Chapter 6 The Gala Revelation

The champagne glass shook slightly in my hand, though I held my smile steady. The hall sparkled under chandeliers, every corner humming with wealth and whispers. Another party. Another mask. Another night trying to be the perfect wife.

Then I felt its weight, a stare across the room.

My heart stumbled when I saw him. The stranger from the rooftop. Standing at the far end of the hall, tall, calm, his eyes locked on me with the same fire that had burned through me under the stars.

My breath caught. “No… it can’t be.”

His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. He lifted his glass in a silent toast. And then, as if the room wasn’t spinning fast enough, he began walking toward me.

“Hello again, Mrs. Donovan.”

The words were silk over steel, low enough for only me to hear. The sound of his voice ripped open everything I had buried since dawn.

I whispered back, my heart hammering. “What are you doing here?”

He leaned closer, his presence taking my air. “I should ask you the same. Do you always sneak out before the sun rises?”

Heat rushed through my bodyshame, desire, fear, all colliding. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you,” he replied easily, his gaze dropping briefly to my trembling fingers. “But here we are.”

Before I could reply, Charles’ voice cut into the tension. “Darling, there you are.” His hand slid around my waist, possessive, cold. “Come. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

I froze as Charles guided me forward, my stranger walking in step beside us, quiet, unreadable.

We stopped before a group of powerful men. Charles’ smile sharpened, his pride on show. “Allow me to introduce the man who’s been stealing my deals for the past year. My biggest rival.” He put a big hand on the stranger’s shoulder. “Nathaniel Cross.”

The ground tilted beneath me. Nathaniel. My stranger had a name.

My heart screamed. My lips stayed still.

Charles laughed, ignorant to the war burning inside me. “I suppose you two have met? No? Well, Nathaniel’s a shark in business, but I promise you, outside of the office, he’s… tolerable.”

Nathaniel’s eyes flickered to mine, laughter and dare hidden in their depths. “Oh, we’ve met.”

I swallowed hard, pushing my voice steady. “Briefly.”

Charles didn’t notice the tremor in my tone. He was too busy basking in his own importance. “Nathaniel, this is my wife, Ava. She’s the gem of every room she walks into.”

Nathaniel’s gaze remained on me, sharp, unwavering. “I can see that.”

The talk spun around mebusiness, politics, and money. But all I could hear was the beating of my heart, the echo of his words from the rooftop. *I couldn’t forget you even if I tried.*

I tried to step back, but Nathaniel shifted slightly, his arm brushing mine, grounding me in dangerous closeness.

“You look like you can’t breathe,” he muttered low enough for only me.

“Stop,” I whispered, despair thick in my throat.

His eyes softened for just a moment. “You’re not the only one suffocating.”

A waiter passed, and I took the distraction, slipping my hand from Charles’ grip. I moved toward the balcony, needing air, needing freedom. But Nathaniel followed, a ghost I couldn’t shake.

Outside, the night air was cool, sharp against my skin. I pressed my hands to the ledge, gulping it down like water.

He closed the gap slowly. “Why are you with him?”

The question cut through me. “Because I don’t have a choice.”

His jaw tightened. “Everyone has a choice.”

I turned, anger flaring. “Do they? You think you know me after one night? You don’t know the cage I live in.”

His voice dropped, fierce. “Then let me break it.”

The quiet after his words thundered louder than the gala music behind us. My chest heaved, torn between fear and desire.

I shook my head, but tears burned hot in my eyes. “You don’t understand what he’s capable of.”

Nathaniel stepped closer, his hand touching mine on the railing. “Then tell me.”

“I can’t.” My voice cracked. “If I speak, he’ll destroy me.”

His fingers tightened around mine, his tone a promise. “Then I’ll protect you.”

The truth in his words broke something inside me. I wanted to believe him. I wanted it more than air.

The balcony doors burst open. Charles’ voice was sharp. “Ava? What are you doing out here?”

I jerked my hand away from Nathaniel’s, stepping back into the darkness. My husband’s gaze darted between us, mistrust flashing for a fraction of a second.

Nathaniel’s smile was smooth, charming. “Your wife was showing me the view. Quite stunning, isn’t it?”

Charles’ eyes narrowed, but his pride got the better of him. “Indeed. But I need her inside.” He reached for me, pulling me back into the hall.

As Charles led me away, I felt Nathaniel’s eyes on me, burning with unsaid vows.

That night, as the gala swirled on, one truth rooted itself deep in my soulNathaniel Cross was no chance. He had stepped into my jail for a reason. And I had no idea if he was my salvation… or the tool that would finally kill me.