I'd thought I'd healed, thought I'd moved on from the pain of Damian's rejection. But seeing that headline brought it all back. The humiliation, the hurt, the feeling of not being good enough. It was like a wound that refused to heal.
Grandfather had raged about it, Zarri had echoed his anger, but I'd escaped to the comfort of my room, shutting the world out. I thought I was over it, but the pain still lingered, a dull ache that refused to fade.
Determined not to let it consume me, I buried myself in work, taking no rest, pushing myself to the limit. And then, one day, while I was working on my Laptop, Frank came in with a letter. It was an invitation to Damian's engagement party, and he's invited the Saint family.
My eyes widened as I stared at the invitation, my heart racing with a mix of emotions. Why would he invite us? Did he think I'd actually attend, would I be expected to congratulate him and his bride-to-be? The thought was laughable, yet the pain was still there, simmering just beneath the surface.
Frank placed it down carefully, his expression unreadable. "It came directly from the Gray estate, Miss Saints. Addressed to the family."
The name across the top burned: Damian Gray & Natalie Hart. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to lift it, fingers trembling only slightly as I unfolded the letter. "You are cordially invited to celebrate the engagement of Damian Gray, CEO of Gray Corporation, and Miss Natalie Hart..." The words blurred after that. My heart hammered in my ears.
He hadn't just chosen her. He was announcing it to the world, draping his betrayal in silk and champagne, and he dared invite me. Behind me, Frank shifted, the weight of his loyalty grounding the silence. "Miss Saints..." he said gently, "you don't have to face this if you don't wish to. I can deliver it straight to the Chairman. Or dispose of it entirely."
But before I could answer, a knock sounded at my door. Without waiting, it pushed open, Grandfather James stepped in, Zarri right at his heels. Grandfather's sharp eyes fell immediately on the letter in my hand, his jaw tightening. "So. The bastard dares flaunt it."
Zarri folded her arms, her face twisting with fury. "¡Hijo de puta! He drags your name through the dirt, mi encanto, and now he dares to send you this?"
The room grew heavy with their outrage, their loyalty circling around me like shields. But in my chest, the storm was mine alone to hold.
"I will attend the party" I say after a few seconds with a straight face
The room went still. Grandfather James's brow furrowed deeply, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Attend?" he repeated, his tone sharp. "Why in God's name would you walk into that viper's nest?"
Zarri snapped her head toward me, her voice rising, "¡No! Absolutely not. That's madness. Do you think I'll let you stand in a room full of vultures circling his whore of a bride? Over my dead body!"
Frank, ever composed, lowered his gaze, though even he couldn't hide the flicker of worry in his eyes. "Miss Saints, if you intend to go... you must go prepared. This will not be a celebration. It will be a spectacle."
All three of them, Grandfather, Zarri, Frank, watched me, their outrage colliding with disbelief. But beneath their protests, there was something else: respect for the steel in my voice, for the calm I'd worn like armor.
Grandfather leaned forward, his voice quieter but sharper. "Then tell me, girl... do you plan to crawl in there, or to burn the place down?"
I smile at the three of them. "They want to see me bleed...." I say slowly and chuckle "we are saints, we don't bleed, we burn" I say with so much determination and confidence "zarri, prepare a dress for us" I say to her
The shift in the room was instant. Zarri's eyes widened, then narrowed into a grin, sharp, dangerous. She tossed her hair back with a laugh. "¡Eso! That's my girl." Her voice purred with excitement now, fire lighting up in her gaze. "Oh, I have the perfect dress, mi encanto. Not just a dress... a weapon."
Frank exhaled slowly, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips.
"Then it will be my duty to ensure the world sees you exactly as you wish to be seen, Miss Saints." He bowed his head slightly, already running through a mental checklist of security and optics.
Grandfather James didn't smile, he rarely did, but the faintest ghost of pride touched his weathered face. His eyes softened for just a second, then sharpened again.
"Good. That's the Kashi I raised. If they want a show, give them one they'll never forget." He stepped closer, resting a firm hand on my shoulder, his grip grounding but heavy with command. "But remember, girl, when Saints burn, we don't just light up the room. We leave ashes."
The decision was made. The Saints family would not cower, would not hide. I would walk into that engagement party not as the humiliated heiress they remembered... but as the fire they had underestimated.
[The Engagement Party.... ]
The chandeliers glittered like frozen stars, spilling golden light over the marble hall. The Gray estate was dressed in splendor, crystal glasses clinking, violins sighing, silk gowns sweeping across polished floors. Reporters lined the entrance, their cameras flashing as every guest of influence arrived, eager to witness the "wedding of the year."
And then the whispers shifted
As i stepped onto the carpet, arm in arm with Zarri, frank a pace behind. The sea of onlookers parted instinctively, hungry eyes following my every step.
"Kashi Saints..." a reporter hissed in awe.
"She actually came."
"She doesn't look broken at all..."
They weren't wrong. I was fire wrapped in silk. The gown Zarri had chosen for me wasn't just beautiful, it was war. A deep crimson masterpiece, lined in gold, the fabric clinging and flowing with each step like living flame. My chin was high, my smiles sharp. If Damian and Natalie had hoped i'd come crawling, they had gravely miscalculated.
Inside the hall, the crowd buzzed louder at my arrival than it had for the hosts themselves. Guests stole glances, whispers darting between champagne flutes. Even the Gray shareholders exchanged uneasy looks, was this the humiliated girl they'd seen a year ago? Or something far more dangerous?
And then, Damian appeared.
Tall, cold, tailored perfection in black, Natalie draped at his arm in shimmering silver. His eyes locked on mine immediately. The faintest flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze before he tightened his jaw and pulled Natalie closer.
Natalie's smile faltered the moment she saw me, her hand clutching Damian's arm as if anchoring herself. She whispered something, but Damian's eyes never left mine.
The orchestra played on. Guests murmured. Cameras flashed.
And the ballroom had suddenly become a battlefield.
Soon as the engaged couple came in... few minutes later x holding company arrived at the event and everything shifted.
The room fell into reverent hush as Chaos entered with his assistant a few steps behind him, dressed in a black tailored suit that fit him like a second skin, the sharp cut of his shoulders framed by the soft glow of chandeliers. No mask this time. No need. Everyone knew his face now, the face of X Holdings, the man who could topple corporations with a word.
Guests instinctively stepped aside, bowing their heads slightly as though royalty had arrived. Even Damian's hand on Natalie's arm faltered, his jaw tightening at the sight of him. The reporters surged closer, cameras flashing, but Chaos moved with calm, deliberate strides, ignoring them all.
His icy eyes scanned the room once, and lingered. On me.
I averted his gaze immediately and focused on the people trying to curry my favour or bring me down. I gave no one any sign of weakness and instead showed them who I was, I was strong. I spent the entire evening talking to guests and making connections.
Even though X Holdings gathered the most crowd of people currying for favours and women trying every trick to get him to look at them, his lingering gaze never left me. And I didn't care. The man was nothing but trouble, the way I see it.
After a few hours, it was my family's turn to congratulate the newly engaged couple, and as I moved closer to them with Zarri beside me and Frank behind me, I felt my heart palpitate. "Congratulations," I mustered up and said to Damian while handing Natalie the gift we brought.
Natalie's painted smile trembled just slightly as she accepted the gift from my hands, her fingers brushing mine. "T-thank you, Miss Saints," she managed, her voice sweet but strained. Her eyes betrayed it though, nervous, uncertain, as if my very presence was a storm pressing down on her fragile composure.
Damian, on the other hand, stood tall, his arm firm around her waist. His expression was carved from stone, his gaze locked on me with that familiar coldness. "Kashi," he said evenly, his voice low but carrying enough for those nearest to hear. "You didn't have to come."
Zarri, beside me, gave a sharp little laugh under her breath, loud enough to draw a few curious stares. "Oh, but she did," she purred, eyes glinting as she stared at Damian. "After all, what's a party without the fire to light it?"
A ripple of whispers ran through the guests. Natalie stiffened, clutching Damian's arm tighter, as if the touch alone could stake her claim.
Behind me, Frank cleared his throat subtly, a warning, steadying me in case the air turned sharper still.
Damian's gaze flicked from Zarri back to me, his jaw tightening. "I hope," he said, every word weighed, "that you came here to wish us well... not to start a scene."
The crowd held its breath. The orchestra played on, but softer now, as though the violins themselves leaned closer to hear what i would say.
With a subtly smile "I'm here as a friend to wish you well damian, I wish you happiness" I say to him and turn to leave going back to the noise of the party
Gasps rippled quietly through the crowd.
My words were simple, but the subtle smile, the poise, the restraint, landed heavier than any outburst could have. People leaned closer, whispering among themselves:
"She wished him happiness? After everything?"
"She's not broken... she's untouchable."
"Look at Natalie's face, oh she hates it."
Damian's eyes followed me as i turned, unreadable but hard. His jaw clenched, his hand tightening around Natalie's waist almost unconsciously, as though grounding himself. Natalie's forced smile cracked at the edges, her knuckles white against her clutch.
"Did you see that?" one woman hissed behind her fan. "She didn't cry. She didn't beg. She... dismissed him."
The orchestra swelled again, chatter rising as you moved back into the currents of the party, guests pulling me in with their greetings, their smiles, their hungry attempts to win my favor.
As the party moved on and guests danced from one end to another, I also danced with Zarri and all eyes were on us as we glided through the room. I exchanged a few dances with people out of courtesy and excused myself as soon as I was tired of it.
I headed to the punch bowl table to get a drink for my parched throat, and as I touched a glass to grab it, another hand touched mine. I looked up and saw it was Natalie. "Oh," I said softly, and removed my hand, moving to take another bowl.
Natalie's hand tightened on the glass, her painted smile nowhere to be found now that the crowd's eyes were elsewhere. Her voice was low, sharp, each word dripping with venom she could no longer hold back.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" she hissed, leaning just slightly closer so only i could hear. "Walking in here like some untouchable goddess, smiling like you've already won. But we both know the truth, Kashi, you lost. You always lose."
Her eyes flashed, a strange mix of insecurity and triumph. "Damian chose me. He'll marry me. And you'll always be nothing more than the woman he tolerated until someone better came along."
What in brimming hell did she just say to me, the former me would have torn her down asap, but the me right now would rather disappear. I calmly collect myself and then face her.
"Miss Harts... or is it Mrs. Gray now?" I say while twirling my punch drink. "I'd be careful with my words if I were you."
Natalie's brittle laugh slipped out, far too tight to sound natural. She tried to straighten her posture, chin tilting upward as if that would restore the dignity my words had stripped.
"Oh, careful?" she whispered sharply, her voice low enough to mask the venom from nearby guests. Her eyes narrowed, the sweetness gone now. "Don't lecture me like some schoolgirl, Kashi. I know exactly what I'm doing."
Her grip tightened on her glass, knuckles whitening. "You parade yourself around in that gown, smiling like nothing ever happened, but we both know what you are. A failure. A Saint only by name, clinging to scraps while pretending you still have power."
Her lip curled slightly. "Damian doesn't love you. He never did. That's why I have him. That's why he chose me." She leaned closer, voice shaking not with fear, but with anger she could barely contain. "And that's why, no matter what you wear or how high you hold your chin, you'll never win."
For a moment, her mask cracked, her eyes flicked away, betraying a flicker of insecurity before she forced herself to meet my gaze again.
"You can threaten me all you want," she hissed, "but in the end, you'll be alone. And I'll be Mrs Gray"
That word hit me right there, and I wanted to slap the shit outta her, but I kept my calm.
"You're right, Natalie.... you won, he's all yours," I say, and made to turn, but Natalie yanks me by my hand, the punch in my hand pours on her. She shrieks, and this immediately attracted crowds who gather around us, gasping.
Then she moved closer to me and whispers, "Have a taste of this, you bitch," then she bursts into a fake cry.
"What happened?"
"Did she spill it on her?"
"Oh my god, look at Natalie's dress!"
Natalie clutched at the ruined silk dramatically, her face twisted into anguish before she forced it into a sobbing mask.
"Why would you?" she cried loudly enough for the entire cluster of guests to hear, her voice breaking as if she were the victim of some terrible injustice.
The crowd surged closer, eyes wide, eager for the spectacle.
And then, pushing through them, Damian appeared. His gaze flicked from Natalie's stained gown to me, then back to Natalie.
"What happened?" he demanded, his voice low but heavy with authority.
Natalie sniffled, letting another fat tear roll down her cheek as she clung to his arm. "She... she just.... " she stammered, as though too distraught to finish. She buried her face into his chest, letting the scene play out for the crowd to witness.
Gasps and murmurs swirled around me like wildfire, the weight of a hundred stares pressing in. The perfect storm Natalie wanted.
As I stood still unable to fathom what just happened and Natalie pretense. I couldn't speak and just stood there. This bitch actually surprised me, she played me right here and now!
"I... I didn't spill the drink on her on purpose, it was an accident damian, she grabbed me and....." but damian cut me off with an angry tone
His voice cracked through the noise of the crowd, sharp and merciless.
"Enough, Kashi!" he snapped, his arm tightening protectively around Natalie as she buried her face into his chest, trembling for effect. His eyes, cold and hard, bore into me with a glare that silenced my words.
The guests gasped louder, the whispers sharpening like knives.
"She's lying, can't she see Natalie's upset?"
"Typical Saints brat. Always causing a scene."
"Humiliating herself again."
Damian's jaw clenched, his voice carrying across the circle of onlookers. "How far will you go to disgrace yourself? To embarrass me? You come here, into my home, pretending to wish us well and then this?"
His words dripped with fury, every syllable calculated to bury me deeper under the weight of watching eyes.
Natalie let out another sob, clutching tighter to him as though to say see how cruel she is.
The humiliation was total. Every gaze seared my skin. Every whisper scraped at the wound in my chest.
As I moved closer to Natalie, I reached out but didn't touch her. "Tell him it was a mistake," I said, but Damian pushed me off, and as he raised his hand to hit me, I flinched back, waiting for his hand to touch me, but it never did.
I opened my eyes to whispers around me, and then I saw a figure towering over me. It was Chaos... he caught Damian's hand.
The entire ballroom froze.
Gasps rippled like thunder as Damian's arm was suspended mid-air, his wrist gripped firmly in Chaos Riegrow's gloved hand.
Chaos stood over me, tall, immovable, his icy blue eyes locked on Damian with a coldness that silenced even the orchestra. The crowd parted further, whispers now frantic.
"Chaos Riegrow... ?"
"He stopped Damian..."
"My God, he's defending her?"
Damian's jaw tightened, his voice low but seething. "Let go."
Chaos didn't. His grip was iron, his voice calm but carrying through the hush like a blade. "Tell me, Gray..." His eyes narrowed, his tone edged with menace. "...is striking women the standard of Gray Corporation's leadership, or just a hobby of yours?"
The words landed like gunfire. Gasps, muffled shrieks, the press of a hundred stares now turned against Damian.
Natalie's face drained of color, her act faltering as the crowd shifted, their sympathy beginning to tilt.
Damian yanked his hand free, rage flickering across his face, but even he knew better than to escalate against Chaos Riegrow in his own ballroom.
Chaos didn't spare him another glance. His gaze shifted down to me still close, his shadow cast over me like a shield.
I looked at the man who just defended me - X Holdings CEO, Chaos Riegrow. What was he doing? He leaned in close to me and then turned to Damian and said, "You almost hit my woman today. I would hold it against you, but we can call it even for the accidental wine spilled on your fiancée." He said it without even looking at Natalie. "I won't tolerate this next time," he added, and then took my hand into his.
The hall erupted the moment his words hit the air.
"My woman.... did he just...?"
"Chaos Riegrow... called her his?"
"This changes everything..."
Natalie's face went pale, her mouth opening but no sound coming out, the tears she had conjured drying instantly in her shock. Damian's jaw locked, his fury barely contained, but even he knew better than to lash out again, not with Chaos towering over him, not with the weight of X Holdings crushing the room.
All eyes followed as Chaos laced his fingers through mine and pulled me forward, unhurried, commanding, as though the ballroom had always belonged to him. The murmurs followed us like fire spreading in dry grass: scandal, shock, awe.
Zarri, from across the room, caught my gaze briefly, her lips curving into the faintest, wickedest grin. Mi encanto, her eyes seemed to say, you've just flipped the world upside down.
Frank was already moving, ensuring the path cleared as Chaos led me past the whispers, the gasps, the stunned faces of high society. He didn't look at anyone, not Damian, not Natalie, not the sea of guests.
His icy eyes stayed forward, his hand steady around mine.
And when the heavy doors of the ballroom shut behind us, muffling the storm of voices within, the silence outside was deafening.
Chaos finally stopped, turning toward me, his grip still firm but his gaze sharp, unreadable.
I removed my hand from his and take a step back "thank you for helping me back there, if there's anything you need, if it's within my power the saints family will spare no expense to help you with it" I say with a subtle bow
Chaos's smirk curved slowly, but his eyes, icy and unblinking didn't waver from me.
"Compensation?" he repeated softly, the word rolling off his tongue as though it amused him. He stepped closer, closing the space i had just tried to create. "You think I stopped Gray because I wanted a favor? Money? Influence?"
His gloved hand lifted, not to touch me, but hovering just enough to remind me he could. "The Saints have wealth. Power. Legacy. But none of that interests me, Kashi."
He leaned down slightly, his voice lowering to a near whisper, though sharp enough to cut the night air. "What I want..." his eyes burned into mine, "...is you."
The words landed heavy, deliberate, undeniable.
Behind him, Xavier appeared at a distance, silent as a shadow, waiting for his master's signal. His expression revealed nothing, but even he tilted his head slightly, this was no business play. This was obsession laid bare.
Chaos straightened again, his presence still overwhelming. "The Saints family owes me nothing," he continued smoothly, "because I've already taken what I want. The world saw it in there. And now..." He smirked faintly. "...so did you."
I moved back from him "it was just empty words, a girl like me can only be grateful X CEO came to my rescue. If there's nothing more I'll be taking my leave and I'll have the media clear out the scandal of the words you used back there, of me being your woman" I say while pretending I didn't just hear him confess his feelings of wanting me
"Empty words?" he echoed, his tone quiet but carrying the weight of steel. He took a slow step forward, closing the gap, though he left enough space to let me breathe. His gaze never wavered, piercing straight through the mask i was trying to wear.
"You can pretend if you like," he murmured, voice low and steady. "Pretend I was saving face, pretend I was shielding a scandal, pretend you didn't hear me." His head tilted slightly, his icy eyes narrowing. "But you and I both know the truth. Those words weren't empty. They never are, not when I speak them."
He let the silence stretch, letting the weight of his presence press down. Then, softer, almost dangerous in its calm "Clear the scandal if you wish. Tell the world I was jesting. But when they whisper my words in their drawing rooms tomorrow, ask yourself..." He leaned in closer, his breath brushing my ear. "...why did I say them at all?"
Straightening, Chaos pulled back, the faintest smirk tugging his lips. "Go then, Miss Saints. Run back to your comfort"
His tone dropped, final and resolute. "But whether you deny it or not, the world already believes you're mine."
He stepped aside with deliberate grace, gesturing toward the waiting car as Frank moved silently to open the door for me.
Chaos didn't stop me from leaving. But he didn't have to.
The car ride home had been silent. Zarri had stayed glued to my side, her hand occasionally brushing mine in silent comfort, while Frank and even Grandfather said nothing. They didn't need to. The world had already spoken inside that ballroom.
By the time i got into my room, the mask shattered.
I collapsed onto the bed, the crimson gown still on me, its golden lining now heavy as chains. pressing a pillow to my face, muffling the sob that tore out of me.
Damian almost hit me.
Natalie made a fool of me.
And then... Chaos...
My fists clenched the sheets. I hated it, the way the whispers of the crowd echoed in my head, the way Natalie's fake sobs replayed, the way Damian's voice still rang with venom. But worse than all of it was the memory of Chaos's words:
"My woman."
The way he had said it, not careless, not empty. Final. Like a vow.
And though i wanted to reject it, to scream, to deny it... a part of me trembled at how easily the world had believed him.
I buried my face in my pillow again, my tears soaking through, my body shaking from rage, from grief, from exhaustion. I had sworn Saints didn't bleed, but tonight, in the privacy of my room, i bled.