Page 58 of Venomous Desires

It’d be fun. And then I suddenly remembered something. “Oh, and do send my gift to my little bird.”

Chapter 20

The Prey

Iwas nervous.

To the point, I had been staring at my phone for the past two hours now.

Ivan dropped a text earlier saying he wanted to show me something. And I dreaded that something. I had been avoiding him for two days now. After that night, I hadn’t even gone to the mansion, let alone answer any of Ivan’s texts. It might seem rude on my part, but I wanted to be cautious.

“Can’t fucking believe we have to hear the hour-long speech,” The girl beside me muttered, and I gave her a look over. Her distinct brown hair with purple streaks caught my eyes first, then her stripped blazer, and micro skirt that barely covered her thighs as she sat crossed leg beside me. I had seen her somewhere, but I couldn’t quite recall.

The one sitting on her other side was a blonde. Wearing a pastel blue dress. And my mind clicked as she turned to look at her friend. Natalie? That was her name, right? They were the ones sitting in the library.

“Seriously, what’s the point of this speech?” Natalie crossed her arms and glared at the front where the stage was. “It’s not like anyone’s actually listening.”

The university students had been preparing for it for two days now. And the Dean still wasn’t here. I saw him this morning. He must be in his office.

Her friend snorted. “Right? I’d rather be anywhere else.”

“Wanna go to the janitor’s cabin?” Natalie suggested, and her friend quickly nodded.

“Anywhere but here.” I watched as both of them shuffled through the crowd and went somewhere. I sighed. It must be nice having friends.

The seat beside me was empty. Alina said she’d be here ten minutes ago, and I didn’t want to sit here all by myself. I didn’t even want to attend this fest in the first place; it was just that our professors threatened us they’d add up for the session’s attendance. I was planning to visit my family so I could use some grace.

I was looking down at my phone when a shadow lurked over me. With a hopeful smile, I looked up, expecting to find Alina, but my smile quickly dropped as I found Ivan looking down at me. His mastered smile was firmly in place. “Well, hello to you, beautiful.”

I would’ve blushed if I were still seeing him through the same eyes I did the first time. But now things have changed. I couldn’t trust him, even if I wanted to.

A lump formed in my throat, tightening and making it hard to breathe. Where was Alina?

Before I could answer, he was already sitting in the empty seat beside me. I tried to keep my face neutral, masking my hesitation and nervousness. Silently, I prayed he’d leave, but he showed no signs of going anywhere.

“So, what brings you here?” he asked, fixing the cuffs of hiswhite shirt. He was wearing formulas today as per the dress code, and this was the first time. As handsome as he looked, the glint in his eyes was as maddening.

I forced a light reply. “Just... waiting for the speech.”

He chuckled softly. The sound made my skin crawl. “You don’t seem too excited about it.”

“Yeah, well, speeches aren’t really my thing,” I mumbled, glancing down at my phone again, hoping he’d take the hint.

To my surprise, he rested his arm on the back of my chair, his fingers brushing against my shoulder. My heart rate spiked, and anxiety bubbled up inside me. I tried to shift subtly away from his touch, but he just leaned in closer.

“You know, we should hang out more,” I blinked at him as he looked at the front of the stage where the announcer was saying something about the arrival. “I miss our talks.”

I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my voice steady. “Yeah, maybe.”

I didn’t realize I was sweating, even in a dress. Maybe the heater was on max, or it felt like the sun was inside the gym. I clasped my hands in my lap and discreetly wiped the sweat on the skirt of my dress. Thankfully, it was black, so it wouldn’t show.

His hand slid down my arm, and I stiffened, my body tensing with unease. “You’re always so tense,” he commented, his tone almost mocking. “Relax a little. I wanted to take you somewhere. But you keep avoiding my texts, Sera.”

I forced a tight smile, trying to hide my anxiety. “I’ve just been busy,” I lied, hoping he’d drop the subject. I could sit with anyone at this moment, but this man. And he wasn’t acting normally.

Ivan leaned in closer. “Busy with what? You never have time for me anymore.”

I glanced around the gym, searching for any sign of Alina,my heart pounding in my chest. “You know, the work,” I replied vaguely.