“It hurts, Belle.” He looked her in the eyes as he told her.”It fucking hurts, I don’t know why but fuck does it hurt so bad, and I hate to feel hurt Belle, I despise that feeling.”

Belle sniffed and listened in silence, surprised that his voice was calm again but she knew the anger wasn’t gone because his eyes were bloodshot red.

“I don’t let anyone hurt me and if eventually someone does, that person has to pay.” New tears lined her eyes and they rolled down when she blinked.

“Me?” She asked in a meek, low, sullen voice.

“No.” He freed her jaw of his hold and used that hand to caress her soft face, letting his fingers attempt to dry her tears.”No Belle, it can’t be you, you are too precious to me. He, he would be the one to pay.”