Chapter two
826 Words
Zara stared at the note in her trembling hands. The words seemed to blur before her eyes. Something isn’t right. A chill ran down her spine.
“Zara?” Amelia’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She quickly folded the note and slipped it into her clutch before anyone could see it.
“What was that?” Amelia asked.
Zara forced a smile. “Nothing.” It was a lie.
The note felt like a stone sitting in her stomach.
She glanced around the ballroom. The celebration was still in full swing. Crystal chandeliers bathed the room in warm golden light while guests laughed and toasted to the newlyweds. Everything looked perfect.
So why did she feel as though she was standing in the middle of a storm no one else could see?
At the center of the room, Damien stood surrounded by investors and business partners. A glass of champagne rested in his hand. He looked composed. Powerful. Untouchable.
Women stole glances at him when they thought no one was looking. Men sought his approval. The entire room seemed to orbit around him.
And yet he hadn’t spoken to his bride in nearly thirty minutes. A dull ache settled in Zara’s chest.
“You’re staring again,” Amelia teased.
Zara looked away immediately. “I wasn’t.”
“You always do.” Amelia laughed softly.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re still crushing on him.” Still. The word stung because it was true.
Long before Damien had noticed her existence, Zara had noticed him.
The first time she’d seen him, he had been standing on a stage accepting an award for Businessman of the Year. Confident. Brilliant. Driven.
Everyone in the room had admired him. She had fallen for him. That had been three years ago. Three years of admiration. Three years of hope.
Three years of convincing herself that one day he might feel something for her too.
Today was supposed to be the beginning of that dream.
So why did it feel like she was losing him before she’d even had the chance to have him?
A sudden burst of laughter pulled her attention back to the ballroom.
One of Damien’s executives slapped him on the shoulder and said something that made the group laugh.
Everyone except Damien. His expression barely changed. The smile never reached his eyes. The sight unsettled her. She wasn’t the only one who noticed. Several older guests stood nearby whispering among themselves.
The moment Zara looked their way, they fell silent. One woman quickly turned her head. Another avoided eye contact completely. Zara frowned. It was strange.
People had been acting oddly around her all evening. As though there was something they knew that she didn’t.
Before she could think about it further, the bandleader stepped onto the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced into the microphone. “It is time for the bride and groom’s first dance.” Applause erupted throughout the room.
Zara’s heart skipped. Finally.
A smile tugged at her lips as she searched for Damien. Their eyes met across the ballroom.
For a brief moment, she thought she saw hesitation in his gaze. Then it vanished. He began walking toward her. Every step sent her pulse racing.
This was the moment she’d imagined countless times. Their first dance as husband and wife.
When he finally reached her, she offered him her hand. Instead of taking it, he looked down at his phone. His jaw tightened. A notification had appeared on the screen. Something flashed across his face. From shock to anger. Pure, unmistakable anger.
It disappeared so quickly she almost thought she’d imagined it.
“Damien?” she asked softly.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“I can’t do the dance.”
The words hit her like cold water. The applause around them slowly faded. Confusion rippled through the crowd.
“What?” Zara whispered.
“I have something urgent to handle.”
“You have to be kidding.”
“It’s important.”
“This is our wedding.”
His expression remained unreadable. For several long seconds, neither of them spoke. The guests were watching now. Waiting. Whispering. Embarrassment burned through Zara.
“Five minutes,” she pleaded quietly. “Just one dance.”
Something flickered in Damien’s eyes.
For the first time all evening, he actually looked at her. Really looked at her.
Then whatever emotion had appeared vanished.
“No.” The single word felt like a slap.
Without another explanation, he turned and walked away. The ballroom fell silent.
Zara stood frozen in the center of the room as hundreds of eyes stared at her.
The bride whose groom had just abandoned their first dance. And somewhere near the back of the crowd, she could have sworn she heard someone whisper:
“Just like his mother…”
Zara’s head snapped toward the voice. But whoever had spoken was already gone.
- Writer
