"Miss Jenna, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Would you like to try this wine?"
"Are you truly Mister Black's partner? Do you have a deeper relationship with each other as well?"
People kept trying to talk to me and get me to talk about myself as well. 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 be back before I and Damian decided to leave.
Every passing second without them made the crowd more curious, more ravenous, more suspicious. And I didn't have to lift a single finger — their absence dug their grave for me.
I almost entertained the idea of remaining in this party for much longer than intended because of that. But ultimately, both Damian and I 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 corrected my expression and leaned back against him.
"You are 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 in another party…and perhaps, this will be one that won't have people acting so…guilty."
I smiled at the people showing an interest in me, but I also slipped just a hint of exhaustion in my voice to make them all back off.
Before turning away, I added gently, "Please thank Rose and Karl for hosting such a memorable evening on our behalf. I am 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."
They told me with their mouth, but their eyes told me something else. Damian's arms wrapped around my waist in a protective way and he gave everyone a glare before he took me away from the party.
Just as I crossed the door, I watched a servant rush toward the backside, likely to see Rose that we had left.
The servant's urgency told me everything — Rose and Karl were scrambling. And the more they scrambled, the lower 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 could 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 be returned to the party.
I was too busy 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 inside the room.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful in the future."
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 even more around me. He finally understood what I was telling him and promptly let go of me.
We headed down and outside and Damian took out his phone to check where the secretary was.
A frown appeared on his face as he continued to type on his phone and I could tell that something had gone wrong somewhere for him to be making this face.
"Is everything… alright?"
I asked and Damian quickly snapped 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 little 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 to not ask.
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. So your driver is going to be late? In that case, why don't we take a small stroll around the park? It'll help us sober up after having too 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 migrate to the more interesting news and that news was 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 into 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 notice 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 barefooted, but you should try it."
I told him and he hesitated before he took 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 will have to make him.
So I reached out to touch him and felt static shock spark as we touched.
I pulled my hand and pulled at Damian, and he stared back at me with a wide-eyed expression as well.
______3rd person POV (Back at the party)
Whispers flooded the ballroom long before Rose re-entered it. Guests turned toward the staircase, expecting the triumphant hostess to return with grace and control.
Instead, Rose appeared alone.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, her lipstick smudged, and her smile strained to the breaking point. The heel of her sandal wobbled with each step, making her wobble — a painfully obvious sign that she had rushed back too quickly.
Karl followed her several seconds later, face red with barely contained rage.
The moment Rose reached the crowd, she tried to smile and greet a nearby reporter.
But Karl grabbed her 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—"
Rose snapped quietly through her 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.
Rose pulled her hand 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 in the act, 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 Rose toward the exit.
But Rose jerked her arm away, desperate not to lose the spotlight again.
"No. We are not leaving our own important 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 here and ruin it even more. But I will be leaving."
He stormed toward the back of the room and disappeared.
Rose stood frozen, trembling with rage — and then she lifted her chin.
She forced her 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...how are you running everything ever after you are dead?"