Chapter 1148:
Clad in white, Elena entered with effortless poise, and just like that, all eyes were drawn to her.
Familiar with the spotlight, Elena was perfectly at ease. She curled her fingers around a champagne glass and moved with effortless poise.
A playful whisper brushed her ear. “Care to share a dance, lovely lady?”
A cold glance was all Elena gave in return. “No, thank you.”
Torin clutched at his heart, feigning agony. “You wound me, you know. That was downright brutal.”
Not even sparing him a smile, Elena turned away and let her gaze wander across the glittering crowd.
Torin’s eyes trailed her figure with open appreciation, a flicker of admiration lighting up his face. “Little rose, you’re even more breathtaking in white than I imagined.”
Marriage to a woman like her had always been Torin’s idea of perfection.
Refusing to dignify his admiration, Elena kept her silence. Torin, however, seemed content to keep the conversation rolling by himself. One eyebrow lifted, he added, “So, what do you think? Will you marry me? You’re everything I pictured in a wife.”
“Get lost,” Elena said icily, her voice razor-sharp.
For a brief moment, something dark flashed in Torin’s gaze, though he quickly recovered and adopted a lighter tone. “Honestly, what’s so special about Wesley that you won’t even look my way?”
At the mention of Wesley, Elena’s attention snapped back to Torin, sharp as glass. “You’ve seen him in this country recently,” she said, her voice low.
A sly smile curled on Torin’s lips. “Be my woman, and I’ll tell you about it.”
Elena’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes cold. “I don’t believe a single word you say.”
Soft laughter slipped from Torin, genuine amusement in every note. “Love has the power to change a man, doesn’t it?”
Elena didn’t believe a word of his nonsense.
Once he’d had his fill of laughter, his voice shifted into something low and steady. “There will come a day when you finally understand who’s meant to stand beside you.”
𝕋𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖔𝖓 g𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀．𝖼𝗈𝗆
A crease appeared on Elena’s brow. “What are you up to?”
A faint chill of unease settled in her chest. A troubling thought took hold as she began to wonder if Wesley had already stumbled into one of this maniac’s twisted setups. There was no telling what someone like him might do.
Torin raised his glass and tapped it lightly against Elena’s. “When you agree to marry me, I’ll tell you,” he said, his tone playful but firm.
A sharp chill spread across Elena’s features. Her eyes promised danger. Not a single hint of worry crossed Torin’s face. With a small gesture toward the ballroom doors, he directed her attention to the latest arrivals. The venue was quickly filling up, couples arriving one after another.
At that moment, a middle-aged man entered, his shiny bald head catching the light, a young woman clinging to his arm.
Elena watched the young woman and narrowed her eyes. What possible reason could she have for showing up here?
The newly arrived pair hadn’t even made it a few steps before a man stepped forward to meet them.
“My Lord, is this the woman you’re with tonight? She looks awfully young—and quite the treat,” the man remarked, a greedy glint in his gaze. Licking his lips, he eyed the woman from head to toe, already undressing her with his eyes. In response, Baron Pervis Barnett of Rosethorne grinned and squeezed the woman’s hand as if showing off a prize. “That’s right. This is my darling. Ever since she came into my life, I’ve felt younger,” he said with a wink.
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