“I don’t want you to waste your precious time with me! You know what? I’ll stand where you can easily spot me! That way, you get to have fun while ensuring I’m safe!” It would be awkward to hang out around Zachary since he was a friend of Christopher, not mine.
He dismissed my suggestion and insisted on following me everywhere.
When I was about to suggest something else, Darius approached me and asked, “Care to join me for a dance?”
“M-Me?” I pointed at myself with my eyes widened in disbelief.
Darius replied with a bright grin, “Who else could it be?”
“B-But—” I looked at my hands and added, “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“It’s fine. I’ll hold your wrists.” Upon Darius’ insistence, I dared not reject further. After all, not only was he Christopher’s brother, he was also the mayor of Avenport. Rumor had it that he was about to rise above the ranks soon.
Zachary was against the idea. He asked, “Are you sure you want her to join you for a dance?”
“I’ll return her to you within a few minutes, okay?” Judging by Darius’ look, I was pretty sure he had misperceived our relationship.
Thus, I decided to play along with Darius and winked at Zachary. Coming to think of it, it was an honor to dance with the host. The moment I joined him for a dance, I could feel I had stolen the limelight.
Those who had been scowling at me since I showed up got their curiosity piqued because Darius was a married man. They must be wondering the sort of relationship Darius and I had.
Darius must have caught a glimpse of my scrunched-up face. “Can’t get used to it?”
I was impressed because he could guide me—a complete rookie—at ease. There were a few times when I almost stepped on his feet. However, he could evade it all while carrying on with the dance.
Does it have something to do with the fact that he’s from the Lane family? They’re all equally exceptional!
“I’m not used to being the center of everyone’s attention.”
Darius asserted with a smile, “Ignore those people and enjoy the dance. At least that’s the way things work for me.”
I was pretty sure my eyes had been gleaming all while dancing. If I had to choose a role model, Darius would be the one. He was a successful man and a loving husband.
That got me thinking, though—why was Darius so kind towards me ever since our first meeting? Initially, I thought he was an amiable person and that my treatment was no different than others. However, that was not the case. Having been here for the past few days, I’ve seen him being stern.
Oh, God! Has he figured out the sort of relationship Christopher and I have? My heart skipped a beat when that particular thought crossed my mind.
Darius asked, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
“N-No!” After I rephrased the question I had in my mind, I queried, “This is going to sound silly, but please enlighten this foolish woman in front of you. I appreciate your kind gesture in asking me for a dance. However, may I know the reason behind it?”
It was a silly question indeed! At that point, my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I just had to know the reason why. Since there were other prominent figures in the ball, why would he bother to pay any attention to a nobody like me?
I wouldn’t be surprised if Darius told me to stay away from his brother. However, he went dead silent for a few seconds.
After staring at me in silence for a short while, I looked elsewhere to avoid his gaze because I couldn’t take it anymore. I repeated my question, “Can you please tell me?”
He broke the silence and whispered, “I’m sorry if you’re startled by my actions. Actually, you bear a striking resemblance to a close acquaintance of mine.”
“Is it a friend of yours?” I started imagining all sorts of things—the scene of him being torn apart with his loved ones. Although it sounded absurd, I recently noticed that the life of the riches behind closed doors was unthinkable. So, nothing much could surprise me then.
