Lina had always been kind, but distant, like she was friendly to everyone but never let anyone too close.
I wasn't used to her apologizing to me — especially about Cole. We were never close, but we weren't enemies either.
"It's fine," I said without care, picking up a piece of steamed chicken and dipping it in the sauce. "If Cole doesn't want to do the dance, we can always replace him."
I didn't care. Why would I? It wasn't really my birthday, and I certainly wasn't the one who'd be dancing with him at the end of the day.
If anything, I was relieved I didn't have to see him. He and Sophie could dance in hell for all I cared.
I realized I had said something outrageous when I noticed the looks they were giving me. They stared like I had just sprouted horns or something.
Oh, right. I was supposed to be deeply in love with Cole — madly obsessed. The old me would've been heartbroken, whining about how devastated I was that he wasn't coming to practice.
I cleared my throat awkwardly and forced a smile. "I love him so much. I just don't want to impose on him. He's probably busy. Besides, I have plenty of male classmates. One of them could easily fill in."
It was a weak recovery, but it was all I could muster. The mere thought of playing along with this twisted love act made me feel nauseous, but somehow, I managed to keep it together.
"Nonsense, what are you talking about, Eve?" Sophia's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding, like she wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily.
"The last dance has to be with Cole," Sophie chimed in, clearly rattled.
She was so thrown off by the situation that she forgot her place, failing to address Cole with the proper honorifics.
Lina shot her a quick glance, and Sophie, realizing her slip-up, immediately cleared her throat and corrected herself.
"I-I mean . . . Lady Eve has been looking forward to dancing with Young Master Cole. It would be such a shame if that didn't happen. It's her eighteenth birthday, after all — a once-in-a-lifetime event. And . . . and it was her debut to high society and even their engagement would be officially announce that day right?"
I fought hard not to roll my eyes. Oh, I bet she's the one dying to dance with him, I thought. But I couldn't afford to show how I really felt. I had to play the part of the love-struck fool if I didn't want them to get suspicious of my sudden change in attitude.
Lina, on the other hand, sat quietly, her lips pressed together in a thin line as she watched the scene unfold. She was observant, careful, as though trying to gauge her reaction of the whole situation. I could tell she didn't buy into the theatrics like the others did.
But even so, she remained silent, perhaps out of the relationship between the two families.
"It's just that . . ." I began, struggling to inject any semblance of affection into my voice, "I love Cole, and I don't want to be a burden to him."
The words tasted like poison on my tongue, each one harder to force out than the last. My voice faltered, betraying the cracks in my façade, but I pushed on, desperate to maintain the illusion.
Sophia's eyes narrowed, studying me as if she could peel back the layers of my carefully crafted performance.
Sophie, meanwhile, seemed too eager to accept my words, nodding along like I had just confessed some great truth.
But deep down, I wanted nothing more than to rip those words apart — to scream that I couldn't care less about Cole Fay anymore, that I didn't want anything to do with him or this charade.
The more I had to play this role, the more suffocating it became.
"Very well then," Lina finally broke the silence, her voice light and full of energy. "I'll drag Cole to the next dance training session, I promise." She beamed, her warm smile catching me off guard. "But in the meantime, how about I be your partner to make up for his absence?"
I blinked, surprised. "You?"
Lina nodded confidently. "I might not look like it, but I'm an expert at dancing — whether it's the woman's or man's role. I can practice with you and then teach the steps to Cole later, so he doesn't mess up when it's time for your next session."
I shook my head. "No, it's fine." Why even bother practicing when I wasn't planning to attend this so-called birthday anyway? "You're probably busy."
Lina waved her hand dismissively. "I don't have any classes this afternoon, and I've cleared my schedule for the day. We can practice all afternoon if you'd like."
"That's a wonderful idea, Eve," Sophia chimed in before I could respond, her voice saccharine sweet. "You and Lina should spend more time together — get to know each other."
Of course, what she really meant was, to create a chance for Sophie to get close to Lina.
Her smile was so fake that it was almost painful to look at. She wasn't fooling anyone, least of all me.
"I'll send Sophie along with you," Sophia added, her tone leaving no room for debate.
"No need," I replied quickly. "I can handle myself."
But Sophie, looking panicked, glanced over at Sophia, clearly desperate to be part of the practice. I could practically see her plotting — probably hoping to use the session as an excuse to get closer to Lina. She'd undoubtedly been practicing in secret, trying to perfect her steps so she could swoop in when the time came.
Sophia, however, wasn't budging. "Eve, have Sophie accompany you," she insisted, her voice hard as steel. "You might need something during your practice, so be sure to visit Mr. Hanz afterward."
I could tell she wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer. There was no point in pushing back anymore — arguing would only make them more suspicious of me. This wasn't the time to let my emotions take control. I had to be smarter than that, keep them all in the dark for as long as I could.
"Alright," I finally said, forcing a smile.
I was playing a dangerous game, and every move had to be calculated. If I wanted to get through this, I had to pretend, blend in, and keep them guessing until I could make my move.