The city glittered under a thousand lights, every tower alive with anticipation.
Outside the Imperial Grand Hotel, the red carpet stretched like fire under the glow of chandeliers. Cameramen crowded behind golden rails, their flashes turning the night into day.
Every car that pulled up spilled out another titan of the business world, heiresses in silk gowns, magnates in crisp tuxedos, politicians, celebrities. This wasn't just a ball. This was war dressed in diamonds.
At the heart of it all, towering banners bore the host's name: X Holdings. The mysterious powerhouse that had crushed the auction was now throwing the year's most prestigious event.
The whispers were everywhere:
"Will Damian Gray announce his split tonight?"
"Will Saints Company dare to stand tall after their loss?"
"Who is the man behind X?"
Inside the hotel, the ballroom was a palace of crystal and gold. A string orchestra played from the balcony, chandeliers dripping like frozen fire. The air itself was heavy with power, pride, and ambition.
Damian Gray had already arrived. He cut a striking figure in a black suit, his arm linked with Natalie's. She was radiant in a pale gown, delicate and innocent, the perfect Cinderella to his cold prince.
Cameras adored them. The whispers grew louder.
And then,
The doors opened.
Kashi.
She stepped into the ballroom draped in midnight silk, the silver embroidery catching the light like constellations. Every head turned, every voice hushed. The air shifted as though even the orchestra had paused for her entrance.
Zarri's voice rang like a dagger from behind her, whispering just for her ear.
"Let them choke on us!!."
Eyes followed her, the Saints heiress and Mathias heiress, the woman Damian was to marry and the internet wild fashion star, the spoiled brat they thought would crumble. Yet here she was, radiant, untouchable.
From across the room, Damian's expression faltered for the briefest second as his gaze locked on her. Natalie, clutching his arm tighter, glanced nervously between kashi and him.
The orchestra swelled again as murmurs rippled through the crowd. Guests returned to their chatter, though every so often, eyes still darted toward kashi, drinking in her and Zarri's entrance. The cameras caught it all, the shimmer of her gown, the poise in her stride, the pride she carried like a crown.
From across the ballroom, Damian Gray stood tall, his hand resting lightly at the small of Natalie's back. But his eyes... his eyes had never left her. His jaw tightened, his grip on his glass shifting as though the sight of kashi unsettled him in a way he refused to admit.
Natalie followed his gaze, and her soft smile faltered. She clutched his arm a little tighter, as if afraid kashi might strip him away simply by existing.
"Mr. Gray?" she whispered.
But Damian didn't answer. He set his drink aside, straightened his tie, and began walking across the ballroom floor.
Conversations hushed as people noticed the Gray heir, leaving his secretary behind to approach the Saints heiress.
The air thickened with anticipation.
When Damian finally stopped in front of her, his face was unreadable, his tone low but cutting.
"You made quite an entrance, Kashi," he said, his eyes flicking briefly over her gown before returning to her "Tell me... was it for the cameras? Or for me?"
The question hung in the air like a blade, sharp enough for every ear nearby to catch.