Chapter twelve

Serena returned to the party with Damian by her side. The night had so far been very eventful but she didn't dislike it.

The way things were turning out made her very happy. She was winning her first battle without having to put on much of a fight.

On entering the room, all eyes were on her. Her mother raced to her side and flashed her the sweetest smile.

"I think we should get on with the engagement," she advised.

Serena turned her attention to Damian, seeing him nod to her mother made her release the breath that she was holding.

The two of them took confident strides towards the center of the room. Standing under the chandelier the two of them glowed in their respective ways.

Ivy got everyone's attention to the couple, she raised the rings between Damian and Serena.

Serena's breath caught looking down at the ring, talking about marrying Damian and taking the first step to do that weren't the same thing.

Reality hit her that her dream was coming true, she was getting the man who loved her to the very end. He saw her at her worst and still had it in him to love her either way.

With him, she didn't need to change who she was. Or try so hard to prove that she was worthy of his love, because in the past when she proved unworthy, he was the only one who loved her.

She picked up the ring, raising her gaze, she looked into Damian's deep eyes with questions in her eyes.

Damian gives her a reassuring smile and spread his fingers for her. She helped him wear the ring and averted her eyes from him. Too shy to let him see the blush that had crept into her cheeks.

The crowd broke into claps, Damian took Serena's hand and stepped forward. He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Sending an electric shiver down Serena's spine.

Serena glanced down at her hand still in his hold. Her eyes lit up seeing as he had seized the opportunity to slip the ring onto her finger.

Damian's handsome face hovered over hers, she could smell the spiced scent of his cologne when he leans closer to her.

The chandelier casts an amber glow on his handsome face as he got closer to Serena. Each movement driving not only Serena but most of the young women in the room into a starstruck state.

Their gaze on him was unbreakable, hooked by the striking charm of the man.

"Can I have this dance?" Damian asked her in a notch not higher than a whisper.

"Ye-yes," Serena replied her throat dry from the way the man before her affected her.

Lacing his fingers between Serena's, he pulled her to the dancefloor, with the guests clearing space for the two of them to dance.

He tugs Serena to his chest, pressing her body against his and sheltering her from the rest of the guests.

Taking a deep breath Serena allowed all the other distractions to slip away from her mind. Until the only thing that she could feel was the steady heartbeat of her fiance.

The warmth of his chest ignites her skin as he starts swaying, moving in harmony with Serena as they both latch on to the music in unison.

As they dance Damian's hand moved up her arms, then down her back until they grip the curve of her waist, causing her to gasp.

His eyes never leave hers as his hold around her waist tightens and pulls her closer. Removing the last distance that remained between their two bodies.

Serena's temperature rises as she moves to the beat, the feel of Damian's body on her drowning her in the flavor of the moment.

She wrapped her hands around his neck. Leaning on his shoulders, she closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely.

To think that once upon a time she stood there in the arms of someone else, someone who didn't even have it in them to treat her well.

She felt safe in Damian's hands, he handled her like a fragile glass that would break if he were to be rough with her. Moving to the slow song, she could tell the difference between her first dance before and now.

In the past, Alex rushed through the dance racing to take her from there. Whereas Damian was taking each step very slowly, as though, he didn't want the night to ever come to an end.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him. The monster that tricked her with lies in the name of love, he looked pained and hurt.

Serena wanted to scoff, his acting skills were always top-notch, and before she believed in every emotion she saw in his eyes without question. But this time she knew better than to believe him.

All of his secrets had been revealed to her, and her body tensed as the overwhelming pain of what he did to her resurfaced.

Her blood boiled in anger as she recalled that it was just yesterday that he buried her in the middle of nowhere after taking advantage of her and seizing all her properties.

Her eyes burning with anger and hatred. Something magnetic was pulling her, her heart racing with the need to rip Alex's heart out and present it as a gift to his lover, Marga.

"Love," Damian called out to her while gently stroking her back. "What is the matter?" He asked her feeling her body tensing under his touch.

His voice snapped Serena out of her trance and brought her back to the present, in his arms.

"I was just wondering.." Serena let out and leaned her lips close to his ear. " What it would be like to kiss THE Damian Delgado," she uttered in a soft seductive voice.

Desire filled Damian's eyes as her words washed over him.

Serena kissed his earlobe, and Damian hissed. She moved back and broke away from his arms, "Thank you for the dance beloved," she uttered to him casually and curtsied before retreating away from him.

She walked away from the dance floor and left the room, her hands clenched in anger.

"I need to send a message to Alex, Sofia, and Marga. One that will arch this day to their memory forever," she muttered under her breath.