Chapter 5 A Dangerous Dance
Lila paced her room, the sharp click of her heels against the polished marble floor echoing in the silence. Her mind spun with everything that had unfolded,the engagement proposal, Damien’s infuriating smirk, the tabloid scandal. She barely had time to process it all before Clara stormed in, her face a mixture of concern and frustration.
“You’re unbelievable, Lila,” Clara snapped, slamming the door behind her. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Father is livid!”
Lila stopped pacing, turning to face her sister. “I don’t care if he’s livid. He can’t control my life, Clara. I’m not marrying Damien Vasilis.”
Clara folded her arms, her voice sharp. “You walked out on Father’s guests. Do you know how humiliating that was for him? Andreas Vasilis is his oldest friend, and now Father has sworn that you will marry Damien. He doesn’t even want to see your face until you agree.”
Lila’s jaw tightened. “Let him be angry. I’m not some pawn to be moved around for his convenience. I don’t even know Damien!”
Clara raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you seemed to know him well enough to storm out like that.”
Lila hesitated, then sighed, sinking into the nearest chair. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything.”
Clara sat on the edge of the bed, her expression softening. “Go on.”
“It started two nights ago,” Lila began. “I was leaving the gala and was very angry because I encountered my Ex-Fiancé, Henri Dupont, trying to rizz me up in front of another Elites, so I stormed out trying to get a cab in that ridiculous storm. Then this... man showed up. Damien. He claimed the cab was his. We argued, and—”
Clara’s eyes widened. “Wait. He’s indeed the man you said you met before the proposal?”
Lila nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly. “We ended up sharing the cab because the rain was so bad. The driver couldn’t get me home safely, so Damien suggested we go to his hotel. I didn’t have many options.”
“You went to his hotel?” Clara asked, her voice rising.
“It wasn’t like that!” Lila said quickly. “We barely tolerated each other. But then we started drinking, and—”
Clara’s mouth dropped open. “You kissed him, didn’t you?”
“It was a mistake,” Lila said defensively. “I was tipsy, and it just... happened. I don’t even like him. He’s infuriating and arrogant.”
Clara shook her head, exasperated. “Lila, do you have any idea what you’ve done? Father will lose his mind if he finds out about this.”
“That’s not even the worst part,” Lila said, pulling out her phone. She opened the tabloid article and handed it to Clara.
Clara’s eyes scanned the screen before she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Lila, this... this can’t be real. That’s your birthmark!”
“I know,” Lila said, her voice tight. “It’s on my left shoulder, just like in the picture. And I’m sure Damien is behind this. He’s the only one who saw it.”
Clara’s face paled. “Father will kill you if he sees this. You know he’s aware of this rare birthmark, and it’s linked to Mother. It’ll rattle him like nothing else.”
“That’s why I have to stop it,” Lila said desperately. “But how? He already hates me for rejecting Damien’s proposal.”
Clara stared at her, eyes narrowing. “You kissed a stranger on your first encounter? Lila, I’ll give you the drunk-alcohol excuse, but this post is serious. It could destroy everything. You need to convince Damien to take it down.”
“Convince him?” Lila scoffed. “He’s insufferable! He’ll probably enjoy watching me squirm.”
Clara grabbed her phone and shoved it in Lila’s face. “Then figure out how to deal with him. Here, this is one of the Vasilis companies. This is where Damien works.”
Lila stared at the screen, her heart sinking. “You want me to go to his office?”
“You don’t have a choice,” Clara said firmly. “If Father sees that post, he’ll unleash a storm you can’t control. And with how stubborn you are, you’ve already burned bridges. You need to fix this, Lila. Please, just... convince him. Don’t be all bossy and dramatic this time. Just handle it.”
Lila sighed, rubbing her temples. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Clara gave her a pointed look. “Well, believe it. And don’t come back here until you’ve handled it.”
~
Thé De Laurent family’s oldest chauffeur, Lucien Biancheri, pulled up to the towering glass building of the Vasilis Corporation. Lila sat stiffly in the backseat, her nerves fraying with every second. She stared up at the massive skyscraper, its reflective windows gleaming in the morning sun. It was intimidating, just like the man she was about to face.
“Lady Lila?” the chauffeur asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
She straightened her shoulders, smoothing the folds of her designer dress. “I’ll be fine. Wait here for me.”
The chauffeur nodded, and Lila stepped out, her heels clicking against the pavement. The sheer size of the building loomed over her, but she refused to let it intimidate her. She was Lila De Laurent, after all.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the entrance. The automatic doors slid open to reveal the sleek, modern interior. The receptionist glanced up, her expression professional but curious.
“Good morning. Do you have an appointment?”
Lila forced a polite smile. “I’m here to see Damien Vasilis.”
The receptionist’s eyebrows raised slightly, but she nodded. “One moment, please.”
As the woman made the call, Lila’s heart pounded. She clenched her purse tightly, her mind racing with what she would say.
The receptionist looked back at her. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
Lila straightened, her voice firm. “Tell him, his fiancée, Lila De Laurent.”
The receptionist blinked, her shock barely contained. “Fiancée?”
Lila tried to steady her nerves, not sure if this was the right choice, but she had already crossed that line. Would Damien mock her? Refuse to help? Or would he demand something in return? She didn’t know, but one thing was certain, she had to face Damien Vasilis and figure out a way to make this right.
