CHAPTER 5

The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel hummed with the sound of clinking champagne glasses and low, elite chatter. It was a sea of glittering diamonds and tuxedo-clad men, but Lily could barely see any of it. Her vision was tunneling, her heart a frantic drum behind her ribs.

He tried to kill me.

Levi’s words from the previous night played on a brutal loop in her head. She looked down at her hands, encased in delicate silk gloves, gripping the edge of the velvet-draped balcony railing. She wore an emerald green gown that fit her perfectly, her hair pinned up elegantly, but underneath the expensive armor, she felt like she was suffocating.

A heavy, warm hand settled on the small of her back. The sudden contact made her flinch, but the familiar scent of cedarwood and clean luxury instantly grounded her.

"Breathe, Lily," Levi’s deep baritone cut through the noise of the crowd. He was standing right behind her, his chest nearly brushing her shoulder. In his midnight-black tuxedo, he looked utterly devastating—and entirely lethal. "You’re shaking. People are starting to look."

"I can't do this," Lily whispered, her eyes darting over the ballroom floor below. "What if I faint? What if I look at him and lose my mind?"

Levi didn't answer right away. Instead, his hand slid slowly from her back to her waist, his fingers gripping her firmly, pulling her back until she was flush against him. The heat of his body seeped through her dress, a stark contrast to the icy terror freezing her veins. He leaned his head down, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

"Look at me," he commanded softly.

Lily turned her head, her wide, panicked eyes meeting his piercing gray ones. Up close, she could see the absolute stillness in his expression. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't anxious. He was a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

"You are Lily Grace Hart," Levi murmured, his thumb rubbing a slow, soothing circle against her waist. "The girl down there is an impostor. The man beside her is a coward who thinks he buried his problems. You are the one with the power tonight, Lily. Not them."

Lily swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly against his. His confidence was contagious, a dangerous lifeline she had no choice but to cling to. She nodded slowly, forcing her hands to stop trembling. "Okay. Okay."

"Good," Levi said, a dark, satisfied glint appearing in his eyes. He let go of her waist and offered his arm. "Smile, my beautiful fiancée. Let's go greet our hosts."

Lily placed her gloved hand over his forearm, feeling the rigid muscle beneath the fabric. Together, they walked down the grand marble staircase, the crowd parting naturally for Levi Dominic Ford.

It didn't take long for the atmosphere to shift. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the laughter and chatter near the center of the room began to die down. People whispered, nudging one another, eyes tracking the powerful tech bilyonaryo and the mystery woman on his arm.

And then, Lily saw them.

Evangeline was standing by a towering ice sculpture, wearing a white diamond gown that looked suspiciously like a wedding dress. Damian stood beside her, a glass of scotch in his hand, laughing at something a businessman was saying.

Then, Damian turned. His eyes lazily swept over the crowd until they landed on Levi. And then, they slid to Lily.

The glass of scotch slipped from Damian’s fingers, shattering loudly against the marble floor. Amber liquid and shards of crystal sprayed across the hem of Evangeline's pristine white dress.

"Damian! What the hell—" Evangeline snapped, turning to glare at him, but stopped dead when she followed his frozen, terrified gaze.

The color drained from Evangeline's face instantly, turning her as white as her gown. Her hands flew to her mouth, her manicured nails digging into her skin.

Lily felt a sudden, fierce surge of adrenaline. The fear that had been paralyzing her only moments ago vanished, replaced by a cold, burning clarity. She watched Damian take a hesitant, stumbling step backward, his chest heaving as if he had just seen a ghost rise from the grave.

Levi didn't slow his pace. He led Lily right up to the trembling couple, the surrounding guests falling completely silent, sensing the thick, suffocating tension in the air.

"Mr. Cross, Miss Hart," Levi said smoothly, his voice carrying perfectly across the quiet space. He offered a polite, utterly fake smile. "A beautiful party. I wanted to make sure we stopped by to congratulate you on your... acquisition."

Damian couldn't speak. His eyes were glued to Lily’s face, tracking the faint scratch on her cheek that the makeup couldn't entirely hide. His jaw worked, but no sound came out.

Evangeline was the first to find her voice, though it shook violently. "You... you shouldn't be here. This is a private event. Levi, what is the meaning of this? Who is this woman?"

Levi looked down at Lily, his expression softening into a look of pure, unadulterated devotion that made Lily’s heart skip a beat. He lifted her hand, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to the back of her gloved knuckles, his gray eyes locking onto Damian’s horrified ones over her fingers.

"I apologize for the surprise," Levi said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet purr that echoed like a death knell in the silent ballroom. "Allow me to introduce my fiancée. Damian, Evangeline... meet the real Lily Grace Hart."