Aurora sipped her champagne slowly, lips barely touching the glass. Across the ballroom, beneath chandeliers that could blind a billionaire, River Damon was dancing. And not with her.
No, he had his arm wrapped around a tall brunette in blood-red silk. She laughed, too loud, too fake — one of those elegant society women who probably had diamonds for breakfast and Botox for lunch. Her manicured fingers trailed River's chest like she owned stock in it.
Aurora's stomach twisted. She told herself it was the champagne. Or the heels. Definitely not the man who once pinned her to his car's beakseat like she was oxygen and he was starving.
She stared longer than she should have.
River leaned in to whisper something into the woman's ear. She giggled, then draped herself closer like a living shawl. His hand rested just a little too low on her back. His smile was small. Polite. Bored.
Still, it burned.
"You're gonna need a fire extinguisher," Mia said, suddenly at her side, nursing her third flute of champagne and a mini cupcake.
Aurora blinked. "What?"
Mia nodded toward River. "You've been staring so hard, I thought your eyeballs were gonna explode."
"I wasn't—"
"Staring, yeah yeah. Sure. You were studying his shoes again."
"They're ugly shoes," Aurora muttered.
mia was standing staring at her.
Aurora turns to look at her blinking multiple times nervously," Wait,why are you staring at me like that, you think I have Feelings? For River Damon? The man was trouble in a Tom Ford suit. Arrogant. Dangerous. A walking red flag with mafia tattoos and a girlfriend who looked like a magazine cover.
Still, her eyes kept flicking back to him.
"I'm fine," she said. "It's just warm in here."
"Warm?" Mia snorted. "You look like you're one slow song away from combusting."
Aurora rolled her eyes. But yeah. She wasn't okay.
Because she wanted him to look at her the way he used to — with fire, with need. But tonight? He hadn't even spared her a second glance.
And she hated how much that hurt.
Just then, a sharp voice sliced through the crowd like a knife dipped in sugar.
"Well, well… if it isn't River Damon's charity case," Cassandra purred, flanked by two women in diamonds the size of engagement rings and judgmental stares that could cut glass.
Aurora stiffened. She didn't need this.
"Must be hard watching him dance with someone in his league," one of the women added, giving Aurora a pitying smile that oozed condescension.
"Poor thing probably thought she was special," Cassandra smirked. "But everyone knows River gets bored easily with his... toys."
Before Aurora could fire back, the double doors at the end of the ballroom swung open — and a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped in like he owned the room. All eyes turned. Even Cassandra paused mid-sneer.
Her breath caught. "Keylan?" what are you doing here?
the man raised his eyebrows "who's asking, last time I checked you were my uncle's ex ,he walks close to her to spell it out "ex", as in past tense",
The ladies gasped, whispering now.
He turned to Aurora like nothing happened. "You look like someone who could use a dance," he said with a charming smile, extending a hand.
Aurora blinked, caught off-guard. "I—uh…"
"I'm Keylan," he added smoothly. "River's stepbrother."
Cassandra's jaw dropped " you prefer this thing over all the women around, come on has the Damon family gone that low",
Aurora didn't move — for a second. Then she placed her hand in his.
Keylan smiled. "Good choice."
And with that, he led her to the dance floor — leaving Cassandra humiliated, , and Aurora's heart pounding for all the wrong reasons. she was wishing she had the dance with river instead.