Chapter Seven: The Party of Forbidden Glances

The invitation sat on my desk like a ticking time bomb. A simple envelope, cream colored, with my sister’s elegant handwriting:

Mary, you must come tonight. It’s a celebration, and you can’t hide forever. Dress well.

I stared at it, heart hammering. It was only a party an ordinary social gathering, one of those events where my sister’s friends, her mates, and her family mingled under glittering lights and soft music. And yet, I felt panic coil in my stomach.

Because I knew Alex would be there. Ryan would be there. Dominic would be there.

Three impossible, forbidden men, each capable of making my pulse race with a glance, a word, a brush of skin.

I spent hours agonizing over what to wear, my reflection reflecting my nervous energy back at me. In the end, I settled on a dress simple yet elegant, flattering without being attention-seeking. Hair down in soft waves, minimal makeup. My mind, however, was a storm.

Keep it together. Don’t embarrass yourself. Don’t let them see how much they affect you…

The party was already in full swing when I arrived. Music hummed in the background, laughter and chatter swirling around me. People moved in elegant clusters, champagne glasses sparkling in their hands. I took a deep breath and stepped inside, determined to blend into the crowd.

Of course, that was impossible.

Alex was the first to notice me. He stood near the center of the room, chatting with one of my sister’s family friends, and yet the moment his eyes met mine, the world seemed to narrow. His smile was subtle, dangerous, the kind that made my stomach flutter and my knees weak.

He excused himself smoothly and began weaving through the crowd toward me, each step measured, deliberate, impossible to ignore.

Ryan, as always, was two steps behind me, his teasing grin plastered across his face. “Mary,” he whispered as he sidled up to me, “you look… incredible. But be careful. I’ve seen Alex’s eyes. Dangerous. And Dominic’s presence is… well, Dominic.”

I bit my lip, trying to hide my blush. “Ryan, stop talking like that,” I muttered, but I knew it was futile.

Before I could gather myself, Dominic appeared. Always silent, always magnetic, always… there. He didn’t speak, didn’t move closer, but his presence radiated across the room, pulling at me in a way I couldn’t resist. Every time his gaze met mine, my pulse spiked, my breath hitched, and the room felt smaller, hotter, heavier.

How can one person make me feel this way? I thought, shivering. How can three?

Alex reached me first. “Mary,” he murmured, his voice low, soft, teasing. “You look… stunning.”

My stomach flipped. “Th-thank you,” I stammered, trying to sound composed, but my words felt fragile.

Ryan leaned closer, smirking. “Stunning indeed. But careful too many eyes on you now.”

I shot him a glare, cheeks heating. “Ryan!”

Dominic, as always, remained on the edge, silent, yet his presence dominated the space like gravity. His eyes never left me, and I could feel the unspoken claim in every glance.

The night stretched on, each moment more impossible than the last. Alex would whisper something teasing, dangerous in my ear as we passed through the crowd. Ryan would brush against me accidentally “accidentally,” he claimed but each touch sent my pulse skyrocketing. Dominic would appear when I least expected, silent, commanding, his gaze heavy and possessive.

And I torn, flustered, overwhelmed was caught in the middle.

At one point, my sister dragged me toward the dance floor. “Come on, Mary! Dance!” she exclaimed, oblivious to the storm raging around her sister.

I hesitated, scanning the room. Alex was talking to someone nearby but glancing my way. Ryan was leaning casually against a wall, smirking. Dominic was… Dominic. Watching, silent, magnetic.

This is insane, I thought. I can’t do this.

But before I could resist, Alex stepped forward, holding out his hand. “Dance with me,” he said, low, teasing, impossible to refuse.

My breath hitched. “I… I don’t know...”

“You do,” he interrupted, taking my hand anyway, leading me to the center of the floor. “Every instinct, every heartbeat says yes.”

Ryan groaned dramatically from the sidelines. “And there she goes. Mary, completely undone. I warned you.”

Dominic’s gaze cut through the crowd, watching me with an intensity that made my skin crawl and tingle all at once. How can one person have this effect?

The music slowed, a soft, sultry tune filling the room. Alex’s hands on my waist were warm, steady, controlled, sending heat racing through me. My heart hammered, my pulse spiking with every step, every sway, every whispered word.

“You’re trembling,” he murmured, voice low, teasing. “Do you know why?”

I shook my head, breathless. “I… I don’t..”

“You do,” he whispered. “Every part of you knows exactly why.”

Ryan nudged me sharply from the side. “Stop looking so undone. You’re giving him too much power. And Dominic… well, he’s not happy with this.”

I bit my lip, torn between three impossible desires. I wanted to pull away. I wanted to run. I wanted… all three. The forbidden was intoxicating. The tension was unbearable.

And then, something happened.

A careless hand brushed mine on the dance floor Dominic’s, deliberate, silent, yet claiming. I froze. The heat in my chest surged uncontrollably. Alex’s hands on me tightened slightly, teasing. Ryan’s teasing laughter filled my ears, making the world spin.

I realized then that nothing would ever be ordinary again. Desire, danger, and forbidden attraction had consumed my life, and there was no turning back.

By the end of the night, I was exhausted, my body trembling from the tension, desire, and sheer emotional storm. Alex had teased, charming and dangerous. Ryan had provoked, maddening and playful. Dominic had lingered, commanding and magnetic.

And I… I was left alone in my room later, staring at the ceiling, heart racing, pulse pounding, body alight with every memory of the night. I knew one thing: the storm had only just begun.

And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could survive it.