You lied.
You're not proud of it, but you did. Under their arrogant stares and whispering mouths, you blurted it out in a trembling voice:
"I'm... engaged to the Duke."
Silence fell. Then, surprisingly, the lie worked. The stares shifted, the whispers stopped, and suddenly you were no longer the forgotten girl. You became the center of attention. No one doubted you — because who would dare lie about the Duke? The mysterious man who hadn’t been seen in years?
You added with fake confidence, "But he won’t be attending the ball. There was a family emergency."
You felt relieved. That was it. He wouldn’t come — like always... Right?
But then, the unexpected happened.
In the middle of the ball, as you struggled to breathe in your tight dress, you heard the unmistakable sound of polished shoes echoing across the marble floor. You turned instinctively. And everything froze.
Him.
Standing there in full, breathtaking elegance, with those cold, unreadable eyes and a presence that stole the air from the room. The Duke — after more than five years of silence — walked into the ballroom just as you had declared your engagement to him.
Your mind went blank. Your heart? It almost burst from your chest. Everyone’s eyes were on you... then on him... then back to you.
You took a step back. Then another. Escape — yes, you needed to leave. But as soon as you turned, his hand caught your arm, firmly.
He leaned in and whispered, voice deep and dangerously soft: "I heard about our sudden engagement... My dear, how daring of you to lie."
You trembled, stammering: "I... I didn’t mean—"
But he stepped closer, his smile faint and disarming. Then, turning toward the guests, he lifted your hand in his with calm confidence and announced: "We weren’t planning on making it public yet... but since you’ve all heard — let’s celebrate, shall we?"
Wait... is he playing along with your lie?
Your eyes widened. You whispered urgently: "What are you doing?"
He leaned closer, his smile turning into something far more dangerous. "Playing the role of your fiancé, darling."