Chapter 75
Edward POV
I felt the air around me freeze as Anna turned away from me toward Jason Booth.
"I think I'm more willing to accept Mr. Booth's invitation," she said, her voice carrying just enough confidence to make it clear this wasn't a reluctant decision. The rejection burned like acid in my veins.
The room seemed to still around us, those nearby surely sensing the tension. I maintained my composed expression with practiced precision, even as rage boiled beneath the surface.
"Perhaps another time," Booth said to me with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, the smug satisfaction evident in his voice.
I said nothing, simply inclined my head in a barely perceptible nod before stepping back. The slight tremble in my hand was the only outward sign of the fury consuming me as I watched Anna place her delicate hand in his and move toward the center of the ballroom.
"She's quite remarkable, isn't she?" Daniel Quinn's voice came from beside me, smooth and calculated. "Such talent hiding behind that quiet exterior."
I turned slowly, fixing him with a glacial stare. "I wasn't aware we were acquainted, Quinn."
He smiled, unperturbed. "We aren't formally. But your reputation precedes you, Mr. Frost." His gaze drifted back to Anna. "Her work shows extraordinary depth. The emotional intelligence in her storytelling is... uncommon."
"You seem to have developed quite an interest in my wife," I said coldly.
"Ex-wife," he corrected smoothly. "And yes, I recognize exceptional talent when I see it. Something you apparently failed to appreciate."
I felt my jaw tighten. "You know nothing about Anna or what I appreciate."
"Don't I?" His eyebrow raised slightly above his mask. "She's blossoming now that she's free from—"
"You've said enough," I cut him off, my voice dangerously low. "Whatever game you're playing with Anna ends tonight."
Quinn merely smiled. "I believe that's her choice to make, not yours." He nodded politely and disappeared into the crowd.
Three days! She disappeared for three whole days, and this is what she'd been planning? To parade around with Quinn and flirt with another man right in front of my face? My grip tightened around the stem of my champagne flute until I feared it might snap between my fingers. The crystal caught the light, fracturing it like the control I felt slipping away.
I stood perfectly still, my face a carefully composed mask of indifference as my insides churned with fury. Anna's red dress caught the light as she moved, the fabric swirling around her legs like flames. Her face, partially concealed behind that ornate Venetian mask, was animated in a way I'd rarely seen—her lips curved in a genuine smile that hadn't been directed at me in months.
"Would you care to dance?"
I turned to find a woman in a black gown standing beside me, her face partially hidden behind a simple black mask adorned with silver filigree. I didn't recognize her, nor did I care to. But she offered the perfect opportunity.
"Of course," I replied, my voice betraying none of the turmoil beneath.
I guided her to the edge of the dance floor, maintaining a clear line of sight to Anna and Booth. My partner's conversation washed over me unheard as I calculated each step to keep Anna in view. The woman, whose name I hadn't bothered to remember, seemed content with my occasional nods and monosyllabic responses.
My eyes narrowed as Booth leaned close to Anna's ear, whispering something that made her laugh. His hand shifted slightly lower on her back than propriety dictated. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as ice formed in my veins.
"You seem distracted," my dance partner observed.
"Business matters," I replied curtly. "My apologies."
I continued the mechanical motions of the dance, my body on autopilot while my attention remained fixed on Anna. She seemed to have forgotten our arrangement entirely.
That smile, that laugh—they weren't hers to give so freely to other men. Not when she'd agreed to be mine alone for two years. Not when I'd personally arranged for Helen's transfer to the most exclusive care facility in New York, ensuring round-the-clock attention from specialists most people couldn't even get appointments with. Was this how she honored her part of our bargain? By prancing around with Quinn and batting her eyelashes at another man?
I watched as Booth gestured animatedly, clearly proposing something. Anna nodded, her posture shifting from cautious to engaged. I recognized that look—she was in negotiation mode. Whatever Booth was offering had piqued her professional interest.
"Next week then? Le Bernardin at eight?" I caught Booth's words as they passed near us.
Anna's reply was lost in the music, but her enthusiastic nod told me everything I needed to know. The meeting was set. Another man, another dinner—and this one clearly a business opportunity she hadn't bothered to mention to me.
I felt something primal stir inside me. Something possessive and dark that I rarely acknowledged existed within the carefully controlled persona of Edward Frost.
Suddenly, the chandeliers flickered once, twice—then plunged the entire ballroom into darkness.
Anna POV
I gasped as the room went black, the orchestra faltering mid-note. Nervous laughter and startled exclamations rippled through the crowd as everyone adjusted to the sudden darkness. Only the faint glow of emergency lights along the baseboards provided any illumination.
"Don't worry," Jason Booth said somewhere to my left. "I'm sure they'll have the power back shortly."
I nodded before remembering he couldn't see me. "Yes, I'm sure," I replied, trying to orient myself. The darkness was disorienting, and I'd lost track of where Daniel had gone in the confusion.
People bumped into each other, apologizing and laughing nervously. I took a step backward, trying to find some space, when a hand suddenly clamped over my mouth. Before I could scream, I was being pulled backward through the crowd, my wrist gripped painfully tight.
Panic surged through me as I struggled against my captor. My heels made it nearly impossible to resist effectively as I was dragged through the crowd. The hand over my mouth prevented me from calling out, and my free hand clawed uselessly at the arm holding me.
We passed through the grand hall and into a corridor, my heels clicking loudly against the marble floor. I tried to dig my heels in, to create friction, anything to slow this forced march, but my captor was too strong.
A door opened, I was pushed inside, and suddenly the hand was gone from my mouth. I heard a lock click, and in the dim blue glow of emergency lighting, I finally saw his face.
Edward.
"What the hell?" I gasped, backing away from him. My mask had shifted during our struggle, hanging askew across my face. "Have you completely lost your mind?"
He didn't respond, just stood there watching me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. I glanced around, realizing we were in a bathroom, the cool marble walls reflecting the dim emergency lights.
"I'm leaving," I said firmly, moving toward the door. "This is ridiculous—"
Before I could reach the handle, Edward moved with startling speed. His hands gripped my shoulders, turning me and pressing my back against the cool marble wall. Then his mouth was on mine, hard and demanding.
My hands came up to push against his chest, but the kiss was so sudden, so overwhelming, that for a moment I froze in shock. His body pressed against mine, trapping me between the cold wall and his heat. Despite my anger, despite everything, my traitorous body responded to his familiar touch. My hands, meant to push him away, instead curled into the lapels of his suit......