Chapter 85 - The Party (2)

Dawn stopped for a moment as Daryn's eyes met hers. She turned to look back at Jason. Her heart was beating fast and hands were clammy. Her father's words bounced in her head, 'If your heart behaves like a sword in front of the person you are facing, the person is a demon.'

Jason stared at her with an ashen face, lips pressed in a thin line. His eyes were wide and he froze to the spot looking right at Dawn as if he had seen a ghost. 

Dawn loved the effect she had on him.

She turned her gaze back to the audience with a triumphant smile and continued, "Perhaps you all are wondering who is DW. You must be thinking that the person who gave you financial advice is a middle aged man who is bald." Some guests let out a tiny laughter. "What if I say that DW is no one else but me?" She paused to look around. There was total shock amongst the guests. She heard them murmuring amongst themselves. She noticed Daniel Hugh who had a half smile on his face. He leaned forward and tilted his head. 

"Stop joking Ms. Wyatt," an elderly man said. "We are getting late, so could you please call DW? I have to ask him something very important." 

A woman tittered and said, "You are too young to even know what investment is all about. Please call your father and stop posing as DW."

"Or have you killed your father and thought of becoming DW?" someone from behind laughed.

"Maybe she needs money. Are you an imposter?" a man in his late thirties said. 

"Are we wasting time here?" a man called sharply. 

Dawn looked down at the floor and said, "Why would I joke about something as serious as this?" She chuckled and then looked up and asked the first man who protested, "What is your name?" 

"Henry Hampton." 

She smiled and said, "Mr. Hampton, finally which mid-cap companies did you pick? I had given you a choice of four because they fitted your profile well." 

Henry's mouth fell. A shock registered on his face before he could hide it. The elderly man didn't know what to say and gaped at the young girl. And so did most others. Still it was difficult to believe that this petite and beautiful girl who should have been hopping around her college campus humping like rabbits, was standing there as their financial advisor. 

A familiar voice boomed, "I am sure that DW is a man because girls as young as her are only into spending their parent's money. They don't have the brains to give such consultation." Jason found it too hard to believe what was going on. He had to bring her down and crush her again so that she didn't reclaim her wealth back. "You are an imposter!" he reproached her. "And you are wasting everyone's time." 

A low growl from behind stopped him from speaking further. Jason looked back towards the man who sounded like a werewolf and his blood froze. Daryn was standing in a corner leaning against a table near the window. He had a cola in his hand. His gaze went to Azura who was also standing silently, just a few feet apart. 

"Miss Wyatt, please continue," said Daniel Hugh with a kind face. He was beginning to like this kid. In his entire career he had never come across such a theatrical self-introduction. 

"Thank you," she replied and narrowed her eyes at Jason. Without saying a word, she looked at Cole, who on the cue, turned off the lights. 

"What is going on?" a woman protested. 

"Where are the lights?" a man's panicky voice came. 

Suddenly, on a wall behind Dawn, a photo was projected. It was that of her blog. Cole had started a short film that they had prepared on the projector. 

"That's my blog, financeadvice4u.com," she replied waving her hand towards it. The film started and the blog's 'About Us' page came. A profile picture of the owner, which was earlier blank, now appeared. It was of a young, vibrant girl with green eyes and thick, black wavy hair. The profile pic zoomed for everyone to read what was written below it. Every person in the room became absolutely quiet as the film rolled. It was very attention grabbing. After ten minutes when the lights came back, Dawn looked at her audience with a smile. They all looked at her as if she had produced a rhinoceros horn on her head. 

"I have opened a company in the same name as my blog – Finance Advice 4 U. If you like, you can come to meet me there and get personal recommendations." 

There was a mixed reaction amongst the audience. Most of the guests were thoroughly impressed by her and melted. They came to congratulate her. She distributed her cards to all of them. A few who had snickered and made a joke out of her were still desperately trying to connect the dots. Daniel Hugh came forward and said, "That was an impressive, flamboyant and pretty sassy introduction, Miss DW aka Dawn Wyatt."

Dawn laughed excitedly. From the corner of her eyes she looked at Jason who was still staring at her. She knew that he wouldn't leave without warning her. 

Daniel continued, "I am actually disappointed that you won't be joining our permanent position, but at the same time, I cannot stop a young talent like yours to grow further. So I hope that you carry on giving your financial advice for us. I wouldn't want an interruption there." 

Dawn's face erupted in a huge grin. "Of course not Mr. Hugh. How can I leave something that helped me to start my career? I will keep writing for your paper." 

"That's like a good girl," he said with a smile. "Now that I know who is DW, my curiosity is over and I can eat something." 

His statement made her laugh. She watched him go to the dinner table. Several other guests came over. They surrounded her and hurled a barrage of questions. She advised a few of them, told some to meet at her office while some she couldn't answer. She had to finally ask them to have dinner and schedule appointments. After her assurance that she would meet them, they left. There was a buzz of excitement amongst her would-be clients. 

She noticed that both Azura and Daryn were still standing in their places as if they had grown roots. What she didn't know was that there was a small army of neotides and pure bloods scouting the neighborhood as a measure of her safety. Azura had full plans on taking her back after the party was over. However, he wasn't expecting Daryn's presence. 

At last when she was left alone, Jason approached her. 

"Hello Jason," Dawn snickered, cocking her head. 

"So you have come back?" he scoffed. 

Dawn rolled her eyes at his act. He already knew that she was back. What she wanted to know was how did he become so close to Azura? "Drop the act Jason. You already knew that I was in the town." 

Jason glared into those fiery green eyes that were burning with anger. He spoke in a very low menacing tone, "If you try to come back and claim your father's wealth, trust me I will kill you, and I mean that." 

"Take a hike, Jason," she said with confidence. Whatever nervousness she was experiencing because of his arrival, evaporated. It was replaced with hatred. She bent down to pick a manila folder from the nearby couch and handed it over to him. "Check it," she said with ease as a nasty smile played on her lips.