Chapter 38: I feel like I’m not playing a role.
Mark Hall stood frozen—his face pale, eyes wide, pride shattered. Whispers coiled through the glittering ballroom like smoke.
"Did he say Sterling?" "That family vanished decades ago...""Fifty million? That’s more than everyone here combined." "Who is that guy?"
Mark clenched his jaw, fists trembling by his side. He had walked in with the confidence of a lion. Now, he slinked away like a shadow fading into the wall, lips pressed in humiliation.
Miles didn’t even spare him another look.
Instead, he turned to Celina, offering his hand, the air between them pulsing with calm strength.
"Celina," he said smoothly, "would you dance with me?"
She looked up, smile breaking across her lips like the soft bloom of sunrise."Of course."
She placed her hand in his—and the ballroom floor opened as if just for them.
The music shifted—soft piano undercurrents giving way to a richer, slower rhythm.A romantic waltz with a modern jazz twist.Velvet lighting dimmed slightly above the dance floor, casting golden halos around the couples.
Miles led her gently, his hand placed perfectly against the small of her back, guiding with quiet certainty.Celina followed, their steps fluid—elegant yet natural, like they’d danced a hundred times before.
Her flowing dark evening gown swayed around her ankles like a living breeze, each turn catching the candlelight and reflecting a thousand soft sparks.Miles in his charcoal black suit stood tall and calm—sharp and defined, commanding without trying.