Chapter 4 A Man Named Cael

• Mikayla angled her body, trying her best to pass through the crowd without brushing against anyone.
• She needed to get out immediately. It was probably insane of her to react this way, but all she knew was that she had to get away.
• She'd never felt anything quite like that before. His gaze felt like a thousand ants underneath her skin.
• She risked another look in his direction to see if he was still watching her.
• 'Oh no!' It was even worse now. He was actually following her now.
• He was cutting through the crowd at an angle that ensured that he would reach her before she reached the door.
• No! No! No! She increased her pace, and from the corner of her eyes, she saw him do the same.
• She couldn't risk another look at him. It would slow her down.
• She silently cursed Anna's persistence for this. She shouldn't have come.
• Now she was being chased around by a staring psycho.
• Almost there now. Ten more steps and she'd be at the door and she could disappear into the ladies' room.
• She would bid her time in there until she could sneak out and leave.
• But how did she catch his attention anyway?
• She looked down at herself. She was dressed very plainly compared to the other girls in here.
• Her back dress got to her knees and had long sleeves that covered up to her wrists.
• The only hint of skin was her back where there was a cut out.
• Nothing about her screamed, "Look at me!" She'd even tied her hair up in a ponytail and she was hardly wearing any makeup.
• "Dr. Wall," a familiar voice called right beside her and a hand snaked out to grab her arm.
• Mikayla stopped abruptly and valuted away, breaking the hold on her arm. She turned to the source of the voice.
• "Oh, Mr Antoine!" She breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar face.
• "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," he asked, looking concerned at her flushed face and the wild look in her eyes.
• Mikayla laughed. "Of course not. Why would I see a ghost? There's no such thing as a ghost." She was rambling.
• She peeked in the direction she'd seen the man in last to see if he was still coming towards her, but he'd stopped now.
• He was still looking at her, but this time with a frown on his lips. At least, he wasn't coming to her. Good!
• "Don't tell me you were already leaving," Antoine said. "I only just arrived."
• Mikayla laughed. "I was, actually."
• "No way. You can't leave now. You owe me at least a dance before you leave."
• Mikayla smiled. "Mr Antoine, we've been over this. I told you I don't date my patients."
• Antoine was one of the Hospital's wealthier clients. He'd always had a thing for her, she knew it and everyone at the Hospital knew it too at this point.
• But Mikayla always turned him down; every time. Still, he never gave up.
• Antoine was a handsome man, tall and sculptured. English rolled off his tongue with a soft touch of a French accent.
• Any other woman would fall to her knees before him just to have his attention on her.
• It wasn't that Mikayla was immune to his good looks or sexy accent herself, but she would never go against her own principles.
• And those principles dictated that she stay away from men like him.
• "I don't remember asking you on a date. I merely asked you to dance. And I don't think any rules say you can't dance with a patient, mon Cherie." He held out his hand.
• Mikayla shook her head and placed her hands in his, giving up. At least, he would keep that man away from her.
• She guessed that Antoine talking to her was the reason why he stopped following her. Hopefully, that will continue to work.
• Antoine led Mikayla to the centre of the room and gently turned her so she was facing him.
• He put his hand around her waist and started swaying from side to side.
• "You know, your arm is supposed to go around here." He took her hand and placed it around his neck himself.
• "I know," Mikayla said with a small laugh.
• He smiled. "So tell me, how is the Hospital doing?"
• "Good as ever. It'll be better if you decide to invest in us," she said teasingly.
• He leaned his head down close to her ear and murmured against it. "I told you, mon Cherie, I don't mix business with pleasure."
• "Pleasure here being me, right?"
• "Yes, you," he said confidently.
• "I have told you--"
• "Shush." He placed a warm finger against her lips. "I know what you've told me but I am not one to give up on what I want."
• His eyes went down and lingered on the finger against her lips. His eyes darkened.
• Mikayla knew exactly what he was thinking about; what he was thinking of doing. Her breath hitched in her throat.
• Thankfully, the music stopped just then and a voice came on over the microphone.
• Everyone stopped dancing and turned to face the podium. Mikayla jerked herself out of Antoine's arms and turned to the podium with gratitude.
• 'Saved by the bell,' she thought.
• "Welcome to the Autumn-World Cancer Fundraising Event!" The shiny man in the shimmering suit said in a booming voice.
• The audience applauded. Mikayla did too. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Antoine give her an impatient look before turning to the platform too.
• The shiny man was still speaking. "Let us welcome to the stage, our host for today, Armani Granger!"
• Another round of applause. Mikayla smiled. Armani was one of the Hospital's first investors.
• She was someone who Mikayla actually liked. Nice and soft-spoken, she was nothing like the other spoiled brats spawned in wealth.
• Armani made her way to the platform, her hands warmly held by a man.
• Who was that? It couldn't be her father. This man looked young and strong, and strangely familiar. Mikayla shifted her head to catch a glimpse of him.
• The shift put her in a position where she was starting directly in his face. She gasped. It was the strange man that had been looking at her.
• Why was he with Armani? Was he her boyfriend? Why was he staring at her like that at his girlfriend's party? She scoffed. Men!
• Antoine turned to her abruptly. "I'm going to get a drink. Will you like anything?" He asked.
• "Hum... A glass of whatever you're having is fine," Mikayla answered. He nodded, turned and walked away.
• She frowned. What had caused the sudden shift in his mood? Certainly, it wasn't her turning him down.
• He'd look slightly irritated at it but otherwise unbothered. Plus, her turning him down was nothing new.
• So it was something else. But what? She looked around the room but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, it wasn't her problem.
• She shrugged and turned her attention back to the stage which Armani had now mounted.
• "Before I begin," Armani was saying, "Please give a round of applause for my dear friend, Cael Lautner who graciously accepted to be my chaperone tonight in my father's absence."
• The crowd applauded.
• Cael, Mikayla tested his name out on her lips. So that was his name. Now that he was upfront, standing by the stage, Mikayla could appraise him well.
• He was tall, very tall; and lean but not in a skinny way. He was lean in a way that said that he took special care of his body.
• She could actually see the outline of muscles under his shirt.
• He had a proud, regal face, but beyond that, it was his eyes that called to Mikayla...those eyes that had been on her.
• His eyes were dark. It was hard to tell from this distance but she was almost certain it was pitch black.
• His eyes were fierce like the eyes of a warrior and even now as he looked over the people applauding him, it felt like he was piercing directly into their souls.
• It had a chilling effect on Mikayla. She wondered if anyone else felt the same.
• She looked around and spotted a harem of girls not too far away from her who were whispering excitedly among each other. Their words filtered out to her.
• "I have to have him tonight," one of them, a blonde, was saying.
• "You'll have to beat me to him," another one, who was also blonde, retorted.
• "I don't know why you're both bothering yourselves. He was looking at me earlier. You all saw it," a brunette countered.
• "I saw no such thing!" The first blonde whispered sharply.
• Mikayla shook her head. He was the kind of man who had women throwing themselves at him at every turn.
• She briefly wondered how many of those advances he accepted. Seeing as he was a man, probably a lot.
• Mikayla shook her head. It wasn't her business and she should really start going. If she saw Antoine on the way out, she would bid him goodbye.
• If not, she'd have to apologise to him later. But she couldn't help it, she sent one final look in the direction Cael was standing in but it was now empty.
• Her eyes widened and flew across the room. Where did he disappear to in one second?
• He'd been standing right there. She'd only looked away for one second and he was suddenly gone.
• "Looking for me?" A deep, low voice asked from right behind her.