Zara's POV
I felt every gaze pinned to me, sharp as needles, and yet the only thing I was aware of was the heat of Zarek's hand wrapped tightly around mine.
"Mr. Drakov and Miss Blackwood, please join us on the stage."
The announcement rolled through the ballroom like thunder. My stomach dropped. For a second, I couldn't breathe. My father's glass clinked against his teeth as he smiled, and I knew this was it—his grand showpiece, his precious display.
Zarek's grip tightened, steady, and unflinching. He tugged gently, coaxing me forward like I was nothing more than a pawn he'd been told to move across the board.
And maybe I was.
My heels clicked against the polished floor, the sound too loud in my ears, a metronome marking each step closer to humiliation. My smile was a
