Chapter 83: Dangerous Games

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Prince Adrien's piercing silver eyes held hers with a quiet intensity. His lips curled into a lazy smirk as he took her hand, bowing slightly before placing a kiss on the back of it.

"The Duchess of Everette," he mused, his voice smooth as silk. "I've heard much about you, but I must say, the rumors hardly do you justice."

Verbena tilted her head, feigning innocence while fully aware of the storm brewing behind her. "Your Highness flatters me."

"Flattery is empty without truth," Adrien countered, his gaze flicking briefly to Theodore, whose expression had darkened considerably.

Theodore clenched his jaw. "What do you want, Adrien?"

The prince didn't even spare him a glance. "Merely conversation," he said smoothly, still holding Verbena's hand. "It is, after all, a social gathering, isn't it?"

Verbena felt Theodore tense beside her, his presence like a caged storm barely holding itself back. Perfect.

"Then let us converse," she said sweetly, slipping her arm through Prince Adrien's. "Shall we?"

A sharp intake of breath from Theodore. A hushed murmur from the surrounding nobles.

Adrien chuckled. "It would be my honor."

She could feel Theodore's burning stare on her back as Adrien led her away, his grip possessively tight on his wine glass.

Let him stew. Let him suffer.

She had suffered enough.

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On the Dance Floor…

Adrien twirled her effortlessly, leading her into a slow waltz. His touch was light yet firm, his movements confident.

"You play a dangerous game, Duchess," he murmured, his lips close to her ear.

"Do I?" she said, her voice light.

He smirked. "You're making your husband jealous."

"Good."

Adrien chuckled. "And what do you hope to gain from this?"

She met his gaze. "Power."

His amusement flickered into something more serious. "And if I told you that I could offer you more than he ever could?"

Verbena didn't falter in her steps, but her pulse quickened. "Is that an offer, Your Highness?"

"A proposal," he corrected. "Should you ever grow tired of playing second to a man who refuses to cherish what he has, come to me."

Her heart skipped a beat—not because she was tempted, but because she knew Theodore had heard it.

And judging by the way the music suddenly faltered and the murmurs in the crowd grew louder, she wasn't the only one who noticed.

He was watching.

And he was furious.

She turned her head just in time to see Theodore approaching like a predator, his golden eyes blazing.

This… this was what she wanted.

To make him feel what she had felt all those years.

But why… why did her chest feel tight instead of victorious?

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The Confrontation

Theodore didn't stop when he reached them.

He simply grabbed her wrist and pulled.

"Excuse us," he bit out, barely sparing Adrien a glance.

Verbena gasped as he dragged her through the ballroom, past the sea of watching eyes, past the murmurs that rippled through the crowd like wildfire.

"Theodore—"

His grip tightened. "Not. Here."

Her breath hitched at the intensity in his voice.

They barely made it into a secluded hallway before he spun her around and pressed her against the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She met his glare head-on. "Dancing."

"Dancing?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

"Yes," she taunted, tilting her chin up. "Or did I offend you, Your Grace?"

His jaw clenched. "You're playing with fire, Verbena."

She smirked. "And?"

Theodore exhaled sharply, his hands bracing on the wall beside her. His body caged her in, his warmth seeping into her skin.

"Do you think I'll just let you go to him?" His voice was raw, hoarse.

"You let me go a long time ago," she whispered.

His eyes darkened. "I never did."

Her breath caught.

The hallway was suffocatingly silent, save for the rapid pounding of her heart.

Then, he kissed her.

It wasn't like before. It wasn't careful, nor was it measured.

It was reckless, desperate, and full of unspoken agony.

Verbena's mind screamed at her to push him away. To remember her revenge.

But her body betrayed her.

She clung to him, fingers curling into his coat, and kissed him back just as fiercely.

And for a moment… just for a moment… she forgot why she ever wanted to hurt him in the first place.

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