ley

e I hadn't realized I still possessed. He wasn't just accepting my impulsive p

mall smile finally breaking through my gua

eyes serious now. "

e scent of roasted lamb and unspoken tension. My parents were at the head of the long table, Holt beside my father. And across from Hol

y," my mother said, her voice strained. "P

I' m not hungry." I started to

voice was firm. "We need to

settling in my stomach. I turned slowly, my eyes ling

announce the engagement of our beloved Chandra to Ku

rmed what I already knew, what I had seen. My gaze flickered to Kurtis. H

y lips. It was quiet, but it cut th

might be difficult for you, but Kurtis and Chandra have found true happiness

e at all." I looked directly at Kurtis and Chandra. "Congratulations. I wish

mphant smirk faltered, replace

ootsteps echoing in the silence. I reached my room

or," Kurtis' s muffled voice

ently. "Bailey, I know you' re upset. But w

crack, and stared at him,

ide. He looked desperate, his eyes pleading.

You' re acting out because of the gala. I understand you' re hurt. But thi

t I was just throwing a tantrum. He truly believed I was still

d anything, Kurtis,"

Business partners, maybe." He took a deep breath. "Look, I can still ensure your position at Robinson Dynamics. And I can even... I can even put in a

rules. Especially when the reputation of Robinson Dynamics is at stake. An

liant, so detached from all this social nonsense. It' s refreshing. But sometimes, you need to play the

at meant not challenging the family

en toy. He didn' t just betray me; he utterly misunderstood me. He never saw me, not truly.

I repeated, my voice a dangerous whisper

t to see you happy. But not like this. Not with... him. A main

ied to my social standing, to who I married. The man I had loved, the man I

me, burning away the last vestiges of hurt and di

raw, echoing in the room. "Get ou

ched on his face. "Bailey

oared, pointing

n turned and fled. I slammed the door shut, my body

elebration, which, coincidentally, was on the same day Dangelo had promised to marry me. They

ak, that I would beg them to intervene, to save me from my

were

outside was a brilliant, clear b

ly orderly who was always discreetly tending to my needs.

dy. This wasn't a wedding to spite them. This was a wedding for me