New York City, Manhattan.
Four Seasons Hotel, Eighth Floor.
Zach stood with two glasses of champagne in hand, brows slightly furrowed.
He hadn't expected that,
when he approached Isabella, she would actually pull away.
Taking a slow breath, Zach forced himself to calm down.
In his mind, Isabella was just a minor celebrity.
There was no logical reason for her to reject him.
After all,
his father was a senior executive and major shareholder of Stark Industries.
And soon, Obadiah would replace Tony Stark altogether.
Even if Isabella was a Hollywood star,
so what?
Their statuses were worlds apart.
What's more, Zach hadn't even said anything inappropriate.
All he'd done was greet her politely.
He hadn't even gotten to the point yet.
Surely backing away like that was an overreaction?
Zach thought it over.
Maybe it was just a misunderstanding.
He knew who Isabella was.
But she, on the other hand, had no idea who he was.
He wasn't Tony Stark,
the genius billionaire playboy who was practically a household name.
Even heads of state weren't as well-known.
Zach, by comparison, was just another wealthy heir.
So it wasn't strange that she didn't recognize him.
Looking back at her again...
There was no denying it: she was exactly the global beauty people claimed.
And honestly?
Ever since Zach had seen her in Twilight, he'd been drawn to her stunning looks.
He even searched her online, read her interviews, and memorized her age.
Now, it was 2008.
Born in 1990, Isabella had just turned eighteen.
Eighteen.
She might not have even had a boyfriend before.
Not that Zach really cared about that sort of thing...
But if true? Well, it'd be a nice bonus.
In any case,
He figured it was time to properly introduce himself and make a move.
After steadying himself, Zach put on a gentle, polished smile.
『Zach Stane』: Miss Isabella, my name is Zach. I'm a big fan of your work. It's a pleasure to meet you.
『Isabella』: Thank you.
Her tone was civil. Encouraged, Zach continued smiling.
『Zach Stane』: Actually, a lot of people at Stark Industries are fans of yours.
If they found out I met you tonight, they'd be insanely jealous.
He dropped the name "Stark Industries" on purpose.
Everyone knew it.
Thanks to Tony Stark's tabloid-worthy lifestyle, even children knew what it was.
And just as expected,
When Isabella heard the name, her expression shifted ever so slightly.
There it was.
Zach smirked inwardly.
Just a celebrity.
No matter how famous, none of it compared to real power.
『Zach Stane』: Let me formally introduce myself.
I'm Zach Stane.
My father, Obadiah Stane, is the Executive Vice President of Stark Industries.
He's one of the original founders.
Honestly, he's contributed more to the company than Tony Stark ever did.
He offered her one of the champagne glasses.
In Zach's mind, it was already a done deal.
She'd clearly reacted to his status.
Now that she knew who he was, she'd definitely start treating him differently.
Everything was going just as he wanted.
But,
To his surprise, Isabella didn't take the glass.
She glanced at him again. There was a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
Then, with a faint but courteous smile:
『Isabella』: Sorry, I'm not much of a champagne drinker.
I just spotted a few friends, excuse me.
And she turned and walked away.
Yes,
She was a little surprised by his identity.
She hadn't expected the guy hitting on her to be from Stark Industries.
Just like Carl.
But that didn't mean she was interested.
If anything, it made her even less interested.
She hated guys like Zach,
Entitled brats who used their family's name like a credit card.
Truthfully, she didn't even want to come to the banquet in the first place.
Her agency had forced her, since it was backed by Stark Industries.
She hadn't expected much out of the night.
But then she met Carl.
At first, she just wanted his contact info.
Young, rich, and very handsome,
Carl was completely her type.
If someone like that wanted to date her?
She'd happily agree.
She drank a little too much that night...
And unexpectedly? It had actually felt... really good.
Carefree by nature, Isabella didn't overthink it.
She even visited Carl again a few times afterward.
So naturally,
A guy like Zach?
Forget it.
He was pathetic.
Dropping names every five seconds.
Trying so hard.
And he wasn't even cute.
She didn't even bother glancing back. She walked away.
Zach stood there, stunned.
Staring at Isabella's fading figure as she disappeared into the crowd.
What the hell?!
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
Wasn't she supposed to be all over him?
Even if nothing happened tonight,
At the very least, shouldn't she want to flirt? Exchange numbers?
But she just walked away?
FUCK.
She seriously ignored him?!
The plunge from expectation to reality triggered his rage.
Zach's expression twisted with fury.
『Zach Stane』: You fucking bitch!
In a fit of anger, he hurled the champagne glass toward her.
He imagined it vividly,
Isabella turning around just in time to get drenched in champagne.
Letting out a horrified scream.
The crowd gasping.
Him smirking with cold satisfaction.
But,
That never happened.
There was no scream. No splash. No chaos.
Instead,
『Zach Stane』: AAAAHHH!!
It was Zach who cried out.
His right wrist had been seized,
Clamped in a grip of freezing, merciless strength.
It felt like his bones were about to crack.
He couldn't even move.
Then,
Cold liquid splashed over his head.
It stung like hell when it got into his eyes.
What the hell is this!?
Zach instinctively tried to wipe it off,
Only to find his right hand still pinned in place.
Panicking, he used his left hand to rub at his burning eyes.
When his vision finally cleared,
He saw him.
A young man with jet-black hair and dark, piercing eyes.
Wearing a sleek, wine-red suit.
Standing directly in front of him,
Carl.