Chapter 256 - 255: Skin Thicker Than Him
The man’s jaw tightened as he watched Monica and Rex, their close proximity gnawing at his ego. To him, every shared smile, every whisper between them was a deliberate insult, a slap to his pride. His eyes, already small and cold, darkened further.
Finally, unable to bear another second of watching what he interpreted as shameless flirting, he turned on his heel and left the ballroom with a stormy expression. The dangerous gleam in his eyes, however, promised that this wasn’t over.
Monica caught the moment out of the corner of her eye, and only when his shadowy figure slipped out of sight did, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her shoulders eased slightly, though her hand still clung to Rex’s arm as if needing that steady presence.
"He’s gone," she murmured, almost to herself. Then, glancing at Rex, she managed a wry smile. "You have no idea how much I hate seeing his face."
Rex gave a small shrug, his expression calm but his voice teasing. "Oh, I can tell. You looked like you were going to stab him with your heel if he got any closer."
Monica chuckled under her breath, the sound a little shaky but real. "Don’t tempt me. I’ve come close before."
"You’ve got good aim?" he asked, pretending to be impressed.
"Better than most people think," she shot back, her diva mask slowly sliding back into place, though the faint tremble in her fingers gave away that her nerves were still raw.
Finally, the dance session drew to a close. The last notes of the waltz lingered in the air like a sigh before fading completely. The couples on the floor began to drift apart, laughter and soft chatter returning as everyone caught their breath.
But then, the entire room shifted.