Chapter 33

CH 33

Silence in the Ballroom

Alexander’s POV

The applause did not stop immediately.

It continued for several seconds after Julian’s whisper, loud and confident, filling the ballroom with celebration that suddenly felt misplaced.

“It’s not there.”

The words echoed in Alexander’s mind.

He kept his face neutral. His posture remained straight. Anyone watching would see nothing but composure. But something inside him had already shifted.

Across the room, Sophia stood beneath the chandelier light, smiling, accepting congratulations from board members as if the position had already settled permanently on her shoulders.

Alexander finally turned his head slightly.

Not toward her.

Toward Julian.

Julian’s expression said enough.

There was no mistake.

Alexander’s gaze moved slowly to Sophia’s back.

She turned again, laughing softly at something one of the guests had said. The silk shifted with her movement, revealing the smooth curve of her spine.

Bare.

Completely bare.

No crescent.

No mark.

The applause began to thin naturally as conversations resumed. The orchestra lowered its volume, transitioning into softer background music.

Alexander stepped forward.

Not abruptly.

Not angrily.

Just enough to reclaim attention.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice steady but carrying.

The room quieted almost instantly.

Guests turned back toward the stage area, assuming perhaps another announcement was coming. Cameras lifted again.

Sophia turned toward him, still smiling.

“Yes?” she asked lightly, unaware.

Alexander studied her for a brief second.

Then another.

The silence began to stretch.

Something in his gaze made her smile falter slightly.

Julian moved to stand beside him.

Victoria’s brows drew together, sensing the shift in energy.

Alexander’s voice remained calm. Too calm.

“Turn around.”

The request was simple.

Polite.

But it did not sound like a suggestion.

Sophia hesitated for the first time that night.

Only for a heartbeat.

Then she laughed softly. “Of course.”

She turned.

Slowly.

The ballroom fell into a deeper silence than before. Guests leaned forward subtly, unsure what they were witnessing.

The silk dipped low across her back.

Smooth skin reflected the chandelier light.

Nothing else.

A whisper started somewhere near the second row of guests.

Then another.

Alexander’s expression hardened.

He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on the place where the crescent birthmark should have been.

Still nothing.

Julian shifted slightly, blocking some of the guests’ view as if attempting to contain the moment. But it was too late.

The silence was no longer elegant.

It was uncomfortable.

Sophia turned back around, confusion beginning to replace confidence. “Is something wrong?” she asked, her voice softer now.

Alexander did not answer immediately.

His gaze moved from her face to Victoria across the room.

Victoria forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

The orchestra had stopped completely.

No one was clapping anymore.

No one was speaking.

The ballroom that had been filled with pride and celebration minutes earlier now felt tight. Heavy.

Waiting.

Alexander finally spoke, his tone controlled but edged with something colder.

“Where is it?”

Sophia blinked. “Where is what?”

His jaw tightened.

“The crescent birthmark.”

A collective murmur rippled through the guests.

Sophia’s face drained slowly of color.

And for the first time that night, she looked unsure.