Chapter 4: The Ball
1506 Words
Marco’s POV
A soft clearing of her throat pulled me out of my thoughts.
I blinked and looked at Kimmie, suddenly aware that I had been staring at her for far too long. Without a word, I handed her the bouquet I had gotten earlier that evening.
A small smile curved on her lips.
“Shall we?” I asked, extending my arm toward her.
She hesitated for only a second before slipping her hand through mine.
Together, we descended the staircase in complete silence. The tension between us wasn’t awkward in a bad way.Every glance she stole at me only made it worse.
Outside, the limousine waited at the front of the mansion like something out of a movie.
The moment Kimmie saw it, her eyes widened slightly. The surprise on her face made me chuckle under my breath.
I walked ahead and opened the door for her, carefully helping with the fabric of her dress before moving to the opposite side and climbing in beside her.
As the limousine sped through the streets of Italy, I leaned back against the leather seat, caught in a bittersweet storm of thoughts.
Tonight would be chaos.
My business associates would talk.
The press would whisper.
People would judge.
Marco Gevonese bringing *Kimmie* to the annual Marino Ball?
Scandalous.
But for once, I found that I didn’t care.
I glanced at her again.
She looked calm, far calmer than most women would have been in her position. Her confidence was surprisingly attractive.
At least I had nothing to worry about.
Eventually, the limousine rolled to a stop in front of the grand venue, the bright lights reflecting against the polished marble entrance.
“Give me a minute,” I told her before stepping out first.
I rounded the car and opened her door carefully, helping her out.
The second her hand rested on my arm, the atmosphere changed.
Heads turned instantly.
The whispers started before we even crossed the entrance.
I could feel the stares burning into us from every direction, but Kimmie kept her head high, her expression unreadable and elegant. Not intimidated. Not nervous.
God, she fit beside me perfectly.
Leaning slightly toward her, I murmured into her ear, “I’m going to introduce you to a lot of people tonight. The moment you feel uncomfortable, tell me.”
She smiled softly and nodded.
We made our way toward our reserved table.
“Hii, Marco!”
The shrill voice from behind instantly ruined the moment.
I turned reluctantly.
Sophie.
“Hey,” I replied flatly.
Her lips curved into a pout. “You don’t seem too happy to see me.”
I didn’t answer.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Kimmie, and the smile on her face vanished almost immediately.
"E chi è questa?” she asked.
Kimmie calmly lifted her wine glass and took a sip, her gaze never leaving Sophie’s.
“She’s…” I paused briefly. “My girlfriend.”
For a split second, Sophie’s face hardened.
“Oh,” she said slowly. “Interesting.”
I already knew this night was about to become exhausting.
“Excuse us for a moment, Sophie.”
Without waiting for her response, I took Kimmie’s hand and led her away.
I spotted Valentino near the champagne tower.
“Valentino,” I called, tapping his shoulder.
“Marco!” he exclaimed dramatically. “It’s been ages!”
I scoffed. “You saw me three days ago.”
“Still too long,” he replied, and we both burst into laughter.
His attention shifted toward Kimmie almost immediately.
“And who is the beautiful American lady?”
“You’re faster than your shadow,” I muttered.
I turned toward Kimmie. “This is Valentino. My cousin.”
“The *best* cousin,” Valentino corrected proudly.
“Sure,” I said dryly. “Best cousin.”
Kimmie laughed softly.
“It’s nice meeting you, Valentino.”
He took her hand dramatically and kissed it. “I think I already like her.”
“Careful,” I warned jokingly. “I might replace you.”
Valentino gasped theatrically. “You wound me.”
Kimmie’s laughter rang out again, and for some reason, hearing it made my chest tighten.
I quickly led her away again.
“There’s someone else I want you to meet,” I whispered close to her ear.
“Who?”
“Andrea Marino.”
Her brows lifted slightly.
“My biggest business partner,” I explained. “The man practically owns half of Italy.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
I smirked. “He is.”
We walked deeper into the ballroom while conversations hushed around us. I could hear people whispering, gossiping, speculating.
But honestly?
If people weren’t gossiping about Marco Gevonese, then something was wrong.
“Marino!” I called once I spotted him.
He turned instantly.
“Marco Gevonese,” he greeted with a grin, pulling me into a firm handshake. “How are you? It’s been a while.”
“Not long enough,” I teased.
Then his attention shifted toward Kimmie.
“And who is this?”
“This is Kimmie,” I said. “My girlfriend.”
Marino smiled warmly. “Kimmie, welcome to Italy.”
“Thank you,” she replied politely.
“And how are you enjoying it so far?”
She glanced around the ballroom before answering. “Italy is beautiful. The art, the sculptures… everything feels alive here.”
Then her eyes flickered toward me.
“I’m enjoying it even more than I expected.”
The look she gave me nearly knocked the air from my lungs.
Marino laughed softly. “I’m glad to hear that.”
After a while, we returned to our table.
I extended my hand toward her.
“Dance with me.”
A teasing smile touched her lips as she placed her hand in mine. “Be my guest.”
We stepped onto the dance floor just as the spotlight settled over us.
The orchestra’s melody filled the ballroom as I pulled her closer.
Almost immediately, I realized she was struggling.
“You’re nervous,” I murmured.
“No, I’m not.”
“You just stepped on my shoe.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God—sorry.”
I laughed quietly.
“Relax. Put your hands on my shoulders and let me lead.”
She obeyed carefully.
“This is my first real ball,” she admitted softly.
“But you act like you belong here.”
She smiled faintly. “Maybe I’m pretending.”
“Well, you’re doing a very good job.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked up at me.
“So… who was that woman earlier?”
“Sophie?”
She nodded.
“My ex-girlfriend.”
Something flashed across her face.
“Should I be worried?”
I leaned slightly closer.
“As long as I’m here, you have nothing to worry about.”
Her expression softened.
But before the moment could linger, my phone vibrated sharply inside my pocket.
I cursed internally.
“Give me a minute,” I told her before stepping away toward the restroom.
The second I answered the call, a frantic voice exploded through the speaker.
“We need you at the office immediately, boss. It’s serious.”
“Can’t you handle it yourselves?”
Silence.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.
“Must I do everything myself?” I snapped, lowering my voice harshly. “Do your damn jobs.”
I ended the call aggressively and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
After adjusting my suit, I headed back toward the ballroom—
Only to freeze.
Sophie was sitting beside Kimmie.
And judging by the expression on Sophie’s face, disaster had already begun.
I crossed the room quickly and gently pulled Kimmie away before Sophie could say another word.
“What happened?” Kimmie asked as I led her upstairs.
“You don’t want to know.”
We entered a private room on the second floor.
The moment I switched on the lights, the entire place glowed warmly—candles, roses, soft music, a table prepared for two beside the massive window overlooking the city.
Kimmie gasped softly.
“Oh my God… Marco.”
“I arranged something special for us.”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked around the room.
“It’s beautiful.”
I pulled out a chair for her.
“Have a seat.”
She smiled and sat down gracefully.
For the first time that night, everything finally felt peaceful.
As I poured champagne into her glass, a sudden knock echoed against the door.
Three slow knocks.
My jaw tightened instantly.
Nobody was supposed to know we were here.
Kimmie noticed the shift in my expression.
“Marco…?”
I said nothing.
Another knock sounded.
Slower this time.
Then a voice came from the other side of the door,
“Open up.”
My blood ran cold instantly.
Because I recognized that voice.
There was a problem.
- Writer
