Recovering from the dazzling spell that Seraphina had managed to put him under, Elijah blinked his eyes and cleared his throat before offering his arm to Seraphina.
He tried to act as if he wasn't affected by her stunning appearance but the smile that curved upon Seraphina's lips and the sparkling, teasing glint in her eyes told him that she knew that he was affected by her and that she liked it.
His ears turned red as Seraphina gracefully hooked her arm with his as the entered the ballroom together. The grand ballroom glittered under the shimmering chandeliers, every surface reflecting the opulence of the evening. Their striking appearance drew the admiring gazes of many attendees. Elijah, with his unique charm that spoke of strength, moved with a grace that belied his towering presence. Seraphina had not lied when she had complimented him for how effortlessly he carried the all black outfit without looking like a member of the mafia.
Beside him, Seraphina exuded an ethereal beauty that captivated the hearts of many men with every step that she took. Her gown sparkled magnificently under the glittering lights, the slit on the side of it revealing a hint of her toned leg with every step that she took.
Together, their allure was so magnetic that it drew whispers and glances of admiration from every corner of the room. While Seraphina was aware of attention that their presence commanded, Elijah did not care much about it as he guided her through the crowd.
She raised her head to look up at him with a smile on her face which he reciprocated with his own. Seraphina could see the admiration shining in his eyes and was glad that her efforts were showing results. Smaller they might be now, but every reaction, every action, every gaze, every touch was of great importance.
"Elijah, good to see you!" Seraphina turned her head and noticed a man approaching them. She recognized him as one of Elijah's influential business associates, Richard Grey. Margaret (Madison) had informed her that Richard was one of the major investors in the project that used to be led by Ethan and was now taken over by Elijah.
"Richard." Elijah greeted the man with a smile and extended his hand in front of him for a handshake, "It's good to see you too." he responded as they shook hands.
"Oh, this is Seraphina Vale. She is a brilliant fashion designer and a friend of mine." said Elijah introducing Seraphina to Richard.
"A pleasure!" Richard said, shaking her hand, "My wife is a fan of yours, Miss Vale. Your work in amazing." he praised before looking over to Elijah, "I must say that you have certainly brought the most beautiful woman in the room."
"You are as dazzling as your work, Miss Vale." commented Richard making Seraphina laugh lightly."That's very kind of you to say that, Mr. Grey." she smiled and felt Elijah subtly pull her a little closer.
As the men engaged in conversation about their project, Seraphina listened attentively and even added her own insights with confidence. Her points made sense and impressed both Richard and Elijah. After Richard excused himself, they were approached by a couple of women who recognized Seraphina and wanted to talk to her.
Seraphina responded to them politely and did not miss the way Elijah kept glancing at her. She could notice the hints of admiration, curiosity, appreciation, and even a tinge of proud in his eyes. She met his gaze with a warm smile, her hand lightly brushing his arm as if by accident. The barest of her touch managing to send an electric shiver down his spine.
They continued to mingle with the crowd and Seraphina kept on proving how perfect a choice of partner she was for Elijah. She was charming, knowledgeable and did not hesitate to make her point. Her confidence, her charm, her aura, everything about her appealed to Elijah.
After they had managed to greet all the important people that Elijah had decided to interact with, the two of them grabbed a flute of champagne each and sat down on a table to chat. Elijah continued to poke her with the questions regarding their very first meeting while Seraphina continued to tease him at every step.
Despite his frustration of not being able to recall the memory of their first interaction, Elijah enjoyed Seraphina's company.
Later, when the orchestra began playing a soft, melodious music, Elijah stood up, bowed slightly, and extended his hand in front of Seraphina who was still seated and was looking up at him with a knowing smile curved upon her lips.
"So, Lady Seraphina, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
Seraphina chuckled and placed her hand in Elijah's. The touch of their palms caused a tingling feeling to spread all across his body. Elijah wondered if Seraphina was affected by this as well but he did not dare to ask because he didn't want to make things awkward between them.
Elijah led Seraphina to the dance floor and placed a hand on her waist and entwined his other hand with Seraphina's. She placed her free hand on his shoulder as they began to dance to the tune that was being played.
They moved together, gliding effortlessly across the polished floor in perfect harmony and with grace. Each step was light and fluid, "Very good, Mr. Grayson. I did not know that a tall man like you could dance so nicely." Seraphina said as she matched his every movement so effortlessly that it looked synchronized as if they had danced together for years.
"I am a man of many hidden talents, my lady." responded Elijah making Seraphina smiled widely.
"Oh, really?" she giggled as he spun her around before pulling her back in his arms, "Yes, of course."
"Who taught you how to dance so well, though?" she asked, their conversation flowing as naturally as their dance.
"The credit goes to my grandfather." Elijah admitted fondly, "You know he used to dance with my grandfather every night after dinner. It was their tradition of sorts." his smile turned nostalgic as he recalled watching his grandparents dance.
"They loved each other truly and deeply. I used to wish to have a love like that as well. Someone with whom I would dance every night like my grandparents." Seraphina smiled hearing that, her arms going around his neck.
"Used to? Have you stopped wishing for it now?" she asked faking curiosity while in her mind she thought this to be one of Elijah's tactic to attract a woman.
"I don't know." he pushed her away gently before pulling her back in, "I mean is it possible to find that kind of once in a lifetime love in this era?"
Seraphina smiled and hooked her hands behind his neck, "You might." she said while looking directly into his eyes, "I mean, isn't it an established fact or something that there is someone out there that is made only and only for you. A soulmate, you know."
Elijah couldn't move his gaze away from hers as he picked her up slightly and spun her around before settling her back on her feet. He did not want to misunderstand her words so he chose to divert the topic.
"Well, let's see." he smiled, "What about you? Who taught you to dance so effortlessly?"
Seraphina did not let it show on her face, but her heart hurt when she thought about it. There was no one in her family who could dance well, they all were very awkward dancers. But they were happy with that.
It was after her rescue that she learnt how to dance like this among other formal event etiquettes as a part of her plan. It was like an assignment and not a fond memory.
Seraphina smiled despite the pain and replied, "My parents taught me, my Mom especially. She's a trained dancer, you know."
Elijah spun her around once again before dipping her, "She tried to train me to be one as well but my interest lied in fashion designing. So here we are."
As the final notes of the waltz played, they slowed to a stop, lingering in each other's arms, "Thank you for the dance." he murmured, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
"Hhmm." Seraphina hummed softly as she rested her head against his shoulder for a short time till the music played.
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Later that night, after the event came to a conclusion, Elijah escorted Seraphina back to his car and their driver drove them to Seraphina's place first. This time around, their journey was spent in silence as both of them were feeling tired and Elijah even fell asleep for a short while but Seraphina stayed awake, alert.
After all that she had went through, falling asleep had become a troublesome task. After years of therapy and meditation, Seraphina was able to fall asleep in the presence of only a trusted few and also alone but only after checking all her security systems and locks thoroughly.
Elijah, was the enemy so naturally she could not sleep in his presence no matter how tired she was.
As they pulled up to her house, Elijah stepped out first and opened the door for her.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Elijah." Seraphina smiled softly as she took his hand and stepped down.
"The pleasure was all mine." he replied, his voice equally soft and escorted her to the door of the mansion that he believed was her home.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek causing Elijah's eyes to wide for he was not expecting this, "Goodnight, Elijah. Sweet dreams." she whispered in his ear letting her breath fan across the side of his neck.
Stepping back, she unlocked the door and walked inside closing the door behind her while Elijah remained rooted at the spot, his hand rising up to touch the spot on his cheek where Seraphina had just kissed.
Separated by a door were two people. A man who had a smile on contentment on his lips, and a woman whose lips were stretched in a cold smirk.