Lightning streaked through Xhemin's insides when Darryl's fingers shoved through her feet, gently tapping the napkin on her wine-soaked shoe and toe. When she felt those warm, callused fingers swirling around the skin of her bare feet, her eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath.

She kept still. ​​

Trapped under everyone's glares.

Speechless.

Breathless.

So was everyone around her.

And the Lagdameo heir's touch felt even more better as every second that passed. God! For sanity's sake! She had to tell him touching her was off limits, because sooner, she might not be able to suppress her yearning for him and lose herself completely to him.

Nobody said a word as Darryl made that rare gesture, not that the crowd was afraid of him or so, but because the view caught everyone in shock that they had no choice but to let a moment of silence pass to recover from disbelief.

'Who would have thought only a woman could make the famous Lagdameo heir kneel on his feet?'

It took Darryl a good amount of time to wipe everything off the girl's shoe and as soon as he finished, he stood to his feet and gazed at the girl's deep ink eyes that was sparkling shyly, not to mention her cheeks that was blushing in crimson. If not for her mask, everyone would have noticed it.

"Are you okay milady?" He asked with an undeniably sexy gentle stare, breaking the silence that had cropped up in the room for a good ten to fifteen minutes.

It took time for Xhemin to answer because that moment, she got mesmerized with the Lagdameo heir's charisma again for the nth time.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine" She settled, but her words came in a little crooked.

"Good" Darryl's hazel eyes brightened a little as he held her gaze captive "Care for another dance then?"

"Huh?"

"My price for drying off your shoe" He said, as he extended a hand to her.

Hesitant and a bit curious of everyone's stares, Xhemin reached out for Darryl's hand and as soon as she did, the great hall dimmed again setting the mood for another dance. Wasting no time at all, Darryl strode past the crowd, with the girl in his arms and went to center aisle.

The flock of nosy guests followed them but unlike the first dance, nobody dared to dance with the couple and take even a single spot on the dance floor. No one had the guts to share the limelight of the Lagdameo heir of course, especially now that he seemed not welcoming and very much unwilling to be disturb.

Darryl had Xhemin in his arms and the music started to play, Xhemin once again danced but unlike the previous dance she had with Huzey, dancing with Darryl was a little different. She hadn't danced with him before, and its terribly hard to dance with someone who made your knees a little too weak. She barely coped up, good thing Darryl was guiding her around, if not, she could have fallen in her knees tremendously.

Aside from that, the thing that bothered Xhemin the most was the fact that Darryl wasn't saying a word, and although he remained gentle with her, she could tell by just one look on his face that was still smoldering underneath a stony expression.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked as Darryl had his grip on her.

"Why did you come here?" He snarled more than he spoke.

Xhemin frowned. Darryl strike out as if Xhemin had crossed some invisible line by attending the ball and although his sudden chiding was a mystery to her— it all meant one thing, he didn't like the fact that she was here.

"Ziggy asked me too…" She reasoned, her voice was low and cracking, and the heat that previously rising in her own body turned cold. The feelings and longing she had for him all these days that she had not seen him suddenly become a hurt—a hurt that seemed like a spider web, intricate, yet strong.

"And you said yes instantly?" He continued with hard staring eyes that never blinked. "Who is he to order you around?"

Xhemin lowered her gaze, they were dancing in the center aisle without missing a step and the crowd before them was mystified upon Darryl's mystery woman, yet unknown to them, some tension was building up fast between the couple.

"You can't blame him…" she paused and in an almost a whisper she added "I also wanted to come"

Darryl didn't answer nor acknowledge her words, he just stared at the girl as if wanting her to speak more, and so Xhemin did.

"…you see, I was always curious about how an elite party would look like and I thought it was now my chance. Also, I came to say goodbye…I didn't have a chance to say goodbye…" Words flew from Xhemin's mouth that she never though she'd even think, let alone say to him out loud.

"…You didn't give me a chance to say goodbye rather…" She added bitterly, correcting her previous statement and yes, the words reflected some pain that become pronounced in her the girl's ink eyes. As she lifted her face to him, she knew instantly from the look in Darryl's eyes that her words hit a mark.

"I'm sorry for coming uninvited, I shouldn't have come," that was the last words she uttered, although what she really meant was that she was sorry for longing for him and that perhaps the beast could tell her enough explanation why all of the sudden, the beast didn't want her anymore.

There was silence between them after that, a silence that seemed like a torture. Xhemin was hurt by Darryl's mistreatment, but unknown to her, her words also crushed some nerves on Darryl's veins.

"You had taken me so lightly milady" Darryl spoke, and there was bitterness rising like a bile into his mouth. Then his hazel eyes turned monstrous cold, so cold that Xhemin felt its chillness just by staring at them.