Still, I had my doubts. Dylan didn't seem comfortable with the idea of dancing with Lina.
"I can't," Lina stammered, her blush deepening. "This is Eve's practice session."
They still remember me. I thought I had gone invisible.
Hanz waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's fine! Eve can just watch for now, get a feel for the steps while you two dance. We'll take some videos so she can study later."
Before Lina could protest again, I stepped in. "It's alright. I'll observe for now and see how it's done."
"You're sure?" Lina's expression was filled with guilt, but I nodded her and reassure her with a smile.
The truth was, she looked like she was dying to dance with Dylan. Who was I to stand in her way?
With a beaming smile, Lina turned to Dylan and extended her hand. "Shall we?"
For a brief moment, Dylan's icy mask cracked. His eyes flickered with something — hesitation, maybe discomfort.
He took a deep breath, slowly removed his coat, and stepped onto the dance floor. It was clear that this was no easy task for him.
I wonder why.
I watched as they danced, and for the first time, I realized that not every man fell for Lina Fay's perfection. The one man she wanted the most seemed completely not interested in her.
I understood the feeling 100%.
But it wasn't my place to interfere. This wasn't my battle to fight.
So I let it be, and just observed from the sidelines. Not that I was going to interfere in the first place.
"Why aren't you dancing with him, young lady?" Sophie asked, appearing beside me so suddenly that I almost jumped.
I had nearly forgotten she was with us. "Dancing with who?"
"That bodyguard, Dylan. Isn't he handsome?"
I shrugged. "I guess so."
Sophie licked her lips, leaning closer with a conspiratorial whisper. "I don't know if I should say this . . ."
Then don't, I thought, already feeling the edge of her words before she finished the sentence.
"But don't you think Lina's stealing your spotlight? It's your birthday, and yet you're just standing here like you're invisible. You should be the there, practicing."
I knew exactly what Sophie was trying to do — sow seeds of discord between me and Lina. In the past, it would have worked. I was impatient, easily rattled, and used to thinking the world revolved around me.
Sophie had learned to manipulate that trait of mine, feeding my insecurities until I made mistakes, ones that tarnished my reputation. Back then, I wanted respect and recognition in line with my status, but it only backfired.
Right now? After everything I'd been through, I knew better. I'd been humbled by my experiences, and Sophie's tricks weren't going to work this time.
"My lady, you should go in there and assert yourself. It's your event, after all," Sophie pressed, her voice dripping with false concern.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes and plastered on my fakest smile. "You know what? You're absolutely right."
Sophie's face lit up, thinking she had won.
"I want you to go over there and tell Lina that."
Her smile instantly dropped. "Uh . . . what?"
"It's fine," I said with a pointed look. "Tell her I said that. She'll understand."
Sophie blinked, clearly taken aback, but I could see the gears turning in her head. She thought she could still stir the pot. With renewed determination, she strutted over to Lina and Dylan, interrupting their dance mid-spin.
Lina's face fell immediately, her usual graceful smile replaced with a frustrated pout. Dylan, on the other hand, looked almost relieved, quickly stepping back to his usual spot.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lina," Sophie began, her voice too sugary to be genuine, "but my lady said—"
"Sophie! What are you doing?" I interrupted, rushing forward, playing the part of the embarrassed victim. I gave Lina a deep bow, forcing as much guilt as I could into my tone. "I'm so sorry, Lady Lina. My maid overstepped. She wasn't supposed to bother you, but she went ahead anyway. She's only looking out for me, saying that I should be the one practicing. Please forgive her. I'll take full responsibility."
Sophie's eyes widened in shock. "What? You're the one who—"
"Sophie, enough," I said, cutting her off and placing a firm hand on her arm. I squeezed hard enough that she winced. If I could I wanted to break her hand. "It was rude of you. Again, I apologize, Lady Lina. I've been too soft on her, and she got out of line. I'll be sure to deal with this later."
Lina's scowl softened, though she still seemed slightly irritated. "Oh, please, just call me Lina. You don't have to apologize like that." She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes as she glanced at Sophie, clearly still holding a grudge for the interruption.
"And your maid isn't entirely wrong," Lina added with a sly smile, shooting a glance at Sophie before looking back at me. "It's your dance practice. I shouldn't be stealing it from you."
"Oh, no," I quickly countered, waving my hand dismissively. "I'm learning so much from watching you and Dylan. Please, go on. You two look good together."
Lina blushed a little deeper, clearly pleased. "I don't think that's possible. My bodyguard probably hates me for dragging him into this. It's only a one-time deal."
I chuckled. "He seems pretty handy."
Lina laughed lightly, her mood brightening. "He is."
Then, to my surprise, she took my hand in hers, her smile growing even wider. "Mr. Hanz," she called, "Eve will be my partner this time!"
Wait . . . what? Why did I feel like we'd just gotten closer? Was it because I complimented her dance with Dylan? Did I stumble upon her soft spot by accident?
This was bad. This was definitely not part of the plan.
I didn't want to be involved in any of this. Not with Lina, not with Dylan, and definitely not with whatever emotional mess was brewing between them.
I didn't want to be involved in Cole's life anymore!