Took My Star Dress, I Said Goodbye

Chapter 2

The louder the club grew around me, the heavier the weight in my chest became.

By the time a hand wrapped around my wrist and yanked me off the crowded dance floor, the first tear had already slipped down my cheek.

Scott stared down at me, his brow furrowed in immediate disapproval. "Daisy, since when do you hang out in places like this?"

But the moment he caught the shimmer of tears on my face, his voice sharpened. "Did someone touch you?"

He looked ready to storm back into the crowd and tear the place apart if I so much as nodded.

Watching him, a bitter thought crossed my mind: Would someone really go to these lengths just to protect a loyal dog? Because that's all I felt like to him lately.

"No," I lied softly, keeping my voice low. "Someone just stepped on my feet a few times."

Scott sighed, his thumb brushing the dampness from my cheek. His tone shifted back to that familiar, patronizing warmth. "What are you even doing here, anyway? This isn't your scene."

"I came to get you. Tomorrow is the gala, Scott. It's a massive night, and you need to be at your best."

After the Griffiths elders kicked him out onto the streets years ago, they'd spent the last two years watching his meteoric rise in awe.

This gala was specifically for him—a public declaration to high society that Scott was officially back in the running for the family empire.

He was supposed to bring me as his official date. Surprisingly, the family—who had always written me off as either his secretary or his mistress—had raised no objections.

Scott pinched my cheek affectionately. "Stop stressing so much, babe."

Images of him using this exact same hand to touch that other woman flashed vividly behind my eyes.

I flinched away, avoiding his fingers. "Let's just go. I'll drive."

While I waited for Scott to say goodbye to his friends, a woman's voice drifted over the noise. "She really is plain-looking, isn't she?"

The music hit a sudden lull right at that second, making her words ring out loud and jarringly clear.

An awkward silence fell over the VIP lounge. Everyone suddenly found the floor incredibly interesting, their eyes darting between me and Scott.

Scott's face darkened instantly. He glared at the very woman he had been praising for her beauty just moments before. "Who the hell do you think you are—"

The woman flinched, visibly terrified by the sudden, dangerous shift in his demeanor.

Pretending I hadn't caught the insult, I tugged at his sleeve. "Can we please just leave?"

Scott looked down at me, threw one last warning glare at the woman, and wrapped a heavy, possessive arm around my shoulder, guiding me out into the cool night air.

The drive back to his penthouse was dead silent. I kept my hands glued to the steering wheel, fighting to keep my composure intact.

When I parked and made no move to unbuckle my seatbelt, Scott reached over, taking my hand. "What's going on in that head of yours, babe? Come on, let's go inside."

"I need to head back to my own apartment," I said quietly. "The stylist is coming early tomorrow morning."

Scott let out a soft chuckle. "You're really taking this gala seriously, aren't you?"

He leaned across the console to kiss me, but I pressed a hand against his chest, holding him back. "You've had way too much to drink."

Ignoring the resistance, he leaned in anyway, pressing his lips firmly against mine.

It wasn't until I was halfway back to my own place that a thought struck me.

My custom gown for the gala was still hanging in his closet.

I closed my eyes with a sigh, deciding it could wait. I'd just have to text him to bring it with him tomorrow.