"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.

Amelia reacted in a flash, catching Sabrina just as she "stumbled." "Oh, Sabrina! Are you okay? Look at your dress-it's soaked. Here, let's get you to the restroom and clean that up."

Sabrina scowled, her plan in ruins. She had approached holding a glass of juice, intending to "accidentally" spill it on Amelia. Instead, Amelia had subtly shifted, causing Sabrina to lose her balance and douse herself.

Feigning deep concern, Amelia pressed, "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine," Sabrina bit out through gritted teeth. "Let's just go."

Amelia turned to Damien with an apologetic look. "Mr. Taylor, please excuse me for a moment."

From his vantage point, Damien had seen the entire sequence clearly. While Amelia had indeed caught Sabrina, it was only after she had given her a slight, clever shove that caused the juice to spill. The whole incident was a blur of motion, making it ambiguous to any casual observer. He had considered intervening but, seeing Amelia's composed demeanor, decided to let her handle it.

Watching her lead Sabrina away, lively and poised like a forest spirit who had outsmarted a trap, a faint, appreciative smile touched his lips.

"Whoa. Was that a smile?" Liam materialized beside him, grinning widely.

Damien's expression instantly cooled.

"Don't try to deny it! I saw that lovesick look," Liam teased. "Lend me the Black Feather for a few days. I'll play cupid-have her falling for you by tonight."

"No," Damien replied flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

*****

Inside the restroom, Amelia worked soap into the stain on Sabrina's dress. "Sabrina, I'm afraid this stain is setting. Perhaps you should take the dress off? I might be able to treat it better that way."

"Amelia," Sabrina snapped, her patience gone, "it's bad enough when you make a fool of yourself. Must you drag me into your mess?"

Amelia blinked, her expression all innocence. "Sabrina, I know I make mistakes, but I truly didn't do anything just now. I even helped you. If I hadn't caught you, you would have fallen and caused a real scene."

"You pushed me!" Sabrina hissed, her eyes blazing. "That's why I spilled the juice all over myself!"

Amelia's voice softened to a concerned whisper. "Sabrina, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. It all happened so fast. I just reacted instinctively to get you out of the way. Otherwise, the juice would have ruined my dress, and Mr. Taylor would have been so embarrassed."

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Sabrina fumed, stomping her foot in frustration-only for the heel of her shoe to snap clean off.

Amelia quickly covered a laugh with a cough. "How about I go buy you a new dress and shoes?"

"Just give me yours," Sabrina demanded, glaring. "I'll go get new ones, and you can wear my things for now."

Amelia shrugged helplessly. "Be reasonable. Your feet are bigger than mine, and my dress wouldn't fit you either."

"You-!" Sabrina was seething.

"Wait here," Amelia said quickly. "I'll go see if Ethan can help."

Before Sabrina could protest, she turned and hurried out.

Instead of searching for Ethan, Amelia made her way back to the main hall-only to run directly into him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a quiet side corridor.

"Ethan, what are you doing?" Amelia said, pulling her arm back uneasily.

His voice was cold. "I've called a car for you. Go tell Mr. Taylor you're leaving and go home. Now."

"I can't," Amelia shook her head. "Damien said he would take me home after the party."

Ethan's frown deepened. "Do you have any idea who Damien is? He is not someone you can play games with."

She blinked up at him, her eyes wide and sparkling. "Exactly. That's precisely why I can't possibly offend him. I promised I'd wait."

Ethan wasn't buying it. "Did he really offer, or is this your idea?"

Amelia bit her lip, feigning a hurt expression. "Why would I dare suggest such a thing? He offered."

Ethan's voice dropped to a low, threatening whisper. "Stop playing games with me. Or else-"

"Or else what?" Amelia cut him off, already knowing where this was headed.

Slowly and clearly, Ethan delivered his ultimatum. "If you embarrass the Johnson family again, the engagement is off."

Amelia looked up, her expression resolute. "I have no intention of embarrassing the Johnson family again. But if you wish to call off the engagement, that's perfectly fine with me."

Ethan let out a cold, disbelieving laugh. "Don't try reverse psychology on me. Once it's called off, there's no undoing it."

She met his gaze squarely, her eyes clear and direct. "Then call it off. But why frame it as a threat? Is there something you're feeling guilty about?" The whole performance struck her as strange and unnecessary.

"I..." Ethan faltered, suddenly at a loss for words. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure why he had issued the ultimatum either.

In her past life, Amelia had trusted Sabrina implicitly-and had been utterly manipulated because of it. She remembered a time when Ethan had been kind to her. But through a series of orchestrated disappointments, she had pushed him away until he drifted beyond reach.

In this life, she knew she could reclaim that path. Winning Ethan back, marrying him, securing the life that would send Sabrina into a jealous frenzy-it was all within her grasp.

But she didn't want it. Not like this. The engagement felt less like a promise and more like a shackle. She was no longer the person who craved that validation.

"So... where is Sabrina?" Ethan asked abruptly, visibly uncomfortable and eager to change the subject.

Before Amelia could formulate a reply, a new voice interrupted.

"Miss Johnson! There you are! My brother's been looking for you everywhere." Liam appeared, and without waiting for a response, he gently but firmly ushered her away from Ethan.

When Amelia had researched Damien online, Liam's name consistently appeared in connection with him. Unlike his reclusive brother, Liam was a permanent fixture in the gossip columns. She hadn't gotten a good look at him in the car earlier, but seeing him now-both brothers were undeniably more striking in person.

"Mission accomplished, bro!" Liam announced cheerfully to Damien.

Amelia turned to Damien, offering a quick explanation. "My apologies for the delay, Mr. Taylor. I was... detained."

"Some guy was giving her a hard time," Liam interjected helpfully.

Damien's brow furrowed slightly. "Was someone bothering you?"

"Don't you worry, Miss Johnson," Liam added with mock seriousness. "Whatever it is, big bro here can handle it."

Amelia offered a light chuckle. "It's nothing serious. Just a... friend."

"A friend?" Liam raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Looked more like he wanted to bite your head off. I know drama when I see it."

"We are scheduled to open the dance floor shortly," Damien said to Amelia, referring to the partnership he had personally requested.

"You can't be serious! We haven't practiced at all. We'll make fools of ourselves," she blurted out, genuine nerves surfacing.

Liam grinned. "No sweat! It's not too late for a crash course. I know just the place. Follow me."

"I hope there's enough time," Amelia murmured, deeply reluctant to give Sabrina any ammunition by failing spectacularly.

"There is enough time," Damien stated calmly. In his world, time tended to accommodate his wishes.

Liam led them to a private practice room upstairs and discreetly slipped out.

Damien extended his hand. Amelia took it, and his other arm slid naturally around her waist.

It was their first time dancing together, yet they moved with an unexpected, instinctive synchrony, each step and turn landing in perfect harmony.

After running through the routine twice, they prepared to leave.

But as they turned toward the door, the lights abruptly cut out, plunging the room into total darkness.

In the sudden, heavy silence, Amelia could hear Damien's breathing, noticeably heavier than before.

A note of concern entered her voice. "Mr. Taylor... are you alright?"