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The air in Dona's bedroom was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and the frantic energy of indecision. Discarded silk dresses and sequined skirts lay across the unmade bed like colorful fallen petals. Finally, Dona gripped a shimmering emerald slip dress.
"Are you ready, Gabby?" Dona called out, her voice buzzing with excitement.
"No," Gabriella replied. Her tone was flat, almost mechanical.
Dona spun around, incredulous. "What? You aren't coming to Raina's engagement? The whole school is going to be there!"
Gabriella didn't look up. She was hunched over her laptop, the blue light reflecting in her cold, sharp eyes as she scrolled through lines of data. "I'll be there. But first, I have something important to finish."
"Fine," Dona sighed, checking her reflection one last time. She hesitated, her voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "Gabby, I have to tell you something... I'm going to propose to him tonight."
The typing stopped. Gabriella's head turned slowly, her gaze finally breaking from the screen. "What? I don't understand."
Dona beamed, a rosy flush creeping up her neck. "I fell in love. I can't keep it in anymore."
"Who?" Gabriella's brow furrowed. "You never mentioned this. Is he from Brighton School?"
"Yes," Dona giggled, grabbing her clutch. "And don't worry, he isn't one of your enemies. I'll tell you everything once he says yes. See you at the party!"
As the door clicked shut, Dona checked her phone. A message glowed on the screen: Ok. I will be there. She whispered to her reflection, "Who says the boy has to ask first? Let's change the rules."
The Grand Ballroom: Royal Hotel
The Royal Hotel was a palace of glass and gold. Crystal chandeliers hung like frozen rain from the ceiling, and the scent of lilies was almost suffocating.
Selina and Han moved through the crowd like royalty, their coordinated black-and-silver outfits drawing every eye. Raina, draped in a heavy, cream-colored lace gown that looked more like a wedding dress than an engagement outfit, rushed toward them.
"Finally!" Raina said mockingly, hugging Selina. "You two are actually together."
Selina smiled warmly, but Han only gave a stiff, polite nod. Raina's eyes darted around the room, her expression turning sharp. "Where is she?"
"Who?" Selina asked.
"Gabriella," Raina snapped.
Han's voice was like ice. "You don't even like her, Raina. Why are you looking for her?"
Raina gave a chilling, hollow laugh. "She's my best friend's sister, Han. I have to be polite." Her eyes shifted. "Is she still upset about Jake?"
Selina is clueless, "what do you mean ?".
"They broke up," Han said shortly, his jaw tightening so hard a muscle pulsed in his cheek.
Raina smirked and turned away, but her path was blocked. Felix, her fiancé, stood there in a tailored charcoal suit. His face was a mask of cold indifference.
"I need to talk to you," Felix muttered, dragging her toward a secluded alcove behind a velvet curtain. "Why didn't you answer my calls? And why did you say 'yes' in front of everyone at the hotel?"
Raina smoothed her lace sleeves. "Because I wanted to."
"We were acting, Raina! This was a deal!"
"I changed my mind," Raina said, her voice dropping to a freezing whisper. "Step back, Felix."
"If we don't stop this now, we can't later," Felix warned, his eyes narrowing.
"I want the engagement, Felix. Not the marriage. I'll never marry you." She looked past him, her eyes burning with a hidden fire. "I just have to prove to her that she was wrong."
The City Park: A Contrast of Silence
While the hotel roared with music, the park nearby was hauntingly silent. Ajax walked toward the central fountain, his face hidden beneath the brim of a black hat.
Suddenly, the darkness broke. One by one, the fountain lights flickered on, illuminating the spray of water in neon hues. Huge LED letters shimmered to life across the grass: I LOVE YOU.
Dona stepped out from behind a willow tree, her eyes shimmering with tears of hope. "Do you like it?"
Ajax slowly removed his hat. His face was etched with a grim, heavy silence.
"I know it's a lot," Dona said, her voice trembling. "But I wanted to impress the person I love. I love you, Ajax."
Ajax exhaled a long, tired breath. He stepped closer, but he didn't reach for her. "Dona... I'm not the one."
The smile died on Dona's face.
"You think you love me because I saved you from that building," Ajax said coldly. "That's not love. It's gratitude."
"But... New Year's Eve? You came to see me! You treated me differently!" The tears finally spilled over, ruining her perfect makeup.
"I treated you like a friend," Ajax replied, his voice devoid of warmth. "If that gave you the wrong idea, I'm sorry. But I don't have feelings for you."
Dona felt her heart shatter. She didn't say another word; she turned and ran into the darkness, her sobbing lost in the wind. Ajax watched her go for a second before his phone buzzed. He answered it with a sharp, "I'm on my way."
The Royal Hotel: Tensions Rise
The Royal Hotel Grand was a masterpiece of luxury. Golden light spilled from crystal chandeliers onto the polished marble floors. Raina, dressed in a gown of white lace that made her look like an innocent bride-to-be, stood with Felix.
Suddenly, she saw them. Ronnie walked in, looking sharp in a classic tuxedo, but the smile slid off Raina's face when she saw Lara clinging to his arm. Lara's dress was a soft, shimmering rose gold—too pretty, too perfect.
Ronnie offered a small, awkward smile. Raina forced one back, but her eyes turned like ice when they landed on Lara.
"This is my friend, Ronnie," Raina said to Felix, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. Then, her tone flattened. "And this is his... girlfriend, Lara."
Felix smiled politely. "Nice to meet you. Why didn't you guys show up to Raina's birthday?"
Ronnie glanced at Raina, the air between them thick with history. "We had a small fight," Raina interrupted quickly. "So things were... complicated."
"Small or big?" Felix chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Friends are like that, right Raina?" Ronnie said, his voice heavy with meaning.
Raina just smiled coldly. Before the tension could snap, Felix's sister, Nancy, called out to him from across the room. "Excuse me," Felix said, slipping away.
Lara looked between Ronnie and Raina, her expression uneasy. "You guys talk... I need to make a quick call." Ronnie asked if she was okay, and she simply nodded before disappearing into the crowd.
The moment Lara was gone, Raina's mask fell. "I thought you wouldn't come," she mocked.
"How could I stay away when you called me in person?" Ronnie replied.
"I was angry because you were with her," Raina said, her voice dropping to a serious, dangerous low. "But you're still my friend. Just... it's better if you don't bring Lara around me. I don't want another fight."
Raina rolled her eyes, her heart racing with a mix of jealousy and spite. "Whatever," she muttered, turning to walk away.
She took a few steps, her heels clicking sharply on the floor, but then she stopped dead. Her breath hitched.
"She came," Raina whispered, her voice trembling. "Just as I expected."
The Entrance
At the grand entrance of the ballroom, framed by the massive gold-trimmed doors, stood Gabriella.
She was a vision of cold revenge. She wore a plunging, floor-length gown of liquid obsidian that shimmered like oil on water. The dress had sharp, structural shoulders that made her look like a dark queen ready for war. Her neck was adorned with a single, blood-red ruby.
Gabriella didn't look like a girl who had been crying over a breakup. Her makeup was fierce—dark, smoky eyes and a deep plum lip that curved into a slow, predatory smile.
She stood perfectly still, her eyes scanning the room until they locked onto Raina. The chatter in the room began to die down as people turned to stare at the girl who had just walked into the lion's den with a smile.
Gabriella touched the small clutch in her hand, her thumb grazing the edge of the laptop she had been using earlier. The curve of her smile deepened.
The game hadn't just started. It was already over.
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To be Continued......
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