Chapter 30: No More Running

Sapphire didn't turn back.

Not even once.

Even as she walked away from Celeste, leaving behind the weight of her own challenge, her heart pounded violently against her ribs.

What have I done?

She had meant to regain control—to take back the upper hand that Celeste had been stealing from her piece by piece. But the moment those words left her lips—then prove it—she realized something terrifying.

She wasn't just playing anymore.

She had just set fire to everything.

And Celeste?

Celeste was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to step into the flames.

---

Sapphire spent the next day avoiding Celeste, which was ironic, considering she had been the one to issue the challenge.

She buried herself in student council work, strategically positioning herself in places where she knew Celeste wouldn't appear. Meetings, library study halls, quiet corners of the academy where distractions were plentiful.

But even as she surrounded herself with people, with obligations—

She felt Celeste.

In every shadowed hallway. In every stolen glance.

Like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And Sapphire hated how much she wanted to be caught.

---

The confrontation came in the one place Sapphire couldn't escape—the ballroom.

It was an evening gala, hosted by the academy's board of directors, an event filled with elite students and wealthy benefactors. Sapphire, as always, was expected to be the centerpiece of it all.

Poised. Elegant. Untouchable.

She wore an ice-blue gown that clung to her figure in just the right way, her hair pinned back to expose the sharp line of her neck. She was the image of perfection.

But then Celeste walked in.

And suddenly, the room felt too small.

Dressed in a sleek black suit, Celeste cut through the crowd effortlessly, her gaze locked on Sapphire like she had already won.

Sapphire's grip on her champagne glass tightened.

There was no running this time.

Celeste reached her in seconds, stepping into her space without hesitation. "You've been avoiding me."

Sapphire took a slow sip of her drink. "You overestimate your importance."

Celeste chuckled, low and knowing. "That's cute, princess. But we both know better."

Sapphire tilted her head. "Do we?"

Celeste's eyes darkened. "You told me to prove it."

A breathless pause.

Sapphire swallowed. "And?"

Celeste leaned in, voice dangerously soft. "Then stop running."

Sapphire should have stepped back.

Should have pushed Celeste away, should have ended this before it became something she couldn't control.

But instead—

Celeste reached out, taking the champagne glass from Sapphire's fingers and setting it aside. Then, before Sapphire could react, Celeste's hand slid around her waist.

It wasn't forceful.

It wasn't demanding.

It was just there—waiting, daring Sapphire to pull away.

She didn't.

The music shifted, a slow, hypnotic melody filling the ballroom.

Celeste smirked. "Dance with me."

It wasn't a question.

Sapphire exhaled sharply. "You're unbelievable."

Celeste only smiled. "And yet, here you are."

Sapphire knew every eye in the room was on them.

She knew the whispers were already forming, the scandal of the century unfolding in real time.

But for the first time in her life, she didn't care.

Slowly, she placed her hand in Celeste's.

And just like that, the game changed forever.

---

The music swelled, a slow and deliberate rhythm, filling the ballroom with an intoxicating haze of elegance and tension.

Sapphire had danced with dozens of people before.

Men who sought her favor. Women who envied her grace.

But this?

This was different.

Celeste's hand was warm against her back, fingers resting just lightly enough to tease, but firm enough to remind Sapphire who was leading.

Her other hand held Sapphire's in a grip that wasn't just for formality—it was claiming her.

And the worst part?

Sapphire let her.

The world around them blurred. The chandeliers overhead, the shifting colors of silk and velvet as couples twirled across the dance floor, the murmurs of curiosity and scandal—none of it mattered.

Only Celeste.

Only the way their bodies moved in sync, as if they had been dancing around each other far before this moment.

Celeste smirked. "Didn't think you'd actually say yes."

Sapphire arched a brow. "And yet, here we are."

Celeste spun her effortlessly, pulling her back in with a little more force than necessary. Their chests brushed, and for the first time, Sapphire felt her breath falter.

Celeste caught it. Of course, she did.

"You're letting me too close," Celeste murmured.

Sapphire's fingers tightened over Celeste's shoulder. "You haven't won yet."

Celeste tilted her head, as if amused. "Oh, princess."

Her lips barely brushed against Sapphire's ear, her voice low and taunting.

"I already have."

Sapphire's breath hitched.

For the first time in her life—

She wasn't sure if she wanted to win anymore.

---

Whispers of a Scandal

They should have stopped dancing sooner.

They should have broken away before the tension became too obvious, before the weight of unspoken truths settled between them like an undeniable force.

But neither of them did.

And the moment Sapphire turned, catching sight of the stunned faces watching them—she realized exactly what they had done.

The whispers were already spreading, rippling through the ballroom like wildfire.

Sapphire Langford, the untouchable queen, dancing in Celeste Calloway's arms.

It wasn't just a rumor waiting to happen.

It was a declaration.

And Sapphire wasn't sure how to undo it.

A sharp voice cut through the haze.

"Sapphire."

She turned, instinctively straightening at the sight of her father standing at the edge of the ballroom, his expression unreadable.

The chairman of the academy. The man who had built his empire on perfection, on control.

And right now, he was staring at her.

At them.

Celeste felt it too—the shift, the sudden realization of how much this moment had cost.

Sapphire swallowed.

Then, slowly, she untangled herself from Celeste's hold.

Her skin felt cold the second their contact broke.

But she didn't hesitate.

She turned and walked toward her father, knowing she couldn't afford to look back.

Not now.

Not when everything had just changed forever.

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