Unhinged by Pamela Ann

undiscovered things that I had yet to see, get to know, and experience. His zest for life injected some much needed fervor in mine, simply influencing me to look at my life with gratitude instead of letting negative thoughts corrupt my overall demeanor.
    Noah became a source of this good energy, and I never minded his company whenever he sought mine. Our friendship blossomed, which Damen was very much against.
    I felt awful seeing how much it affected him, but Damen meant truth and commitment, and for me to get there, I needed to be in the right state of mind. Trying to explain that to him was a hardship, ending our conversation with him mostly frustrated and almost threatening that he would truly try to get on with his life. However, his threats remained as such, never bearing fruit at all.
    My friends thought me selfish, all except Claire, since she partially knew the reason behind my reluctance in giving Damen a chance.
    I needed some time—God knew how long that would be—to properly heal, but I knew I would get there, one step at a time.
    Given how twisted my fate had become as of late, I shouldn’t have been surprised, let alone shocked, when a familiar face walked through those massive glass doors.
    It wasn’t Hugo Xavier but his friend, the impressionable Julien Geroux. It was I who greeted him at the marbled counter. At first, I was relieved that he hadn’t paid attention to me, despondently giving me the answers to my questions in regards to his reservations as he went through his emails.
    I was torn, but in the end, I had decided to pretend as if I hadn’t met him before. Hugo was the past, best I remind myself that.
    Everything was going smoothly until he looked up after signing the receipt.
    His brows furrowed, as if he was trying to recall my face.
    “ Is there anything the matter, sir?” I murmured as I prepared his key card before activating it.
    “ We’ve met before…” Pressing his lips together, he let out a whistle, still appearing deep in thought. “It’s your eyes, I remember thinking how remarkably unique they are, and yet I can’t recall when and where.”
    There was no need to make the man suffer from confusion. Apart from fear, I optimistically encouraged myself that this could very well be the beginning of closing the book on my past that belonged in Monaco.
    “ We met twice, I believe.” I made a small smile before concentrating on filling in the information on the screen. “I was with Hugo Xavier on both counts.”
    “ Voilà!” he exclaimed with a massive grin. “My friend always has the knack for finding beauty.”
    Blushing deeply, I murmured my thanks before sliding over his key card. “An attendant will be here shortly to escort you to your room, Mr. Geroux. If there’s anything else we can assist you with, please do let us know. I do hope you have a splendid stay with us.”
    His smile widened mischievously. “I have an event this evening, and I unfortunately don’t have a date to go with. Would you be so kind as to help me out?”
    Oh, my wicked fate, as if I had the gall to decline a charming man who could supply me a little information about what Hugo had been up to.

Chapter 17
    Isobel
     
    The event was a birthday party for Callum Kensington, whom he was also friends with. I hadn’t dare asked if Hugo was going to be there since they all seemed to run in the same circles, anyway. I sent a prayer above, hoping he was somewhere else, because if he saw me with Julien, I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I would get from him.
    Well, he did encourage that I go out there and date again. So, would it make a difference if I chose to enjoy Julien’s bright and cheery company? The man was a colossal flirt, but that was part of his charm. Besides, I couldn’t help feeling wickedly naughty at the thought of provoking Hugo.
    Julien and I agreed to meet out in the hotel’s foyer at seven that evening. Since my shift ended at six and with only having an hour to get ready,