The next day, after finishing everything at home, I went straight to the place. No detours, no hesitation. Straight to the dressing room. The stylist was already there. She helped me into the dress, smoothing every fold, touched up my makeup, and placed the mask perfectly over my face. Everything felt different tonight. Electric and alive.
At the door, Valeria was already waiting. Just the two of us at first. I had come early. She looked at me carefully, eyes sharp, reading me like a book. "You are beautiful. Don't ever let your guard down. Here, we don't let bullies win. We prove them wrong."
I nodded and smiled. "Thank you, ma. I will."
The others arrived shortly after. Backstage, I noticed Selena. She looked good, but now everyone wore almost the same dress. A chill went through me and i realized I wasn't ugly, and I wouldn't let my guard down. Selena scanned me, eyes narrowing, lips curling into a smirk.
"Loser. Still here proving you're better? If not for Valeria, you wouldn't even be here, because you couldn't even make it."
I met her glare, calm but firm. "Thanks to her. She saw what you couldn't. Stay away. I'm here for business, just like you. A night dancer should respects herself, so do that always."
The others laughed quietly at Selena's red cheeks. She stormed back, her friend muttering, "That wasn't necessary. Keep your face straight."
Then the curtains opened. I froze.
The hall was immense, luxurious and alive with light and sound. Men and women dressed in nice, elegant gowns, suite and different cloths, sipping champagne, laughing and talking. This wasn't just a stage. This was a playground for the bold, the rich.
The lady addressing us said to us "Go. Dance. Entertain them."
We moved. Music pulsed through the floor. We spread across it and started slow, feeling the rhythm, then I let it take me. Tentative at first, then freer, smoother, more confident. Some people clapped. Some ignored us, caught in their own conversations. Others watched closely, eyes glued to every motion why sipping their drinks.
An announcement came. Guests could join the floor.
Energy shifted immediately People moved in, some with their partners, some alone, some bold enough to approach us.
Then I felt a hand hold mine Warm. Firm.
I turned and saw him.
It was him. The same man from yesterday.
Up close, he looked even more breathtaking. Tall, well-built, with a powerful presence that made it hard to look away. His face was sharp and perfectly structured, his jawline clean, his skin smooth, and his hair slightly messy in a way that looked expensive and effortless. But his eyes… his eyes were the most dangerous part. Deep, dark, and intense, like they could see right through me.
"Dance with me," he murmured. Calm. Heavy. Impossible to resist.
His voice was calm, but I could tell he had taken a lot of alcohol. Still, there was something about him that felt controlled.
I hesitated, just for a heartbeat, then let my hand slide into his.
He pulled me close.
We moved. Spin, pull, closer. Bodies almost touching, his grip firm but careful. Eyes locked on mine, burning promise in them. Even with the slight tipsiness I could sense, he was intense.
We moved through the crowd as the music grew louder around us. The place was filled with people dancing, laughing, and enjoying the night. But the closer he held me, the more I felt something strange building inside me.
My heart hammered.
A tiny spark of fear flickered. I didn't know this place. Didn't know what he wanted.
But I followed. Somehow, I trusted him.
We slipped into a quieter corner. The noise dimmed, the music softened. His hand slid to my waist. Slowly, we moved.
"Just one kiss," he murmured.
My breath caught.
Before I could even think, his lips were on mine. Soft at first, then deeper, demanding. My body froze, then melted into him. Fingers clenched without thinking, pulling him closer. He held me like he would never let me go.
Time narrowed, the world shrank, and it was just him and me.
When he pulled back, he smiled. Dark, knowing, dangerous. Then he grabbed my hand again and guided me further into the private space.
He leaned me gently against the wall. Warm breath against my skin. His hand glided over me, searching. I said "stop please stop it".
"Stop? Impossible," he whispered. "You're beautiful. I can't stop."
I trembled against him. Terrified, excited and alive. His hands moved, teasing, claiming and relentless. My body reacted before I could even think, heart hammering, heat rushing everywhere.
The music from the hall faded, leaving just the rhythm of our breaths, our bodies, our movement. His lips found mine again. Soft, hungry, then faster, more insistent. Tongues danced, tangled, teasing and demanding. My hands threaded into his hair, pulling him closer, needing more, matching him, daring him.
He spun me gently, held me closer, kissed from angles I didn't know existed. Every inch between us disappeared. The world outside ceased. Only him. Only heat. Only desire.
He paused, just enough to smile, dark and knowing. "You're mine tonight," he whispered. Hands still moving, commanding, promising.
I shivered against him, as his fingers reach down my part, my breath shallow, our body tangling together and alive in ways I hadn't imagined.
He rise my thighs up and bring his body closer, like he is going to eat me alive. Each kiss deeper, slower, consuming. My heartbeat synced to his. I wasn't just following him. I was letting go. Feeling. Wanting and Needing.
And just like that,
I knew this night was going to change everything.