Chapter Four: Stolen glances and Hidden desires

The grand ballroom was full of fancy things; Softly glowing lights hung beneath a very high ceiling, making a warm glow over people. Strong perfume mixed with champagne and vanilla from candles situated on top tables in a very lavish setting somehow. Guests wore sumptuous fabrics in lovely shades alongside dazzling jewelry that caught light beautifully.

It was that sort of lavish soiree typically seen in glossy photographs made for wealthy moguls and influential big shots. I felt out of place initially, yet people stared at me as I walked inside. Ethan brought me as his guest but seemed out of place somehow in that setting. My mind kept drifting in and out of the folded paper I found in my drawer, but I pushed the thoughts away. I was going to enjoy myself today, I said to myself.

“They can’t stop staring at you,” Ethan murmured, leaning in slightly. “I don’t blame them. You look breathtaking.”

I gave him a small smile. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”

Ethan chuckled. “Still, I think you’re stealing all the attention. Not that I mind.” He tilted his head slightly. “Are you nervous?”

I hesitated. “A little. I don’t usually attend things like this.”

“Then let’s make it fun,” he said, grinning. “We can judge everyone’s fake smiles and predict which business deals will crash in a month.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head. “That’s terrible.”

“It’s entertaining.” He nudged my arm. “Come on, dance with me?”

I hesitated, but before I could agree, my gaze was pulled to the other side of the room. Damien.

He stood near the bar, effortlessly elegant in his sleek black attire with a drink clutched firmly in hand. Even in a crowded room, Damien was impossible to ignore. His gaze burned through the distance, pulling me in like gravity itself."

Ethan followed my gaze and sighed dramatically. “Ah, of course. The brooding billionaire makes an appearance. You two should just talk. Get whatever this is out of your system.”

I looked away quickly. “I have nothing to talk about.”

“Right,” Ethan said, unconvinced. “Just be careful, Celeste. He looks at you like he owns you.”

I swallowed hard. “Let’s dance.”

Ethan smiled but didn’t push further. He led me onto the dance floor, his hand warm against my waist. The music was slow and elegant. I let him guide me, focusing on the steps instead of the eyes that followed us.

But I still felt Damien’s stare, a heated weight that burned through my skin.

Minutes passed, maybe longer, before Ethan spun me gently and whispered, “Don’t look now, but he’s coming this way.”

My heart pounded. Before I could react, Ethan let out a low sigh. “I think I’ll get a drink. Try not to break too many hearts.” He squeezed my hand before stepping away.

Damien appeared out of nowhere. Being in the same room with him was unbearable due to his smell - a mix of expensive cologne and something elsewhere that was surely a piece of him.

“Enjoying the party?” His voice was smooth, and controlled, but there was something deeper beneath it.

I lifted my chin. “It’s fine.”

“Just fine?” He took a step closer. “That’s disappointing.”

I inhaled sharply. “Why do you always do this?”

“Do what?” He ran his fingers over mine, and that light touch convulsed my whole body.

“Play with me,” I whispered, my pulse racing.

I whispered, my pulse racing.

He smirked, his eyes darkening. “You’re the one still playing, Celeste.”

Before I could respond, a familiar voice interrupted.

“There you are, Damien.”

Celia.

Her tone was light, but there was steel beneath it. She looped her arm through his, claiming him in front of me.

Her blonde hair framed her features beautifully, her red dress hugging figure tight-like skin that fit perfectly. Damien remained frozen, utterly still, she clung fiercely around him.

His intense gaze stayed locked on mine. Celia faced me with lips curving upward in a faint smile that barely touched her eyes somehow.“Celeste, darling. You look lovely tonight. Though, I must say, green is a bold choice.”

I matched her smile. “I like to stand out.”

She tilted her head. “Yes, I can see that. But tell me, why is it that every time I turn around, you’re near my husband?”

The air between us crackled. Damien tensed beside her, but he said nothing.

“Maybe you should ask him that,” I said softly.

Celia’s eyes flashed, but before she could respond, a waiter appeared, offering champagne. She took a glass, sipping it slowly before turning back to Damien. “Dance with me, love?”

Damien hesitated for just a fraction of a second. Just enough for me to notice. But then, he nodded. “Of course.”

I stepped back, watching as he led her onto the dance floor. But as they moved, his eyes found mine again.

And even with Celia in his arms, it felt like I was the only one he was dancing with. Minutes later, just as Celia excused herself to talk to someone, Damien seized his chance. He appeared beside me again, his hand outstretched. “Dance with me.”

I hesitated, but my fingers slipped into him, and he pulled me onto the floor. The moment he touched me, the tension between us ignited like fire.

“I’ve been waiting all night for this,” he murmured, his lips dangerously close to my ear.

Our bodies moved together, perfectly in sync, the music fading as the world narrowed to just us. His grip tightened on my waist, his breath warm against my cheek. My heart pounded, and I knew this was leading to something inevitable.

His eyes dropped to my lips, his grip tightening just slightly. He was going to kiss me. And I wanted him to.

But before he could, Celia’s sharp voice cut through the moment like a blade. “Damien!”

We jerked apart, the spell broken. Damien’s jaw tightened, his gaze dark with frustration. Celia was standing still while red-hot anger was spreading wide from her and all around the room, her fists clenched and face wrinkled.

Just in a blink of an eye, the instance was over.

In no time, her heels drummed the ground hard as she quickly left, expressing her anger with each step.

Damien stayed still for a moment, watching her leave, his eyes dark with frustration.

The brief closeness between us was gone, and I felt the heavy weight of it deep in my stomach.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Damien was already walking the other way, his face hard to read.

I stood there for a moment, stuck in the mess left behind, my body still tingling from the touch that had almost changed everything.

Celia’s storming off had interrupted more than just the kiss. It had interrupted the fragile truce, the dangerous dance that had begun between Damien and me. And now, I had no idea what would happen next.

When Celia returned home, the butler observed her mood and offered her a late-night bite.

“Madam Celia, would you like something to eat?” he asked, his voice polite but filled with curiosity.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Just tea, Alfred. And don’t hover.”

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “Also, a package arrived for you earlier. It’s in your study.”

Celia’s expression shifted, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Who sent it?”

“There was no name, madam.”

She frowned but dismissed him with a wave, heading toward her study. As she entered the room, the weak light from the desk lamp illuminated broad bands of shadow across the space. At the center dock, a plain, unmarked package lay on her desk.

Slowly, she unwrapped it, her fingers steady but tense. Inside, a single envelope  She unfolded the letter, her breath catching as she read the bold, scathing words:

"You took what wasn’t yours, Celia. Time’s up. Return everything you stole, or I will burn your perfect little world to the ground."

The signature at the bottom made her blood turn to ice.

Nathaniel Pierre.

Her former lover. The man she had manipulated, drained, and left in ruin.

A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her grip on the letter tightened. He was back. And he wanted revenge.

Later that night, Damien arrived home. Celia had waited for him and confronted him immediately. “Were you with her?” she demanded.

He loosened his tie, his gaze calm but unreadable. “Careful, Celia.”

“I saw the way you looked at her. Do you even remember I exist when she’s around?” she spat.

Damien exhaled, brushing past her. “Go to bed, Celia.” Celia angrily stormed off to her chambers she had had enough for this night.

Alone in his room, he thought about Celeste, her scent, her warmth, the way her lips had parted just before he almost kissed her. He wanted her. He always had.

Celeste, too, lay awake, reliving every moment on the dance floor. The warmth of his hands, the look in his eyes as though she was the only woman in the room. She longed for more.

He couldn’t sleep, so he decided to enter his dimly lit home office, he poured himself a glass of red wine as he pondered. His mind was engrossed by How she moved, how she looked at him, how she felt in his arms.

He wanted her alone. Needed it.

And soon, he’d make sure that happened.

The next morning, Damien leaned back in his chair, a slow smirk on his lips. His fingers tapped against his desk as he reviewed the final details.

By the time Celeste found out, it would be too late to refuse.

They were going on a business trip.

Just the two of them.