To be honest, the moment she strode into the room, Christian felt this foreign feeling in his chest.She was beautiful.Not that he hadn’t found her pretty before, but right now, she was especially bewitching.Her eyelids were adorned with shimmering emerald eyeshadow that extended to create a subtle smoky effect, adding to the allure of her expression. Her long, dark lashes were lined with mascara, and a single emerald gem nestled in the corner of her right eye like a distant, shimmering star.With soft, arched eyebrows, she stared at him, her expression unusually vulnerable. She seemed a little nervous, and he couldn’t understand why that struck a chord in him.His eyes dropped to her lips, which were painted a velvety shade of rose-petal pink, a subtle yet seductive choice that balanced the boldness of her robes and mask. Delicate touches of rosy blush adorned her cheeks, complementing her flawlessly pale skin that tempted him to touch it.Before Christian could realize what he was

‘What the hell is he doing?’ was the sole thought in Camille’s head at this very moment.Christian’s touch was surprisingly gentle. The pad of his thumb rubbed against the corner of her lips, as though wiping something away.“Are you even a lady?” he said with a tone of light disapproval. “You munched away so happily that you never even noticed these crumbs on your face. Have you not learned proper meal etiquette during your younger years?”The words processed inside Camille’s head for a moment before she, very slowly, grabbed his hand and put it down. It was fine when they were alone or at home, but they were at a public event now, so she couldn’t treat him with the same snark she usually did. She had to be careful with her actions from now on.“I apologize,” she gritted out, trying not to show the displeasure in her expression. “I will be more careful next time.”Christian smirked, knowing very well why she was suddenly being passive. “Good girl,” he praised, taking out a handkerchi

Camille wanted to gag.‘Camie’? What the hell kind of nickname was that?She tried hard not to let anything show in her expression and maintained a calm, cool façade. But she did grip his arm tighter than usual, and she felt a twinge of satisfaction at him stiffening for a brief moment.“Your… fiancée?” one of the men repeated in disbelief. The others looked like they were doubting their ears just now.Christian nodded. “Yes. My fiancée. She’s very lovely, isn’t she?” He pulled Camille closer to him until there was no sideways gap between their bodies. “I especially planned on introducing her to you all since I value trust between us. Soon, the two of us will be married, and I would like to invite you all to the private wedding.”“O—Of course! Of course,” one of the men quickly agreed. “This calls for a grand celebration, Mr. Callahan! Are you planning on holding a formal engagement party?”While the others were excitedly discussing, two of the men seemed especially confused.Larry Do

Camille held her breath as she waited for him to respond. She continued to glare at him from behind her mask, gripping his shoulder so tightly as though giving him a warning.She knew that she was being reckless by challenging him and possibly provoking him, but it was either that or become his lifeless little doll for the rest of her life. As a matter of fact, she was still going to be his contract wife. She wasn’t going to break their agreement.All she wanted was for that little bit of freedom not to be taken away from her. It was hard enough to be around him all the time. She didn’t want to have to pretend that he was pleasant enough to be her ‘friend’. It was ridiculous.“…” Christian gripped her waist and continued to dance, his brown eyes studying her face intently. Camille followed his steps, but continued to stare back at him stubbornly.“Hmm,” he said softly. “You have a point.”That was all he said. He continued to dance with her, paying attention to the beats of the melody

Both of them didn’t know what to say at first.They just stood there, gazes averted, with an awkward tension hovering in the air. Neither of them were inclined to speak first. They simply distracted themselves with the endless chatter of the other guests in the background, trying to rack their brains for something to say.Camille felt as if she had been hypnotized by this man for the last few minutes. It was as if she had been transported to another world the moment she walked into his arms. His scent was intoxicating to her now, and their proximity made her nervous.She had never felt this way about him before. She had always considered him only as a friend. There was attraction, sure, but only slight in physical appearance. Never anything remotely romantic.But now she was starting to wonder…Was she the only one who felt this way? What did Michael really feel about her in the past and also in the present?He had never stated it explicitly, so she was a little confused.“How have yo