The night of the gala/ball wasn't just another event. It was the kind of thing that made the city buzz for weeks.
Everyone who mattered was here, and dressed to prove it. The chandeliers sparkled like they'd been told to put on their best show, and the marble floors were polished so much you could almost see yourself in them.
And then the doors finally opened.
Dominic walked in with Celeste on his arm, and the room changed. Conversations stumbled, laughter cut short, and glasses paused mid-air. People tried to look casual, but they were all staring.
Celeste was impossible to ignore.
Her gown was red, and backless. The kind of red that made you blink and then look again because maybe the first time wasn't enough.
It clung to her like it had been poured on, and when she moved, it looked like fire licking across her skin. Her lipstick matched her dress and heels, her eyes were smoky, and her lashes were dark enough to make her gaze feel like gravity itself.
