Chapter 3

The grand ballroom was filled with the city’s most influential people, but Vera barely noticed them. Her eyes found Lucas almost instantly.

He was standing near the bar, a drink in hand, dressed in a navy suit that matched Camilla’s gown.

They looked perfect together, just as he had always wanted.

But the moment he saw Vera, the color drained from his face.

Camilla, standing beside him, followed his gaze and stiffened. Her grip tightened around his arm, her eyes narrowing.

Vera smiled. A slow, knowing smile.

I’m not broken. I’m not forgotten. And I’m not the woman you left behind.

Asher leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "He’s looking at you like he’s just realized what he lost."

Vera let out a soft laugh. "Good. Let him."

Lucas Whitmore had always been a man who prided himself on control, but as he stared at Vera across the ballroom, his grip on his drink tightened, his knuckles turning white.

Vera didn’t falter. She let the moment hang, let him soak in the reality of what he had discarded.

She was fire and ice, draped in power, standing beside a man far more dangerous than Lucas could ever be.

Camilla’s manicured fingers curled around Lucas’s arm as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Whatever she said made his jaw tighten.

He turned away, but Vera had already seen it, the flicker of regret in his eyes.

A slow, victorious smile played on her lips.

"Well," Asher murmured beside her, amusement lacing his voice, "that was satisfying to watch."

Vera glanced up at him, a spark of mischief in her gaze.

His smirk deepened. "Shall we make this even more interesting?"

Before she could question him, Asher placed a hand at the small of her back and led her to the dance floor.

The orchestra began a slow, sultry waltz, and in one fluid motion, Asher pulled her into him.

His hand rested firmly against her waist, his grip both possessive and assured.

Vera had danced before, she had attended enough galas and charity events to know the steps, but dancing with Asher Donovan was something entirely different.

His presence was commanding, his movements effortless, and for a brief moment, she forgot about Lucas, Camilla, and the whispers swirling around them.

"You do know how to put on a show," she remarked as he spun her gracefully.

"Only when the show is worth watching," he replied, his dark eyes locked onto hers.

The heat between them was undeniable, and Vera could feel the weight of countless gazes fixated on them.

Across the room, Lucas’s gaze burned into her, his expression unreadable.

Camilla clung to his arm, but Vera saw it, the cracks forming in their perfect picture.

Asher leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Are you ready for the next move?"

Vera’s heart pounded. She had walked into this night as the woman scorned. But now? 

She smiled, slow and confident. "Always."

The waltz ended.

Vera could feel the weight of dozens of eyes on her, the silent murmur of speculation and curiosity hanging in the air. But she didn’t care about them. Her gaze flickered briefly to Lucas, who stood stiffly at the bar, his jaw tight, his grip on his drink almost crushing the glass.

Asher released her hand but didn’t step away.

Before she could take a step, a cloyingly sweet voice interrupted.

"Vera."

Camilla Alden.

Vera turned slowly, her expression smooth, unreadable.

Camilla stood before her, radiating the kind of polished elegance that only came from a lifetime of privilege. But beneath the refined smile, there was tension, barely restrained.

"Camilla," Vera greeted, her tone deceptively pleasant. "Enjoying the evening?"

Camilla’s smile tightened. "Quite. Though I must admit, I didn’t expect to see you here. Especially… like this."

Vera let out a soft, knowing laugh. "Like what?"

Camilla’s gaze flickered to Asher before returning to Vera. "On the arm of Asher Donovan."

Asher slipped a hand into his pocket, his expression amused but uninterested. "Last I checked, Camilla, Vera doesn’t need anyone’s permission to attend a gala."

Camilla’s smile didn’t waver, but her eyes sharpened. "Of course not. But you have to admit, the timing is… fascinating."

Vera leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just enough to make Camilla work to hear her. "If you’re trying to ask whether I’m here to make Lucas jealous, you should know, I don’t waste my time on people who never deserved me to begin with."

Camilla’s nostrils flared, but before she could speak, another voice joined the conversation.

"Vera."

This time, it was Lucas.

Vera turned, meeting his gaze.

Up close, she could see it, the hesitation, the flicker of something close to regret in his stormy blue eyes.

"Lucas." She kept her voice steady, detached.

"Can we talk?" His words were measured, but there was an urgency beneath them.

Vera arched a brow. "About?"

Lucas hesitated, his gaze flickering to Asher, who remained silent but watchful. Then he looked back at her. "Alone."

The way he said it, the quiet plea in his voice, it was a sound she had once ached for. A sound she had begged for.

But tonight, it didn’t move her. It didn’t shake her.

She smiled, slow and deliberate. "I don’t think so."

Then, without another glance, she turned to Asher and extended her hand.

"Shall we?"

Asher didn’t hesitate. He took her hand, guiding her away from Lucas and Camilla, leaving them standing in the past where they belonged.