The ballroom was nuts.
Reporters surged forward in a wave, cameras flashing so fast Amelia’s eyes began to water.
Questions, in the form of bullets, rained down on her from all sides.
Miss Laurent, is this real?
Mr. Vale, how long has this been going on?
“Was this planned for to-night?”
Is the Laurent Group falling apart?
The violin music was gone completely.
Now all she could hear was shouting, angry footsteps and the sound of control shattering.
Amelia was standing next to Damien, not moving, gasping for air.
What had she just done?
Her father was like a volcano that was about to blow.
Richard Laurent stormed down from the stage, pushing past a number of reporters.
His good shoes beat on the marble floor.
“Enough!” he bellowed.
The ballroom instantly hushed.
Even the reporters took a step back.
Richard glared at Amelia, his face burning with anger.
You are going home.
Now, Amelia raised her chin slowly.
“No.”
That one word pierced the silence like a knife.
Richard blinked as though he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
She’d done everything he’d told her for years.
Even when he didn’t pay her any mind.
Even when he shamed her.
Even then, when he treated her like a piece on a chessboard, not his daughter.
But tonight, something inside her had snapped.
“You dare to humiliate me in front of everyone?” Richard hissed.
Amelia laughed a little, bitterly, that was not a nice noise.
It came out of her throat like shards of glass.
Humiliate you?” She said softly again.
You declared you were replacing me and sold me to a man old enough to be my father in front of half the city.
Edward Kane’s face immediately went black.
Richard’s jaw muscles tensed.
“I do everything for this family.”
“No,” said Amelia coldly.
“It’s all for you.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Sophia stood a few feet away, She looked terrified for her friend.
Victor stepped forward, angry.
“Amelia, stop acting like a spoiled brat.
Amelia turned to him slowly.
Seeing Victor’s smug face made her stomach turn even more.
‘You enjoyed tonight, didn’t you?’ she said
Victor smiled, “Father simply picked the superior heir.
The words fell in her chest like stones.
Amelia smiled bitterly.
‘Funny,’ she whispered.
“Considering you’ve spent most of your life tucked away from this family like a dirty little secret.
Victor’s face broke.
Richard’s voice turned dangerous.
“That’s all.
Suddenly Damien came closer.
But not in an aggressive way.
Enough to remind everyone that he was still around, still in viewing.
The mood in the room instantly changed again.
Richard shot daggers at him.
“This has nothing to do with you.
Damien slid one hand casually into his pocket.
“You made it my business the moment you tried to control her life before the whole city.”
Edward moved forward again, red-faced with shame and anger.
“She is the property of the Kane family now.
Slowly Damien looked up at him.
Chill, Sharp.
Anxious silence.
“No,” he said softly.
“She doesn’t belong to anyone.”
The room was quiet again.
Amelia shot a sidelong look at Damien, a strange, wrenching sensation seized her chest.
Never before had anyone said words like that for her.
Edward laughed bitterly.
You think this is love?
She kissed you because she was desperate.”
Damien didn’t even blink.
‘Maybe,’ he said calmly.
Then his eyes flicked for a second to Amelia.
“But she still chose me.
Edward’s face grew as dark as night.
Amelia saw his hands clench into fists, so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
For a moment she even thought he might attack Damien.
Instead Edward spun angrily to face Richard.
“You promised me this marriage.
Richard was equally furious.
Get a grip on yourself.
‘Control myself?’ said Edward sharply.
‘Your daughter just made me look like an idiot in front of everyone!’
He muttered, “She made a fool of herself,” his voice was cold.
Amelia’s stomach knotted painfully.
Sophia fought her way through the crowd, and ran up to her.
She grabbed her hand, whispering desperately, “Amelia, this is getting really dangerous.
Amelia could feel it too already, the tension, the anger.
The shame that was poisoning the whole ballroom like smoke.
Richard snapped his finger toward the exit.
“Security.” “Get the press out of here.”
Immediately the guards started pushing the journalists back but the cameras kept flashing.
No one wanted to miss this train wreck.
A Laurent daughter kissing Damien Vale smack in the middle of her own engagement announcement?
The city would be ruined by tomorrow’s headlines.
Richard turned back to Amelia.
His voice dropped, low and cold.
“You’re going home tonight.
“Amelia looked up into his eyes.
“No.”
Her father moved nearer.
“So you’d rather run into the arms of my enemy?”
Amelia’s eyes were burning.
“At least your enemy treats me as a human being.
The words stung worse than a slap.
Richard’s face went blank, that scared her more than his yelling did.
Even Sophia looked scared now.
‘You ungrateful girl,’ said Richard softly.
Amelia swallowed.
And there it was, that tone.
The same cold voice he always used when he wanted total control.
“You built nothing,” Richard continued.
“You owe me everything you have.
Amelia felt the hot lava of anger rise in her chest again.
“I earned my place at Laurent Group.
“You were given a place,” snapped Richard.
“No,” she retorted.
I worked for it while Victor sat on his ass and enjoyed hiding behind your money.
Victor rushed forward in a fury.
“Shut your damn mouth.”
Damien moved a little ahead of Amelia again.
The movement was small but protective.
Victor halted in his tracks, the two men looked at each other in silence.
One pissed, One terrifyingly calm.
“You need to leave,” Victor warned Damien.
Damien glanced casually at his watch.
“You should learn how to threaten people properly.
Victor’s expression fell.
Amelia nearly forgot to breathe.
Damien was dangerous in every way.
Controlled, like a man who kept violence on a tight rein.
Suddenly Richard gripped Amelia’s wrist, hard.
“No more nonsense.
Pain shot through her arm, Amelia winced immediately She couldn’t answer, Damien took hold of Richard’s wrist, quick, everyone in the ballroom froze.
No one moved, no one breathed.
He kept his face calm, but his eyes were like ice.
“Let her go.”
Richard snatched his arm away, angry.
“Don’t touch me,” she said.
Then don’t touch her like that.
Amelia looked at Damien in silence.
Her wrist was still sore.
But somehow his voice was more painful.
Because someone finally looked.
Finally cared enough to put an end to it.
Richard saw the look on her face immediately.
His face was black.
“You think he’s protecting you?” Richard snorted.
Men like Damien Vale only destroy things.
Damien smiled faintly.
“Yes,” he replied.
Then he looked Richard straight in the eye.
“But tonight I am not the worst father in this room.
The insult was on point.
A few of the guests looked away, embarrassed.
Richard’s face became fearsome.
For one dangerous second Amelia thought he was going to hit Damien.
He looked at Amelia with pure disappointment.
“You would betray your own family for revenge?”
Amelia’s voice was very low.
“You turned against me first.” Silence,Heavy and Ouch.
Richard looked at her for a long moment and then he grinned, the smile caused Amelia’s stomach to drop instantly.
Because it was no longer angry, it was arithmetic.
“You think this marriage will save you?
Richard said softly.
Amelia frowned a little.
“What the hell are you talking about? Richard looked at Damien. You’d like to provoke me now,” he said, evenly.
“But this city ruins women who get involved with your family.” Damien’s face didn’t change.
“Media scandals. Rumors of corruption. Dead business partners.” Richard went on slowly.
His eyes flicked to Amelia.
“You’ll be sorry you stood with him.”
Tension crept up Amelia’s spine like cold fingers.
But Damien was speaking calmly beside her.
“She will live.”
Richard gave a cold laugh.
“You sound pretty confident.”
“Yeah, I am.
Again their eyes met.They hated each other.
Sophia nervously moved closer to Amelia.
‘Maybe we should leave.’ Amelia nodded a bit, immediately she needed fresh air.
Had to get out of this room before she fell apart entirely.
But she could not stir.
“You owe me an apology,” Edward grabbed her arm roughly, Amelia drew in her breath sharply, his hand tightened.
“You made me look like a fool.
“Let me go,” she said sharply.
Edward leaned forward, his breath foggy with alcohol.
“You think he’ll keep you forever?” he said bitterly.
“Ladies like you always come crawling back after they’ve destroyed themselves.”
Amelia’s chest was filled with fear and then all at once Damien grabbed Edward’s arm, difficult.
Then a soft cracking noise broke the silence.
Edward gasped, in pain, the ballroom came to life again.
Damien’s expression remained serene.
Too cool.
But his voice had grown terrifyingly low.
“I warned you already.
Edward winced, resisting his hold.
“Damien”
“Touch her again,” Damien said softly, “and you won’t have a hand left to use.
No one moved, nobody dared to break in, even Richard looked surprised now.
Damien released Edward’s wrist, slowly.
Edward recoiled at once, his arm across him, rage and shame flaming on his face.
“You’ll regret this,” Edward said bitterly.
Damien was looking perfectly calm.”So will you.”
Amelia stared at Damien, speechless.Her heart was pounding harder now, not out of fear.
Something different, a little bit warmer, more hazardous.
He looked down at her, suddenly.
“Can you walk?
She blinked a little.
‘What?’
“We are leaving.”
Again the simple words stunned the room.
Instantly Richard moved forward.
“She’s not going anywhere with you.
Damien held out his hand to Amelia, very calmly.
All eyes in the ballroom were on her.
Hold on.
Judging.
Starved for the next disaster.
Amelia glanced at his hand.
Tough fingers.
Steady.
Patient.
An escape from pain gripped her breast.
If she would take his hand now, everything was about to change.
Her family, Her name, Her future there would be no going back.
Sophia looked frightened, Victor looked fuming and Richard looked like he was ready to set the world on fire and Damien… Damien just sat back.
Slowly, she put her hand into his.
Several of the guests drew a sharp breath together.
Richard blew his top, “Amelia” but Damien was already drawing her gently to his side.
His hand held tight on her Protective and Possessiveness real enough to make her pulse shake.
“We will discuss the contract tomorrow,” Damien said quietly.
Contract.
The word struck Amelia suddenly, Okay.
This was not real, just vengeance and just surviving.
So why did her chest feel so funny standing next to him?
Richard pointed a savage finger toward the door.
“If you go out that door with him,” he said coldly, “don’t come back.”
Amelia was cut right in half, for a moment her face was contorted with pain and somewhere inside her a daughter still lived.
Still hoping her dad would pick her, only once.
But Richard’s eyes remained cold.
Nothing in it, like she was nothing already at all.
Amelia touched Damien’s hand then gently, I gave up on having a home here a long time ago.
Richard halted abruptly, again the ballroom was silent and without a word more.
Damien took her to the door, camera flashes went off in wild fireworks around them.
Questions screamed at their backs, but Amelia did not turn.
Not at Vic’s, not Ed, not even at her dad.
The chill of the night air outside the ballroom hit her face like a dash of water.
For the first time all evening she could breathe.
Damien released her hand, slowly.
The loss of heat was quick and queer.
A black luxury car stood by the entrance, his chauffeur opened the door immediately.
Amelia stood there, silent, staring at the city lights for a moment, then softly.
So, what’s next?
Damien looked at her closely, his face was blank.
“Now?” he whispered.
A small smile lingered on his lips.
“Now your father is beginning to fight back.”