The crystal chandelier hanging over the ballroom twinkled like frozen stars.
The air was filled with soft violin music.
Wealthy guests chuckled over expensive glasses of champagne.
Diamonds twinkled on dainty wrists.
Every few seconds cameras near the entrance kept flashing.
It seemed just right,Just as Richard Laurent would have wanted it.
Amelia Laurent stood beside the giant birthday cake in a silver dress that suddenly felt tight across her chest.
She looked about the room; her fingers curled slowly against the side of her gown.
Politicians,the investors,Partnership.
All the right people of the city were here tonight.
Her twenty-fifth birthday dinner.
Nope, Not a birthday party, a show Her father stood in the middle of the stage, a microphone in his hand, the smile of a proud family man.
But there was no smile in his eyes.
Amelia recognized that look already, Something was approaching.”Why do you look so anxious?” Sophia murmured beside her.
Amelia offered a faint smile.
“Because that’s the only way my dad smiles when someone is going to get hurt.”
Sophia breathed out, silent.
“You think he’s going to announce your promotion tonight?
Amelia wanted to believe it.For years, everyone at Laurent Group had been treating her like the heir apparent.
She worked harder than anybody else.
Less sleep.
More people quitting.
But then, her father had never looked proud of her, not once.
Richard Laurent touched his glass lightly.
The ballroom fell silent.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a genial tone, “thank you for coming to my daughter’s birthday celebration this evening, the room erupted in applause.
Amelia kept her face steady.
“Twenty-five years ago,” Richard continued, “Amelia was born into the Laurent family. She’s worked very hard for our company since then.”
His voice was smooth.
Like a businessman finishing another deal.
“But… ” He paused for effect.
Amelia’s stomach clenched.
Richard smiled at a young man standing a few feet away.
Victor, Her half-brother raised his glass of wine slowly with a smug grin.
The room was moving, Amelia could feel it coming, Something horrible, Something not nice.
“After a lot of thinking,” Richard said, “I have decided that the next CEO of Laurent Group will be my son, Victor Laurent.
Then the whispers broke out across the ballroom, Sophia spun around fast.
“What is it?” Amelia didn’t move.
Suddenly her body grew cold.
Very chilly.Victor walked confidently up to the stage and the guests began clapping politely.
Some looked surprised, Some looked amused.
Some looked relieved that it wasn’t their family falling apart tonight.
Amelia looked at her father.
Years ,She had been true to him for years.
And he tossed her aside with a single sentence.As if he weren’t shredding her in front of hundreds of people, Richard continued.
“Victor has proven that he can take the Laurent legacy into the future.
Victor grinned as he moved to stand beside Richard.
Suddenly their resemblance made Amelia sick.
Same eyes, Same old arrogance.
Richard looked straight at Amelia.
“And because family alliances are important,” he said smoothly, “I have also arranged Amelia’s marriage to Edward Kane.”
The room froze once more, beside her, Sophia gasped.
Amelia gripped her champagne glass so tightly it might have shattered.
From a front table, Edward Kane rose slowly to his feet.
Older, Big-built.
Amelia’s skin crawled at the grin.
He looked at her like men look at things they already own.
“I think this marriage is going to be of great benefit to both families,” Richard continued proudly.
Laughter,applause and Noise, suddenly the room sounded very far away, Amelia couldn’t hear now.
Edward lifted his glass in her direction.
To my future wife, a few men chuckled.
Shame burned through Amelia’s chest so badly, she could hardly breathe.
Her father sold her.
Like Real Estate, like she was nobody, Sophia touched her arm lightly.
“Amelia…” But Amelia was not looking at the stage anymore.
Her eyes had gone somewhere else.
To the back corner of the ballroom.
VALE DAMIEN.
He stood alone, at the dark glass windows overlooking the city.
Black suit, eyes cold, One hand in his pants pocket.
Be quiet and watch everything, he didn’t smile like everyone else.
He seemed almost amused.
Dangerously amused.
The country’s most feared businessman, Her father’s arch enemy.
Richard Laurent hated Damien Vale more than any other man alive.
And then all of a sudden.
An idea came into Amelia’s head.
Wreckless, Wild, Terrible and Great.
Sophia saw the look on her face straight away.
“Amelia… what are you thinking?”
Amelia passed her the glass of champagne, then she began to walk.
at first slowly, then quicker.
The crowd gave way as she crossed the floor of the ballroom.
Whispers followed in her wake.
“Where’s she going?” “Isn’t that Damien Vale?” “Oh my God…
Damien stood still as he saw her coming.
His eyes were calm,Interested and Keen.
Amelia came to a stop directly before him.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
She could feel the tension around them growing tighter.
“You look pissed,” Damien said quietly, his voice was low.
Managed.
Amelia swallowed a mouthful of air.
“Enjoying the show?” Damien cocked his head a little.
A little bit, It was so truthful she almost laughed.
Close enough, the ballroom behind her was again absolutely silent.
Everybody was watching.
Richard’s face clouded with confusion.
‘Amelia,’ her father warned sharply from the stage.
She was oblivious to him.
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
This was insane.
Totally insane.
But she was too angry already to stop.
Amelia moved closer, close enough to smell the cologne on Damien, close enough to see the pale scar near his jaw, close enough to see surprise flicker in his eyes for the first time tonight.
She held him by the collar, gasps went through the ballroom and Amelia kissed him.
Difficult, at once the room exploded into chaos.
Cameras went madly clicking.
Someone had dropped a glass.
Sophia put her hand to her mouth, in utter shock.
“Amelia!” roared Richard Laurent in fury.
But Amelia hardly heard him.
Damien froze a dangerously long moment and then suddenly his hand brushed her waist.
Firm,Possessive.
It was the movement that shocked her more than the kiss, her face was suddenly hot.
Finally, when she pulled away, the ballroom looked like it was going to fall apart from all the chaos.
Richard’s face was flushed with anger, Victor looked appalled, Edward Kane’s face had turned ugly.
Damien looked down at her and said nothing, His palm was still soft on her waist.
Amelia’s chest heaved jerkily as she murmured, “Marry me for revenge.”
The words hung between them like lead.
Damien’s eyes twitched a little not mixed up.
Interested, Immediately reporters started yelling questions around them.
“Miss Laurent!” “Are you two together?
“Is that a real thing Mr. Vale?” “Is this a business deal?”
Security tried to get a handle on the chaos, but it was too late.
Richard marched off the stage angrily.
“Amelia, have you gone mad?
She turned slowly to her father, never in year.
She was not afraid of him.
“You were going to sell me off tonight,” she said coldly.
“So I decided to pick my own husband.”
The ballroom began whispering again.
Richard scowled at Damien.
“Anybody but him!”.
“Too late,” Damien finally said, every head turned to him.
Even Amelia blinked, Damien looked at Richard with a calm face, then his hand pressed a little more firmly to Amelia’s waist.
“If your daughter wants to marry me,” he said smoothly, “who am I to say no?
Richard looked like he might actually fall over with rage.
“You think this is a joke?” he hissed.
“No,” Damien replied.
“I think this is revenge.
“Sshhh.Heavy, Keen, Deadly, Victor moved forward, furious.
“Damien, stay out of the Laurent family business.
Damien looked lazily over at him.
“I guess,” he said quietly, “I just got into the family business.”
A few people in the ballroom actually laughed, nervously.
Then victors’ faces darkened, suddenly Edward Kane stepped forward aggressively toward Amelia.
“Then you made me look stupid in front of everyone.
Instinctively Amelia took a step back, but Damien was first.
He walked right between them.
The air was different at once.Cold and Risk.
Damien looked at Edward with blank eyes.
Edward ground his teeth.
“She was promised to me.
Damien flicked his wrist lazily and adjusted his cuffs.
“And she’s not now,”
The simple sentence was a threat enough to make Edward hesitate.
Amelia looked up at Damien in quiet.
Tonight for the first time.
No one pushed her forward as bait, but someone stood before her.
It was an almost painful sense.
Richard’s breathing was uneven with fury.
“This marriage is not going to happen,” he snapped.
Damien looked at him slowly.
“One thing you should know about me, Mr. Laurent,” he said softly.
Softness somehow sounded more dangerous than shouting.
“When I want to take something…
He glanced at Amelia.
“… I keep it.”
A chill ran down her spine.
Again the ballroom was completely still.
Then the camera flashes burst even harder than before.
Reporters darted forward.
Questions flew all around.
Sophia pushed through the crowd, trying to reach Amelia.
Security guards shouted.
And through all the craziness and Damien inched a bit closer to Amelia, his voice lowered so that only she could hear.
“Now you’ve jut made a war, Amelia looked him squarely in the eye, a shiver of fear setting up in her stomach.
“Good,” she whispered, for the first time that night,Damien Vale grinned.