Chapter 11 Out of Your League

Rowena sat at the VIP table, savoring a spoonful of decadent chocolate mousse crafted by a Valerian chef who held seven Michelin stars. The soft orchestral waltz washed over the grand banquet hall, wrapping her in peaceful solitude.

That solitude shattered when a large, masculine hand planted itself on the polished tablecloth right in front of her plate.

"May I have the honor of this dance?" a deep, chilling voice asked. The tone held zero warmth.

Rowena raised her head. Kingston’s icy, unreadable face loomed over her. Her appetite vanished into thin air.

The exact moment their eyes met, Kingston’s heart skipped a massive beat within his chest. For the first time in his life, he studied her features in close proximity. He traced the delicate slope of her nose, the elegant curve of her jawline, and the flawless symmetry of her face. He was stunned by the breathtaking perfection of his ex-wife's facial structure. Why had he never noticed her beauty before?

He found himself lost in the depths of her starlit eyes. They held a fierce, stubborn glint that evoked a potent, haunting familiarity deep within his soul, pulling at a memory he could not quite grasp.

The silent reverie broke. Rowena leaned back in her chair and flashed a taunting, dismissive smile.

"Sorry, Mr. Thorne," she stated, her tone flat and cold. "You are simply not worthy enough to share a dance floor with me."

Nearby guests eavesdropping on the exchange gasped at her sheer audacity. Did she just insult the most powerful man in Riverstone?

Kingston narrowed his dark eyes, casting his fleeting sense of familiarity aside. Refusing to take the rejection, he reached out and grabbed her hand anyway.

He offered a terrifying, stiff smile that failed to reach his gaze. "It is merely a simple dance. Could the great Ms. Astor possibly be afraid of me?"

Intense sparks of pure tension flew through the air. Rowena glared back at him, her muscles pulling taut. She cursed his arrogant nature and his refusal to ever take 'no' as an answer.

Before the volatile situation could escalate into a physical struggle, Pierce materialized from the crowd. He intercepted Kingston’s advancing hand in mid-air, prying the CEO's fingers away from Rowena's skin.

Pierce used his towering frame to shield Rowena. He leveled a cold stare at the other man. "Rowena is my exclusive female companion for the evening. Why would you insist on stealing her away from me, Mr. Thorne?"

Pierce flashed a mocking sneer, gesturing toward the edge of the room. "Perhaps you should go tend to your own neglected partner sitting alone in the corner before she grows jealous."

Irritated by Kingston's suffocating, unyielding stance, Rowena leaned in and whispered to Pierce. She excused herself. "I need some air. I am taking a solitary stroll in the hotel's garden to catch my breath."

As she walked away, Kingston shifted his weight to pursue her retreating figure. Pierce blocked his path. With an expert pivot, Pierce towed the furious CEO away, forcing him to mingle with a circle of important executives and trapping him in endless business chatter.

From a safe distance across the room, Bianca and Daphne had witnessed the tense exchange.

Misinterpreting the aggressive standoff as a loving and romantic moment between the former spouses, Daphne seethed. "Shameless!" she hissed, shooting venomous insults at Rowena's back. "They are divorced, but that wench still dares to cling to my brother!"

Seizing the perfect opportunity to manipulate the narrative, Bianca forced fresh crocodile tears to well up in her eyes. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Playing the ultimate martyr, Bianca trembled. "Maybe Rowena still likes King. If he grew deep romantic feelings for her throughout those three years of marriage... then I will step out of the picture. I should let them be together instead."

Blind panic seized Daphne’s heart at the horrifying thought of losing the only sister-in-law she approved of. She grabbed Bianca’s arms.

"Do not do it!" Daphne screamed over the music, demanding answers. "How can you just give up so easily? I swear on my life, as long as I am breathing, I will never let that lowborn wench join the Thorne family ranks ever again!"

As Bianca's theatrical, pitiful hiccups worsened, Daphne gritted her teeth. She stared out toward the glass doors leading to the expansive, moonlit garden.

After a moment of dark, sinister contemplation, Daphne turned back. "Leave the entire matter to my capable hands," she promised. "I will make sure that the b*tch's reputation is irredeemably destroyed tonight. Once Rowena is exposed as trash, she will never possess the societal right to compete for Kingston's affections against you."

"Daphne, what are you planning?" Bianca whispered through her faked tears.

Leaning in close, Daphne whispered her malicious, illegal setup scheme into Bianca's ear. She assured her of foolproof results before pulling away with a wicked, demonic grin. She turned on her heel and strode off toward the dark garden.

Once Daphne’s figure was out of sight, Bianca’s weeping facade vanished. A sharp tinge of toxic delight danced across her cold eyes.

She sneered internally. Daphne was dumb and easy to manipulate, stepping right into the bear trap without a single second thought.

Bianca crossed her arms, only hoping her future sister-in-law would not let her down.