Chapter 3 - The Waltz of Shadows"Because," Lucas murmured, his gray eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch, "Julian hasn't accepted defeat. Look over your shoulder. He’s already whispering to a society reporter from the New York Chronicle. If they walk over here and realize you came alone, wearing a self-altered dress, with no husband and no status, they will tear you apart in tomorrow morning's columns."
I glanced back. Sure enough, Julian was steering a sharp-eyed woman with a digital notepad directly toward our corner, his face wearing a triumphant, predatory sneer. He thought he had caught us in a bluff.
"I don't care about their gossip," I whispered, though my hands were shaking as I clutched my handbag. "I just want to go home to my daughter."
"And you will," Lucas said, his voice dropping into a low, hypnotic register. He reached out, his warm fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from my cheek. The simple gesture sent a sudden, electric shiver straight down my spine. "Trust me for one hour, Elara. Let me handle the sharks. When the clock strikes midnight, you walk out of here with your head held higher than anyone in this room."
Before I could formulate a single objection, Lucas stepped forward, took my hand, and swept me effortlessly out of the alcove and onto the glittering marble dance floor.
The transition was so smooth I had no choice but to follow his lead. As his arm wrapped firmly around my waist and his other hand took mine, the rest of the world seemed to melt away. For a woman who spent her life stumbling through second-hand shoes and heavy kitchen shifts, dancing with Lucas Sterling felt like floating on gravity itself.
"Mr. Sterling!"
A sharp, demanding voice cut through the music just as we spun past the edge of the floor.
Julian had intercepted us, blocking our path alongside the aggressive society reporter, whose camera shutter clicked rapidly.
Lucas stopped instantly, spinning me smoothly into his side while keeping his body positioned like a shield between me and the prying lens.
"Mr. Vance," Lucas greeted, his tone dropping several degrees into arctic ice. "You're interrupting."
Julian forced a tight, oily smile, his eyes darting between us with unconcealed suspicion. "Forgive me, Mr. Sterling. It’s just... it’s such a surprise to see you with Elara. As old friends, I hadn't heard that you and Miss Vance—or Mrs. Sterling, as you claim—had tied the knot. Especially considering her background."
The reporter’s pen flew across her notepad. "Is this a secret wedding, Mr. Sterling? Rumors have circulated for months that you were unwed."
I felt the blood drain from my face. The trap was snapping shut. Julian had engineered this exact moment to humiliate me publicly, proving to the city’s elite that I was a liar and an impostor.
I opened my mouth to confess, to take the hit and walk away, when Lucas tightened his grip on my waist.
He didn't look flustered. He didn't look defensive. He looked down at me with an expression of such profound, breathtaking adoration that my heart genuinely skipped a beat.
"There are some things in life, Mr. Vance, that a man keeps private until he knows they're safe from vultures," Lucas said smoothly, turning his gaze back to Julian with a look that made the other man visibly flinch. "As for Elara’s background—her resilience, her grace, and her strength are precisely what made me fall in love with her. Something a man like you wouldn't understand, given your penchant for trading partners based on stock portfolios."
The reporter’s eyes widened at the thinly veiled insult. Flashbulbs blinded us as she captured the entire exchange.
Julian’s face purpled with rage. "You're making a mistake, Mr. Sterling. She’s a nobody. She—"
"Guard," Lucas said, raising his hand slightly.
May you like
Within a second, two massive private security guards in sleek black suits appeared out of thin air, stepping directly between Julian, the reporter, and us.
"Escort these guests away from the floor," Lucas ordered coldly. "They’re disturbing my wife's dance."
