Just then, the guy in the driver's seat fumbled for his phone, attempting a sneaky picture.

But in a flash, Damien plucked the device right from Liam's grasp. "Trying to get a new phone the hard way?"

"Hey! The, uh, the city lights looked cool from here," Liam stammered with an awkward laugh. "Thought I'd grab a shot."

Damien fixed him with a silencing glare before tossing the phone back.

Liam quickly opened a group chat named "The Investigation Committee," a private thread that included only him and his two grandparents.

Dorothy: [Well? Any intel? Where's the photo proof?]

Liam: [Busted by Damien. But seriously, she's a stunner. Way out of our bro's league, if you ask me. No need to panic.]

Dorothy: [So... no photo? You're useless!]

Raymond: [Everyone, be patient. We'll meet her soon enough.]

Dorothy: [Oh, I'm the impatient one? Remind me, whose idea was this chat?]

Raymond: [...Not now. I'm on the green.]

*****

The venue was a glitzy five-star hotel.

As Amelia stepped out of the car, Liam sidled up to Damien, his face alight with gossip. "Seriously, man, where'd you find her? She's drop-dead gorgeous."

"Don't be crass," Damien replied coolly, Amelia's coat draped over his arm, still holding her residual warmth.

Liam shot him a knowing grin. "Big night tonight, huh? You know... perfect opportunity to-"

"A gentleman doesn't elaborate on such thoughts," Damien cut him off, his voice icy.

"I wasn't finished!" Liam protested.

Damien gave him a sidelong glance. "You didn't need to be. I know exactly what you were implying."

"Just trying to help! She seems a bit... indifferent toward you, that's all," Liam said with a sheepish chuckle.

"Indifferent?" Damien's eyebrow arched sharply.

Liam immediately backtracked. "Slip of the tongue! She's totally playing hard to get. Classic move. I've seen it a million times."

Damien's eyes frosted over. "Seen it with whom, exactly?"

"No one! I'm a ghost! I've seen nothing!" Liam clapped a hand over his mouth, his survival instincts kicking into high gear.

Just outside the banquet hall doors, Amelia realized her invitation wasn't in her clutch-she'd left it in her coat pocket.

"Amelia?" a voice laced with disbelief called out. It was Chloe Hughes.

Chloe was close to Sabrina, which was exactly why she was never friendly toward her.

"Can I help you, Miss Hughes?" Amelia responded, her expression neutral.

Chloe, who had never made an effort to be pleasant, crossed her arms and smirked. "It is you. I hope you know you can't just waltz in without an invitation."

'What is this country bumpkin doing here?' Chloe thought. 'Trying to crash a high-society event? Not on my watch.'

Amelia didn't bother arguing and turned to go retrieve her invite.

"What's wrong? Got caught and now you're running away?" Chloe grabbed her arm and hissed at a nearby staff member, "Watch this one. Don't let her slip in later."

Amelia wrenched her arm free, fixing Chloe with an icy stare. "I have an invitation. I left it downstairs."

"Sure you did. Stop lying," Chloe snapped dismissively.

Just then, Sabrina arrived on Ethan's arm.

"Chloe? What's keeping you out here?" Sabrina asked, feigning confusion.

"Perfect timing," Chloe said, gesturing at Amelia with contempt. "Look who's trying to sneak in without an invite. How embarrassing."

It took Sabrina a moment to place the elegantly dressed woman. "Amelia? You're here?"

Even though she knew Amelia was invited, the transformation was startling. Sabrina hated to admit it, but her sister looked breathtaking.

Ethan's breath hitched for a second at the sight of Amelia, but he quickly masked it with a familiar scowl. Sure, she'd cleaned up well on the outside, but underneath, she was still the same unsophisticated girl.

"Amelia," Ethan said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Remember what your father said. Don't cause a scene. You should leave." After all, she was still technically his fiancée, an embarrassment he had to manage.

As Amelia opened her mouth to retort, a tall, imposing figure stepped into view, instantly shifting the dynamic of the entire corridor.

Damien approached Amelia and extended a hand. "I believe this is yours." In it was her forgotten invitation.

"Thank you," Amelia said, accepting it, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. She hadn't expected him to be so observant.

He didn't linger. Seemingly aware she wouldn't want their connection made public, he simply turned and disappeared into the main hall without another word.

"Wait... was that Master Taylor?" Chloe stammered, staring after him, utterly dumbfounded.

"It certainly was," Sabrina replied, her voice tight. Even someone of her status had only seen the elusive billionaire in person once before.

Ethan looked equally shocked. "Indeed. He rarely makes appearances at these kinds of events."

Judging by Amelia's clueless reaction, she clearly didn't know him. Emboldened, Chloe snatched the invitation back from Amelia's hand. "This has to be a fake. I'm impressed-you came prepared to crash, didn't you?"

Amelia didn't bother with anger. She merely shot Chloe a cool, dismissive glance and walked past her into the banquet hall without a word.

Flustered, Chloe whirled to a nearby staff member. "She's crashing! Aren't you going to stop her?"

The staff member remained impassive. "The invitation was vouched for by Master Taylor himself. We have no grounds to refuse entry." Interfere?, he thought, That's a quick way to get fired.

"Let it go, let's just go in," Sabrina said, maintaining a calm exterior despite the fury simmering inside. Her plan to humiliate Amelia had backfired spectacularly, all because Damien had inexplicably stepped in. No matter. Sabrina was convinced Amelia's ignorance would lead to a blunder sooner or later.

"Ethan," Sabrina said softly, tugging his sleeve, "with so many important people here tonight... you know how Amelia was raised in the countryside. I'm worried she'll do something foolish again. Perhaps you could persuade her to leave?"

Ethan nodded; the thought had already occurred to him. Amelia was a liability. Any misstep would reflect poorly on both the Johnson and Collins families.

Meanwhile, Amelia had found a quiet corner and was contentedly enjoying a slice of tiramisu when a familiar, condescending voice interrupted her.

"Amelia," Ethan said, now standing over her. "Come on. I'll have my driver take you home."

She looked up at him, unfazed. "Why? The evening has just begun."

He spoke as if to a child. "If it's dessert you want, I'll have some sent to the house. You can enjoy it there. Alright?"

Amelia simply stared at him, her silence more powerful than any retort.

Ethan's frown deepened. "What? Cat got your tongue?" He used to find her tolerable, but over the past five years, his opinion had only soured. Compared to Sabrina's polished grace, Amelia was an unrefined embarrassment. How were they even sisters?

Amelia blinked her large, innocent-looking eyes. "Shouldn't you be with Sabrina? I'm not in your way here."

"Enough," Ethan's tone turned sharp. "Stop eating and leave. Now. Or I'll call your father."

"I get hypoglycemic. I need to keep my blood sugar up," she stated flatly. The fact that after five years he didn't know this basic detail about her was, frankly, pathetic.

Just then, a deep, magnetic voice cut through the tension from behind her.

"Would you do me the honor of being my companion for the evening?"

"I'd be delighted," Amelia replied, her relief palpable. Damien's timing was nothing short of miraculous.

Ethan moved to intervene but stopped short upon recognizing the man. "Mr. Taylor, I should mention... she isn't much of a dancer. I'd hate for her to inconvenience you."

Damien ignored him, his gaze fixed on Amelia. "Do you dance?"

"A little," she admitted. "Though I'm certainly no expert."

In truth, Amelia could dance quite well. But years ago, Sabrina had convinced her that "only loose women dance," and that Ethan would despise it, so she had suppressed that part of herself.

A faint smile touched Damien's lips. "That makes two of us. I'm hardly a professional."

Ethan frowned deeply. He knew for a fact Amelia was practically a novice. Her attempt to impress Damien was bound to end in humiliation. Feeling a need to warn her, he reached for her arm, but Amelia swiftly stepped behind Damien, using him as a shield.

Clearing his throat, Ethan tried again. "Amelia, your ankle is still recovering from that sprain. Perhaps you should sit this one out?"

Amelia saw right through him. She offered Damien a soft, genuine smile. "Mr. Taylor, this is my first time at such an event. Would you mind giving me a tour?"

Ethan's face darkened instantly. She was really going through with it. He could only wait for the inevitable embarrassment.

Damien offered his arm. "Shall we?"

After a moment's hesitation, Amelia placed her hand on his forearm. His touch was firm and reassuring.

From Ethan's angle, Damien's body had blocked the subtlety of the gesture. All he saw was Amelia willingly taking Damien's arm, and a sharp, unwelcome pang of possessiveness tightened in his chest.

Just then, Sabrina glided over. She stared after the retreating pair, her face a mask of confusion and seething envy. How did that country bumpkin get so lucky?

"Ethan, did my sister say she was leaving?" Sabrina asked innocently.

"She has no intention of leaving," Ethan snapped, his annoyance clear. "She's now playing the part of Damien's date for the evening."

Sabrina gasped dramatically. "Oh, no. She's so impulsive and has no experience with high society. If she offends Master Taylor... the consequences for our family could be disastrous."

"I'm well aware!" Ethan retorted. "But what could I do? Master Taylor asked her personally. I even warned him she couldn't dance, but she pretended otherwise."

"If it were me, I would have politely declined," Sabrina said with feigned earnestness. "Men like Master Taylor... being near them is like walking a tightrope. But then again, I suppose I understand her desperation. Most people would grasp at any straw to climb the social ladder."

Internally, she scoffed at her own words. Given the chance, she would have leaped at it without a second thought.

Ethan's scowl deepened, a bitter taste in his mouth. "Ambition is one thing, but you need the skill to match. He's only interested in her looks. What good is a beautiful vase if it's empty on the inside?"

Sabrina clenched her fists. What she envied most was Amelia's face. For years, she had bought Amelia garish, cheap makeup and tacky clothes to make her look ridiculous. But tonight, Amelia wore no makeup, her jet-black hair cascading freely over her shoulders. The simple, elegant red gown hugged her figure perfectly. She wasn't even trying, yet she effortlessly became the center of attention.

Damien was a rare sight at social functions. Many wanted to curry favor with him, but few dared approach. He was known for being aloof, inscrutable, and utterly dismissive of sycophants. Yet, even though no one approached, every eye in the room seemed drawn to him.

Walking arm-in-arm with Damien, Amelia could feel her palm growing damp with nervous sweat.

Damien noticed immediately. "Just breathe," he murmured gently. "Attend a few more of these, and it will feel like second nature."

Amelia managed a tight smile. Standing next to a man who commanded such intense scrutiny felt like being on a stage under a blinding spotlight. Calm was a distant concept.

Just then, Sabrina appeared beside them again, her voice dripping with false concern. "Amelia! There you are. Ethan was just looking for you- Oh!"

She feigned surprise at seeing Damien, her performance perfectly calculated.