"Uncle," Nathan began, advancing towards him with a possessive hand on Crystal's back.
Karl's face lit up with a slight smile as his nephew approached; he wasn't a handsome man in the strictest sense of the word, but he possessed a mad charm and his majestic aura gave him a fascinating, irresistible attraction. He was a little taller than average, though no match for his nephew, with thick ashen hair and iron-gray eyes that immediately commanded respect.
He took a long look at Crystal before extending his hand.
"Mademoiselle...Avent, that's right!"
"Yes, but you can call me Crystal, Mr. Valley."
"Then in exchange, you may call me Uncle Valley."
"It's an honor. Have a wonderful birthday."
"Thank you, although I'd only taken advantage of my birthday, the number of which increases every year, to celebrate."
"And you're right to do so." supported the young woman with an amused smile.
"But she's so humorous. As well as being beautiful." and he made this clear with his gaze, which once again roamed her whole body, but devoid of all warmth and passion as his nephew was when he did the same, which suited the young guest perfectly, but made her uncomfortable. She had the strange impression that her assessment concerned something totally different and unknown. But she quickly pulled herself together and pushed aside her foolish and unfounded thoughts.
"I'm smart too, if that interests you to know." she joked, which earned her a little sensual nip from her lover, "dear uncle."
"But you're perfectly right to think I'm interested, Crystal. What do you do for a living?"
"I'm an executive assistant at..." and when she mentioned the name of her boss as well as the company she worked for, Uncle Karl raised his eyebrows while nodding.
Very good," he said. I'm won over. How's Oliver?"
"Fit, as usual, and extremely selective...in everything."
This time, Uncle Karl laughed heartily.
"I see. And I understand," he said, taking a sip of whisky. "Beautiful, intelligent, full of humor, you've hit the jackpot my dear nephew." he finished, turning to Nathan who continued to discreetly pinch his lover's back.
"And I thank life every day for it, dear uncle. I too wish you a wonderful birthday."
They embraced for a moment.
"Is Dad here yet?" inquired Nathan, casting a circular glance at the guests present, fewer in number than they'd thought, probably around fifty at most, and all dressed sumptuously, jewels and expensive watches glittering under the lights of the countless crystal chandeliers that filled the immense, luxurious hall.
"Yes, he's already here, and yes again, with his new wife."
He turned to Crystal with an eloquent gaze.
"She's beautiful, but not as beautiful as you."
"Thank you. At least I think so." she added with a comical grimace. It was simply impossible to really know what was going on in this man's head. He was so mysterious and enjoyed cultivating that mystery and elusive behavior. She'd never know if he really liked her or not. And maybe deep down, she mused, it was better off this way, so she'd never have to struggle with any possible love problems other than with her dear Nathan.
"Have a nice evening," concluded the billionaire with a smile that was both pleasant and an indirect order to leave him now.
Nathan had placed his gift on the table, which had been set up expressly for this purpose and was already bursting at the seams with countless packages containing gifts, each one probably as expensive and beautiful as the next. The couple had chosen a small Renoir painting, as they had heard from their relatives that this was uncle Karl's favorite painter.
They both took a glass of champagne and wandered among the guests, greeting some whom Nathan inevitably rubbed shoulders with in his work, and finally they spotted Nathan's father - James Bowen, the spitting image of Nathan with just a few more wrinkles, and joined him.
"Dad, I'm glad to see you."
Papa Bowen gave them a genuinely warm smile.
"Me too, darling."
He kissed them tenderly before turning to his wife who was returning from the bathroom - Barbara. She was a tall, dark-haired, distinguished-looking woman, but one whom the couple didn't hold too dear to their hearts, since it was obvious she'd only married James for his fortune. And maybe there was a little sentiment in there somewhere, Crystal grudgingly conceded, but it was mainly for her husband's fortune, and she was visibly disappointed to discover, and only after the wedding, that her new husband was in fact only a well-to-do man because the family billionaire was the younger brother, and the family millionaire was the son, not the father, and there was no chance on either side. She had to make the best of it, if she had a heart anywhere.
She wore a long dress as black as her soul, the young woman thought perfidiously, and luxurious jewels, though certainly not equal to her own, which had been given to her by Nathan. Her furious, envious gaze on these wonders was proof enough. Perhaps James was aware of the reality of his marriage, but he never let on. He was as proud as his son in that respect, a son who never showed the pain her rejection had caused him as she struggled to recover from her broken relationship with this person.
Speaking of him, what a surprise it was when she saw him, magnificent in a custom-made tuxedo, accompanied by his Leonie, also splendid in a gold lamé gown that brought out the whiteness of her skin.
They danced languorously to the sound of a most romantic slow dance, and when it was over, Crystal and Nathan begged them to join them.
"But what are you doing here?" inquired Crystal and Leonie at the same moment. They looked at each other in astonishment, then burst out laughing.
"I'm the partner in an art gallery Uncle Karl owns, don't look at me like that, he insisted I call him that, and he invited me to his birthday party, which is even less populated than I expected. And by the way, invited isn't quite the right word to describe the way he'd presented things."
Nathan nodded meaningfully. James Bowen remarked.
"There are exactly sixty-three guests. Over the last five years or so, my brother has switched to more discreet evenings when it comes to his personal life, go figure. Tonight, no work talk, and that goes especially for him."
Then Papa Bowen turned to Nicky and gave him a visual examination that was anything but discreet.
"So you're the man who almost got my daughter-in-law."
"Really? What a shame!" said his wife with a falsely apologetic smile, as she wished Nicky had succeeded in this, which aroused a lively fury on the part of her son-in-law, who Crystal had to restrain from retaliating viciously to this woman who was as beautiful as she was evil.
However, Nicky's reaction was strange to Crystal, and only to her, no doubt because of the long, deep period they had lived together, but while Nathan still felt a little tense and jealous in the presence of his former rival, Nicky seemed a complete stranger to what they had once been to each other, even if it was only in the past, and worse, that Nicky had totally forgotten with his memory loss that part of his life, like the rest of it that matter.
But how surprised they were once again when Crystal's former lover revealed that they had remembered the first twenty years of his life, and that the rest were slowly following.
"Soon, I'll remember everything."
"And so, your past with Crystal," Leonie couldn't help but remark with an anxious look. "As well as the reason why you once left me."