Chapter 3
1299 Words
Chapter 3: Sparks and Shadows
Warren’s eyes bounce between Roy and me, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. His grip tightens on his glass, and for a second, I wonder if he’ll shatter it.
“Fiancé?” he repeats, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
Roy doesn’t miss a beat, his hand casually sliding around my waist like he’s done it a hundred times before. “Yes, fiancé. Crystal didn’t mention me?”
I stiffen at Roy’s touch but force myself to play along. Warren doesn’t need to know how awkward this is for me—or how satisfying it feels to see his shocked expression.
“No,” Warren says slowly, his brows furrowing. “She didn’t.”
“Surprising,” Roy says, flashing his signature smirk. “We’ve been inseparable.”
Warren’s jaw tightens, and I feel a spark of triumph. Good. Let him stew in it.
“I wasn’t aware you were seeing someone,” Warren says, turning his gaze to me.
I shrug, keeping my tone light. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Warren.”
His lips press into a thin line, and for a moment, he looks like he might argue. But then Clara appears, her arm snaking around his. She’s wearing a red dress that hugs her figure, and her smug smile makes my stomach churn.
“Warren,” she purrs, glancing between us. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Roy raises an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to me. I can practically hear his unspoken question: Do you want me to handle this, or do you have it under control?
“This is Roy,” I say before Warren can answer. “My fiancé.”
Roy extends a hand, his smirk never faltering. “And you are?”
Clara hesitates for a moment, clearly thrown off by Roy’s presence. “Clara,” she says, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Warren’s assistant.”
Roy’s smirk deepens, and I can tell he’s enjoying this far too much. “Ah, the assistant,” he says, his tone making it sound like a title instead of a job. “Nice to meet you.”
Clara’s smile wavers, and she clings to Warren’s arm a little tighter. “Likewise.”
The tension between us is suffocating, and I feel like I might explode if we don’t leave soon.
“Shall we, darling?” Roy says, turning to me with a charming smile.
“Of course,” I reply, slipping my arm through his.
We walk away, leaving Warren and Clara standing there. I don’t dare look back, but I can feel their eyes burning into us.
As soon as we’re out of earshot, I let out a shaky breath. “That was... intense.”
Roy chuckles, his hand still resting on my back. “You handled it well.”
“Did I?” I ask, my voice laced with doubt. “Because I feel like I just walked through a minefield.”
He stops and turns to face me, his expression softening. “You did fine, Crystal. Better than fine.”
I blink at him, caught off guard by the genuine praise. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” he says, his smirk returning. “Now, let’s make the most of this evening. Shall we dance?”
“Dance?” I repeat, my eyes widening. “I don’t think—”
He doesn’t wait for me to finish. Instead, he takes my hand and leads me onto the dance floor.
The music slows as we step into the center of the room. Roy places one hand on my waist and holds my other hand gently.
“Relax,” he murmurs. “I won’t let you fall.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “You’re awfully confident.”
“It’s part of my charm,” he replies, his lips twitching into a grin.
As we glide across the floor, I can’t help but notice how natural this feels—like we’ve done it before. Roy moves with a grace that surprises me, and I find myself forgetting the crowd around us.
“You’re not bad at this,” I admit.
He chuckles. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
For a moment, everything else fades away. Warren, Clara, the fake engagement—it all feels distant. All I can focus on is the music and the man in front of me.
But then, as the song ends, reality crashes back in.
“Crystal,” a voice says from behind me.
I turn to see Warren standing there, his jaw tight and his eyes burning with something I can’t quite decipher.
“Can we talk?” he asks, his gaze locked on mine.
Before I can respond, Roy steps in. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says smoothly.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Warren snaps.
Roy’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks at me, silently asking what I want to do.
I take a deep breath, my heart pounding. “It’s fine,” I say, glancing at Roy. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Roy hesitates but eventually nods. “I’ll be nearby.”
Warren leads me to a quieter corner of the room, away from prying eyes.
“What’s going on, Crystal?” he asks, his voice low and urgent. “Who is this guy?”
“You met him,” I say, crossing my arms. “He’s my fiancé.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Warren snaps. “You’ve never mentioned him before.”
“Maybe because it’s none of your business,” I retort.
Warren runs a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Look, I made a mistake with Clara. I admit that. But this... this isn’t like you.”
I glare at him, anger bubbling to the surface. “You don’t get to tell me what’s ‘like me’ after what you did, Warren. You cheated on me. And now you’re standing here, acting like the victim?”
“I’m not the victim,” he says, his voice softening. “But neither are you. Don’t pretend this guy means anything to you.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words catch in my throat. He’s right, of course. Roy doesn’t mean anything to me—at least not in the way Warren thinks. But admitting that feels like letting Warren win, and I refuse to give him that satisfaction.
“You don’t know anything about my relationship with Roy,” I say, my voice steady.
Warren steps closer, his eyes searching mine. “Then prove it,” he says. “Prove that he means something to you.”
Before I can respond, Roy appears, his expression calm but tense. “Is there a problem?”
Warren glares at him but doesn’t say anything.
“No problem,” I say quickly, grabbing Roy’s arm. “We were just leaving.”
Roy doesn’t argue. Instead, he wraps an arm around me and leads me toward the exit.
As we step outside, the cool night air hits me, and I let out a shaky breath.
“Are you alright?” Roy asks, his voice gentle.
I nod, though I’m not sure if it’s true. “Yeah. Just... a lot to process.”
He studies me for a moment, then nods. “Let’s get you home.”
As the car pulls away from the gala, I lean back in my seat, my mind racing. Warren’s words replay in my head, and I can’t shake the feeling that this is far from over.
And for the first time, I wonder if I’ve gotten myself into something I can’t handle.
- Writer
