Selena spun around sharply to stare at the eyes of her mother, she couldn't believe her ears.
They really wanted to sell her out that quick. She laughed a little, realizing that everyone she thought was close to her was very distant.
Well it's really for the best, she had no choice but to accept her fate and save the family's face. She heaved a sigh and decided to let everything go.
"I'll go pack my bags" Selena said and wanted to head back to her room when her mother dropped another shocker.
"Your bags are already packed and have been sent to the knights manor, you'll be attending a ball today, the patriarch of the knight family will be announcing your marriage to Adrian".
Her mum explained with her head hanging low, unable to look her daughter straight in the face.
Wow! They had already planned everything out, without involving her.
She looked at her mother for a while, then walked past her and went to her room, she was prepared.
The knights villa's ballroom had not hosted a gathering in years, and yet tonight, every chandelier blazed to life as though mocking Selena's unrest.
Guests murmured over champagne flutes, their polished laughter drifting beneath the gilded ceiling.
It was not a party, it was a stage, and Selena was the reluctant centerpiece.
The scent of wax and lilies filled the air, mingling with the sharper tang of wine. The polished parquet floor reflected gold from the chandeliers overhead, so bright it hurt her eyes.
Everywhere she turned, there were curious stares, men in dark suits, women in jewels, faces she had seen at functions in her childhood, though most had aged since then.
They whispered behind gloved hands, some pretending not to look, others making no effort at subtlety.
Her gown was ivory silk, chosen by her mother, suffocating in its elegance. The fabric clung to her waist, the neckline pressing uncomfortably against her collarbone.
She tugged at it when no one was looking, wishing she could vanish into the wallpaper, dissolve into the shadows behind the curtains.
She had always hated crowds, but this was worse. This was a suffocating theater, and she had been forced into the role of the unwilling bride.
The string quartet in the corner played something soft and classical, notes rising above the murmurs, but even music could not soften her dread.
Every sound, the clink of glasses, the shuffle of shoes, the scrape of silverware from the adjoining dining hall, echoed in her head like a countdown.
"Chin up, darling," her mother whispered, gripping her elbow like a leash. The grip was not painful, but it was firm enough to remind Selena she had no choice in this performance.
Her mother's pearls glimmered faintly in the light, trembling slightly with her movements. "He's here."
Selena's heart lurched.
The doors at the far end of the ballroom opened. A hush spread slowly, rippling through the crowd like a breeze across water.
Adrian Knight entered the room with a presence that shifted the air. He was tall, impeccably dressed in a black tailored suit, his sharp features softened only by the faintest curl of dark hair at his temple.
The cut of his jacket was severe, his movements precise, as though he were aware every eye was upon him and had learned to thrive under that scrutiny.
Yet his eyes, cold, storm-gray, scanned the crowd like a man accustomed to command. They flicked from face to face, dismissing most without thought, until they landed on her.
Their gazes locked across the ballroom.
Selena expected warmth, or even disdain. Instead, what she saw unsettled her, a flicker of interest sharpened by something darker, something calculating. For a second, she forgot to breathe.
Her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass, though she hadn't dared sip from it.
What did he see when he looked at her? A daughter trapped by her mother's ambitions? A pawn in his father's schemes? Or merely a name and face to match the contract signed on their behalf?
When he finally approached, the murmurs grew louder. Women leaned toward one another, whispering.
Men straightened their postures as if eager to be acknowledged. The sea of guests parted unconsciously, as though sensing they were watching history unfold, or perhaps gossip worth savoring.
Every step he took seemed measured, deliberate, a predator closing distance with his prey. As he walked towards her, Selena was lost in her own world.
"Miss Hayes," Adrian said, his voice smooth, low, carrying just enough edge to make her pulse stutter.
The sound of her name on his lips sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. She lifted her chin, determined not to let him see her falter.
He took her hand, and the warmth of his touch startled her.
Instead of the expected kiss, he merely held it, his thumb brushing her skin with deliberate slowness, an almost-torture that made her catch her breath.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise at the intimacy of the gesture.
She felt the world narrowing, the rustle of silk gowns, the laughter, even the music fading into silence until there was only that thumb, that slow movement, commanding all her attention.
"Mr. Knight," she managed, though her voice was softer than intended, betraying her nerves.
His lips curved faintly. Not a smile, not exactly, but a shift that made her uncertain of his thoughts.
He leaned in as if to kiss her cheek, but stopped just short, his breath grazing her skin.
Selena shivered before she could stop herself. The warmth of his breath lingered on her cheek like a phantom touch.
She hated the way her body betrayed her, the way her pulse hammered.
His hesitation wasn't an accident, it was control. A warning!.
By the time he pulled away, she hated herself for the way her chest rose too quickly, as though she had been holding her breath for far too long.
She curled her fingers tightly against her palm, hoping no one saw her tremble.
The guests were still watching, eyes hungry, drinking in the scene. To them, this was a spectacle. To her, it was chains.
"Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm.
But his eyes told another story: This is not a request.
Selena slipped her hand through, but inside, she was already plotting how to resist the cage he represented.
Her spine stiffened even as her mother sighed with satisfaction nearby, the sound almost drowned out by the applause of some eager guests who had mistaken the moment for a promise of harmony.
And yet, she had no idea, Adrian was already losing his grip on the control he prized.
The ballroom swallowed them whole as they moved forward together, the whispers rising in their wake.
Somewhere in the crowd, Selena thought she caught the hiss of a voice, low, urgent, words she could not quite make out:
"Another Hayes girl… let's hope she lasts."
Her head whipped to the side, searching for the source, but the faces had already rearranged into polite masks.
Adrian's arm tensed slightly under her hand, but he said nothing, his expression unreadable.
For the first time, Selena wondered if she had just stepped into a story far larger, and far darker, than her mother had prepared her for.