The night air in the parking lot was colder than the ballroom, sharp against Kurt’s skin. The chandeliers’ glow had faded behind them... replaced by the harsh glare of fluorescent lights overhead. Cars lined the stone pavement, engines humming faintly, headlights cutting through the dark.
Kurt’s wrist still throbbed from Mimi’s twist, and his pride burned hotter. He flexed it once, muttered under his breath, half‑humiliated. “Damn you, Arabelle...”
Mimi’s heels struck the pavement, sharp, deliberate. Each step echoing like a challenge. Her coat swept behind her, starlight fabric catching the light, her posture rigid, unyielding. She didn’t slow, didn’t look at him... and still Kurt’s chest tightened.
He strode after her, reckless, his voice low, clipped. “You think you can just wa
