It was a great day for Jade Lee. Thanks to her friend, she had been selected to work as a server at one of the biggest charity galas of the year—an event filled with powerful people, wealthy elites, and celebrities.
For Jade, it wasn't just any event. It was a chance. A chance to earn enough money to return to university. She had been forced to drop out due to financial struggles, and ever since, she'd been juggling jobs just to survive. This gala might finally give her the opportunity she'd been praying for.
"How did you even manage to get this gig? Servers at *this* charity gala?" Jade asked, raising a brow at her friend Gabriel.
The young man smirked and leaned casually against the wall behind him.
"Do you think I'm just anyone? I know people. Important people," he said, clearly proud of himself.
Jade rolled her eyes and shot back with a hint of sarcasm, "Important people? In your dreams, maybe."
"Hey!" he protested, pretending to be offended. Then he pushed himself off the wall and added more seriously, "No, really. It was through one of my dad's friends. He had a connection with the event organizer."
"I see..." Jade nodded. "Well, this gala came at the perfect time for me."
Gabriel glanced at her shoes and gave a teasing smirk. "Just remember to wear heels. I know you hate them and you're not exactly a fan of these kinds of events either."
"Yeah, I don't have a choice," she sighed. "But... I don't know. Something tells me this gala won't be just another night. I feel like something big is going to happen.
.
.
The night had arrived faster than expected. Jade adjusted the strap of her black dress and took a deep breath before stepping out of the changing room. Her long curly hair was tied in a low bun, a few rebellious strands framing her face. Her heels clicked softly on the marble floor as she joined the other servers for final instructions.
The ballroom was stunning—crystal chandeliers, gold-lined walls, soft classical music floating in the air. It screamed *money*. And everyone in the room knew it.
She picked up her tray and started circulating.
The heels were a nightmare. Jade wasn't used to walking in them each step was torture.
"Stupid heels," she muttered under her breath. "The gala has just started and my feet are already crying."
To make things worse, the classical music was slowly draining her energy.
"This is really for rich people," she thought, eyeing the violinists and pianists performing with perfect posture and blank expressions. "I'm used to parties with noise, beats, and dance not this sleepy funeral background."
Still, she kept her smile polite, her movements sharp… even if her mind kept grumbling.
"Hey, you! Another glass!" someone barked nearby.
She ignored it at first, unsure it was directed at her.
"I said, another glass, you stupid server!" the man snapped, grabbing her wrist.
Jade looked at his hand, then slowly raised her eyes to meet his. Her expression didn't change, but her thoughts burned.
*Does this fool want to die?*
"Are you deaf?" he added, clearly irritated.
*Keep talking, and I'll make sure you drink your champagne through a straw.*
She was about to smash the glass on his head when a hand gently stopped hers. Gabriel.
"Sir, here's your drink," Gabriel said with a professional smile, sliding a glass of champagne onto the tray.
The man snatched it and glared at Jade with a disdainful look before walking off.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Jade snapped, "Why did you stop me?! That glass was meant for his thick skull!"
"Are you insane? You want to end up in jail over that clown?" Gabriel scolded.
She crossed her arms, fuming.
Gabriel sighed. He knew her too well, How hot headed she could be
"Smile, nod, be polite… and survive the night," he whispered, pinching her cheek playfully. "I know you can do it."
Jade huffed. "With these snobbish people? I doubt it."
Gabriel just smiled, walking away.
The rest of the evening, she kept herself together, complaining silently, biting her tongue… until she saw him.
Daniel Ooman.
The most breathtaking man she had ever seen had just entered the room.
Jade froze.
The tray in her hands trembled slightly as her eyes locked onto the man who had just stepped into the ballroom.
*Daniel Ooman.*
A name that echoed through business headlines, gossip blogs, and whispered fantasies. CEO of the Ooman Empire. Heir to a powerful and mysterious legacy.
But it wasn't just his wealth or his title.
It was his presence.
He moved like he owned time itself.
Dressed in a fitted black suit that molded perfectly to his broad shoulders and tall frame, Daniel walked with the elegance of royalty and the danger of a storm. Each step was calm, precise, unbothered as if the world simply adjusted to his rhythm.
His dark red hair was neatly styled, a rebellious strand falling over his forehead. And those eyes—piercing, unreadable, cold fire.
Jade swallowed hard.
*Who the hell made this man?* she thought
As he passed, conversations paused. Women turned. Some men stiffened in subtle intimidation.
Jade found herself whispering under her breath, "He looks like trouble wrapped in Armani."
He didn't look at anyone.
And yet, everyone looked at him.
Until suddenly—his eyes flicked in her direction.
They locked.
A second. Two.
"Daniel Ooman,"Gabriel whispered.
Jade flinched slightly, surprised, then turned to look at him.
"One of the most influential businessmen in the world."
"Who would've thought we'd be in the same room as people like him?" he added, clearly amazed.
Jade turned back toward Daniel, observing him carefully.
"He has a damn perfect body,"she muttered.
"Pff, if I had his money, I'd look like that too," Gabriel scoffed, unimpressed.
Jade smiled. "Are you jealous,Gaby?"
"Stop talking nonsense and focus on your job,"he grumbled before walking away.
Jade chuckled, then her eyes drifted back to Daniel.
Suddenly, he lifted his hand, pointing straight at her, silently asking for a drink. Jade froze. She turned around to check if he meant someone else. But no it was definitely her.
Her legs felt weak as she approached him. When she reached him, his gaze met hers, intense, almost burning with those amber eyes. Her fingers trembled, and in that brief second of panic, the champagne glass tipped, spilling onto his suit.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, sir!" she gasped, grabbing a napkin and trying to blot the mess.
Daniel glanced down at his ruined jacket, then slowly raised his eyes to meet hers.
"It's fine,"he said, voice deep, calm, and distant.
No anger. No irritation. Just... cold disinterest.
For some reason, that stung more than yelling.
"Tch. Another emotionless snob," she mumbled under her breath.
Then, unable to stop herself, she added,
"Maybe it's your icy glare that made me spill it in the first place."
Silence.
He stopped cleaning. His head tilted slightly as his eyes pierced hers again.
Oh no. Did she go too far?
But instead of snapping at her, Daniel... smirked.
A subtle, unreadable curl of his lips.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Jade stood frozen, confused, her heart hammering in her chest.
"What the hell just happened?"
As Daniel walked away, Jade stood motionless, still processing the strange encounter. Her wrist still tingled slightly from the glass she had held, and her heart refused to calm down.
Around her, murmurs began to spread like wildfire.
"Is that Daniel Ooman?"
"Of course! Who else would wear Tom Ford like it was custom-made for his soul?"
"They say he never stays at a party past midnight."
"Yeah, he vanishes like Cinderella but in a limo."
"Someone told me he made a pact with the devil... That's why he disappears."
"Pfft. That's nothing. My cousin said he transforms into a beast after 12."
"Stop it. You're scaring me , he's just insanely rich and private."
But no matter the rumor, one thing was certain.
He was drop-dead gorgeous.
Women stared shamelessly as he moved—tall, regal, distant. His tailored black suit clung to every inch of his lean but muscular frame. His watch alone looked like it could buy a small house. And those eyes—piercing amber, sharp like a blade, yet distant like a fading dream.
A group of young women whispered nearby:
"God, I'd let him ruin my credit score."
"I wouldn't even ask questions if he ghosted me. Just ruin me, sir."
"Did you see the way he smirked? I swear I got pregnant."
Jade rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh.
"Thirsty much?" she muttered.
But she couldn't lie to herself.
Daniel Ooman wasn't just attractive. He was captivating. Dangerous. The kind of man who made you forget your own name. And somehow, he'd noticed her.
Even if it was just to spill champagne on him.
She turned back to her tray, pushing the thoughts aside.
Because if the rumors were true... Daniel Ooman wasn't someone you wanted to get close to.
And yet—why did it feel like her life had just begun?
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