"Miss Jenna, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Would you like to try this wine?"
"Are you truly Mister Black's partner? Are you just friends or?"
People kept trying to talk to me and get me to talk about myself. I was, no doubt, the star of today's party, and I could see my father's uncomfortable expression as he watched this interaction.
I made sure to smile warmly, but whenever someone mentioned Rose or Karl, my expression didn't change - as if I genuinely didn't remember who they were. It was the most polite humiliation possible.
Rose and Karl had yet to return, but I doubted they could get back before Damian and I decided to leave.
Every passing second without them made the crowd more curious, more ravenous, more suspicious. I didn't even have to lift a single finger; their absence dug their grave for me.
I almost entertained the idea of remaining at this party for much longer than intended because of that. But ultimately, we decided to leave.
After all, tonight was supposed to be for Rose and Karl, and the reporters needed to focus on them. That would only be possible if they came back to the party.
I let the room wonder why the celebrated couple had run away from their own party's spotlight. Rumors always sound louder when spoken in whispers.
"Darling, we should head back now. You need your sleep, or you can get… a little grumpy."
Damian spoke softly. He was just loud enough to be heard by the people, but not loud enough to bother anyone. It was a subtle and polite way of him telling people that we needed to leave.
The sudden endearment did catch me off guard, but I quickly composed my expression and leaned into him.
"You're right. We should head back now. I'm sorry, everyone. But it seems like it is time for us to leave. I will meet you all again at another party…"
I smiled at the people showing an interest in me and left my sentence unspoken to serve as a warning.
Before completely turning away, I added gently.
"Please thank Rose and Karl for hosting such a memorable evening on our behalf. I'm sure they will be thrilled to know their event helped us shine."
A perfectly polite sentence - but everyone heard the implication. Their night had turned into mine.
These polite hyenas gave me a practiced smile and took a step back.
"Of course, Miss. We don't want to hold you back for too long."
Their words were polite but their eyes told me something else. Damian wrapped his arms around my waist protectively, glaring at them before he took me away from the party.
Just as I crossed the door, I watched a servant rush toward the back, likely to tell Rose that we had left.
The servant's urgency told me everything - Rose and Karl were scrambling. And the more they scrambled, the deeper they sank.
'Well, let's see if Rose is truly wise. If she is, she will not come back and allow us to take over the news so that she can hide her own mistakes under my success. But knowing Rose…'
My half-sister was an attention seeker, and her desire to outdo me would make her come out soon.
She would rather burn than be ignored - and tonight, only her ashes would remain.
I was too deep in my thoughts that I did not pay attention to what was happening around me. So when Damian suddenly pulled me toward his side, I was startled and somehow ended up leaning against him without meaning to.
Damian was not looking at me, but instead, at the man rowing the cart into the room.
"I'm sorry. I… I didn't see you there."
The cart man told us as he quickly left, not being able to take Damian's stare.
"It's alright. I am fine…"
I assured Damian as I felt his grip tighten around me. He finally understood what I was telling him and promptly let go of me.
We headed outside, and Damian took out his phone to check where the secretary was. A frown formed on his face as he continued to type on his phone. Something was wrong, I could feel it.
"Is everything… alright?" I asked.
Damian quickly locked his phone shut before he put it back in his pocket.
"Everything is fine. The driver is just… going to be a little late to pick us up. There has been a bit of an issue with the car… I should really fire that incompetent man…"
Damian muttered the last words under his breath and I felt curious to ask him more. But my instincts told me that it would be better for me not to.
After all, Damian was part of the underworld, and there were things about him and his… work… that I was better not knowing about.
"I see. In that case, why don't we take a small stroll around the park? It'll help us sober up after having so many drinks. The reporters are busy as well, so we won't be caught by them."
I had dealt with too many paparazzi by now to know that they would be more focused on the more interesting happenings going on currently inside.
Damian hesitated and I decided to let him think it over as I took off my heels. I wanted to give my feet some relief, and the freshly cut grass called for me…
So I gave in to my impulse and picked up my heels before I headed toward the grass. Putting my feet on the ground after the torture that were high-heels felt like a relief and I let out a sigh.
When I looked back at Damian, he was looking at me with a strange look on his face. I doubted he had seen anyone act like this before, but it was quite a common occurrence for me to come here and do this after a party.
"You…"
Damian trailed off as I twirled around to face him. My hair blocked my way, and I could not see the expression Damian had on his face at first. And by the time I put my hair behind my ear, Damian had recovered, and his expression went back to neutral.
"Huh-? Did you want to say something? Anyway, come with me for now. I doubt you have ever had the pleasure of walking on grass barefoot, but you should try it."
I watched as he hesitated for a moment before taking his shoes off. He held them but refused to step forward onto the grass.
This was not going to do. If Damian was not going to step on the grass himself, then I would have to make him.
So I reached out to him and felt static spark as we touched.
I pulled Damian towards me, and he stared back at me with a wide-eyed expression.
______Rose's pov
As soon as I entered the room, I felt all eyes turn toward me. Everyone expected me to come back with Karl.
Instead, I appeared alone, giving them even more food for later.
My hair was slightly disheveled, my lipstick smudged, and my smile was strained and cracked. I could feel my heel's unsteadiness threatening to throw me off-balance with every step I took.
Karl followed me several seconds later, face red with barely contained rage.
The moment I reached the crowd, I tried to smile and greet a nearby reporter.
But Karl grabbed my wrist.
"Stop forcing that smile,"
He hissed under his breath - loud enough for microphones to pick up.
"I have to smile, Karl. Do you realize what they'll say if I don't? Jenna already-"
I snapped quietly through my teeth.
"She didn't do anything! You're the one who panicked and ran! Besides, she's not my sister, but a body double Damian Black got. Don't you realize that he's been eying our business for years now? It's his way of distracting us."
Karl's control slipped.
Gasps spread through the room like wildfire.
I pulled my and free, eyes shining with fury and humiliation.
"Don't blame this on me. If you hadn't reacted to her name like a criminal caught red-handed, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Every phone in the room recorded their exchange - some pretending to check messages, others boldly filming.
Karl realized too late.
He looked around, noticing the eyes, the cameras, the reporters leaning in like vultures.
"We're leaving."
He muttered, trying to pull me toward the exit.
But I jerked my arm away, desperate not to lose the spotlight again.
"No. We are not leaving our own party just because someone with my dead sister's face showed up."
More murmurs.
More phones lifted.
Karl's face darkened. His forced smile was a cracked mask.
"Fine. Stay if you must. But I'm leaving."
He stormed toward the back of the room and disappeared.
I stood frozen, trembling with rage - and then I lifted her chin.
I forced my smile back into place, even as tears threatened to spill.
But it was too late.
Everyone had seen it.
Everyone had recorded it.
The ballroom buzzed with the intensity of a scandal, and all anyone whispered was one name:
"Jenna… why can't you just stay dead?"