Tangled with Brothers

Chapter 2 I'm Not a Social Butterfly

Andrew said to Miranda, "Miranda, I'll be back soon."

Miranda smiled gently at Andrew, letting him go to greet the guests.

As soon as Andrew left, Lawrence didn't bow but extended his hand, saying, "Miss Larson, would you like to dance?"

Miranda knew that whether she wanted to or not, Lawrence would drag her into the dance floor.

Instead of being forced, she agreed gracefully and placed her hand in Lawrence's palm.

He tightened his grip, pulling her into the dance floor.

Lawrence held her right hand and slender waist. The handsome man and beautiful woman danced gracefully in the center.

Miranda had only taken two waltz lessons outside of school. It was her first high-society banquet, and her steps were awkward and unrefined. Yet, Lawrence, with no gentlemanly demeanor, deliberately sped up the tempo, knowing she wasn't familiar with waltzing.

"Miss Larson, your first time waltzing?" Lawrence asked disdainfully, his eyes fixed on her.

"This is my third time," Miranda responded to Lawrence, calmly adjusting her steps.

"I see," Lawrence smirked sarcastically. "You probably haven't had much opportunity to attend high-society events."

Miranda detected the mockery of her humble background in Lawrence's words and reminded him firmly, "Mr. Dawson, you're a beat too fast. The waltz has a beautiful, lyrical melody with graceful and smooth steps. Rushing it makes it awkward."

Lawrence's expression cooled, and he had to slow down and find the correct rhythm.

Twirling and bending, Lawrence eyed the woman who somehow caught up with his steps, a smirk on his lips as he teased, "I would not have thought that a social butterfly like you could waltz so well."

Miranda was taken aback, straightening up, instinctively trying to pull away from Lawrence's hand.

Lawrence held her waist firmly, forcing her to continue dancing with him.

"Why? Did I say something wrong?"

"Mr. Dawson, you misunderstand. I'm not that kind of woman," Miranda explained, her face pale.

"You're not?"

Lawrence scoffed, a cold glint in his eyes as he whispered darkly in her ear, "Not a social butterfly, yet you easily ended up in bed with me that night!"

"Mr. Dawson, believe it or not, I truly didn't know anything that night."

She was only following the club manager's orders to deliver wine, but once inside the room, she smelled something strange and lost control.

When she woke up, before she could speak, he had already thrown a 500-dollar check at her and left without looking back.

She had been trying to find him to return the check, but his status was so high that she had no chance to meet him again.

She never imagined they would meet again during her first visit to her boyfriend's home.

Lawrence sneered, his eyes filled with malice.

She had no evidence to prove her innocence, and anything she said would seem like an excuse to him.

They danced in silence, appearing to others as a perfect and harmonious couple.

Lawrence assumed Miranda had conceded, thinking he had exposed her true self, and coldly ordered, "Break up with Andrew immediately when you go back."

Miranda, frustrated by his repeated misunderstandings, replied coldly, "Why should I?"

Lawrence spoke disdainfully, "You're not good enough for my brother!"

Miranda straightened her back, responding sharply, "Mr. Dawson, I hope you learn to respect others. Being wealthy doesn't give you the right to trample on others' dignity!"

"Miranda!"

Andrew came in excitedly and said, "Miss Dorsey brought a gift you'll love."

Following Andrew's gaze, Miranda saw four guards carefully carrying in a white clavichord.

This rare Renaissance-era clavichord was invaluable.

Miranda was both shocked and delighted to see one in her lifetime.

It would be wonderful to play a piece on it tonight!

Clearly, the aristocrats at the banquet recognized its value and began to chatter.

Rayne Dorsey proudly approached Lawrence and said, "What do you think? I got this from a classical music auction, pretty good, right?"

"Not bad."

Lawrence, a businessman uninterested in pianos or music, knew his grandmother loved classical music.

He glanced over to see Laura already eager to touch the clavichord.

Rayne sighed, "Too bad there's no pianist tonight, or we could hear its sound."

"There is one."

Andrew proudly pushed Miranda forward and said, "Here's a world-class piano genius."

Lawrence's gaze was filled with doubt.

He had already labeled Miranda as a high-class social butterfly, doubting she was a pianist.

Seeing Laura still examining the clavichord, he told Rayne, "Go play something."

Rayne, not a professional pianist, had learned piano for a while and could play a simple piece.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Rayne confidently took the stage.

She played Beethoven's "Für Elise", a short, delicate piece. Rayne's performance was charming but basic.

The audience politely applauded.

Andrew clicked his tongue, finding Rayne's performance too ordinary and wishing Miranda would play on the beautiful clavichord.

He leaned close to Miranda and said, "Miranda, I want to hear you play. Will you play a piece for me?"

Lawrence, standing nearby, scoffed, "If Miss Larson is confident, why not give it a try?"

He wanted to see what level of performance this woman could deliver.