EIRA'S POV
"Absolutely not."
I folded my arms as Tessy held up another dress.
"This one is perfect!" she argued.
"It looks like a curtain."
Tessy gasped.
"A curtain? Eira, this is designer!"
"And it's still a curtain."
For the next hour, our room became a battlefield.
Dresses were thrown across the bed.
Shoes ended up scattered across the floor.
Every outfit had a problem.
Too simple.
Too flashy.
Too much sparkle.
Not enough sparkle.
At one point Tessy threatened to choose my outfit herself.
At another point I threatened to lock her out of the room.
Neither of us could decide.
Then suddenly both our eyes landed on two dresses hanging at the far end of the wardrobe.
Silence.
"Oh."
Tessy blinked.
"Oh."
I blinked back.
Without another word, we grabbed them.
A little while later we stood in front of the mirror.
Perfect.
The dresses were perfect.
We had spent over an hour fighting for absolutely no reason.
Tessy burst out laughing.
"We are idiots."
"Completely."
An hour later we arrived at Jake's birthday party.
And then—
I froze.
The mansion standing before us looked unreal.
Golden lights illuminated every corner of the estate.
Luxury cars lined the driveway.
Music drifted through the night air.
The gardens sparkled beneath thousands of lights.
My jaw nearly dropped.
"Tessy..."
"Yeah?"
"Jake lives here?"
"Apparently."
I stared.
"Is he secretly royalty?"
Tessy laughed.
"Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised."
Together we walked inside.
And every head turned.
JAKE'S POV
The party was already crowded.
Business partners.
Family friends.
Important guests.
Everyone wanted my attention.
I smiled.
Shook hands.
Made conversation.
Did everything expected of me.
But my eyes kept drifting toward the entrance.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Waiting.
Searching.
Looking.
Then the doors opened.
Everything else disappeared.
For a moment I forgot about the guests.
Forgot about the party.
Forgot about everything.
Eira had arrived.
The soft lights caught her hair.
The dress suited her perfectly.
And somehow she looked even more beautiful than I remembered.
I couldn't look away.
Someone was speaking to me.
I didn't hear a single word.
I was too busy staring.
Eventually I forced my feet to move.
"Eira."
She turned.
A small smile appeared on her face.
And suddenly the entire evening seemed worth it.
"You look beautiful."
A blush instantly colored her cheeks.
"Thank you."
I smiled.
"No. I mean it."
The blush deepened.
Mission accomplished.
Nearby Tessy immediately noticed.
"Oh look."
I groaned.
"No."
"Our mighty Jake has forgotten how to blink."
"Tessy."
"And honestly, if anyone saw Eira looking this beautiful tonight, they'd fall instantly."
Eira looked ready to disappear.
I couldn't stop smiling.
A few moments later I guided them through the crowd.
Then I stopped near a quiet girl standing by one of the windows.
She wore a simple navy-blue dress.
Her long hair rested over one shoulder.
The moment she noticed attention shifting toward her, she lowered her eyes.
My expression softened.
"Eira. Tessy."
I gestured toward her.
"This is my younger sister, Lila."
Lila William.
Lila offered a small smile.
"H-Hi."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Jake sighed.
"She doesn't talk much."
Lila lightly nudged my arm.
"Jake..."
"What? It's true."
Eira smiled warmly.
"It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
Lila answered softly before looking down again.
Tessy blinked.
"Wait, that's Jake's sister?"
Jake frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing. I just expected someone terrifying."
Lila immediately shook her head.
"N-No, I'm not..."
Her reaction was so genuine that both Eira and Tessy laughed.
Jake couldn't help smiling.
Unlike him, Lila hated attention.
She preferred books over parties.
Quiet corners over crowded rooms.
And right now she looked like she wished the floor would swallow her whole.
Fortunately, Eira quickly made her comfortable.
The two girls began talking quietly while Tessy occasionally joined in.
Slowly, Lila relaxed.
Not much.
Just enough for her smile to become genuine.
Jake noticed it immediately.
And was glad.
Because Lila rarely opened up to strangers.
A blush immediately appeared on her cheeks.
And for the first time all evening, everything felt peaceful.
A while later the lights dimmed.
The crowd gathered around the center of the ballroom.
A massive three-tier birthday cake was rolled forward.
Applause filled the room.
Lila immediately moved closer to me, clearly uncomfortable with everyone staring.
"It's okay," I told her quietly.
She nodded.
Guests began singing.
Phones appeared.
Laughter echoed through the ballroom.
I cut the cake while everyone cheered.
For a moment I looked toward Eira.
She was smiling.
A genuine smile.
And somehow that was enough to make me smile too.
The evening felt perfect.
Not far away, Victoria watched everything.
Especially me.
And she hated what she saw.
Every time she approached me, I politely excused myself.
Every time she tried starting a conversation, my attention drifted back toward Eira.
The more I ignored her, the angrier she became.
Then her eyes settled on Eira.
A slow smile appeared.
Cold.
Calculating.
Dangerous.
She quietly slipped money into a waiter's hand.
Then whispered something.
The waiter hesitated.
Victoria's smile vanished.
The hesitation disappeared immediately.
Moments later the waiter approached Eira.
"Miss?"
Eira accepted the offered glass of juice.
"Thank you."
Without suspecting anything, she took a sip.
Then another.
Completely unaware.
Across the ballroom, Victoria watched with satisfaction.
Neither Tessy nor Lila noticed.
And I certainly didn't.
I was too busy helping Lila carry a plate of cake after she nearly dropped it from nervousness.
Everything appeared normal.
The music.
The laughter.
The dancing.
The conversations.
A perfect birthday celebration.
But beneath the glittering lights, something dark had already begun.
And no one knew it.
Not Eira.
Not Tessy.
Not Lila.
Not even me.
Then—
My phone vibrated.
Just once.
I glanced down.
A single message.
The moment I read it—
My expression changed.
The warmth vanished from my eyes.
The smile disappeared.
Something cold settled over me.
Dangerous.
Predatory.
The atmosphere around me shifted so suddenly that even nearby guests felt it.
For several seconds I simply stared at the screen.
Unreadable.
Silent.
Then I slipped the phone back into my pocket.
No explanation.
No goodbye.
No warning.
I turned and walked away.
Fast.
Purposeful.
The shadows beyond the ballroom seemed to swallow me whole.
Within seconds—
I was gone.
Leaving behind a party filled with laughter.
Leaving behind Eira.