Chapter 56 UNEASY
“Oh my God, girl, you look breathtaking,” Billy said—for what felt like the hundredth time since he’d started dressing me.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my breath catching painfully in my chest. The woman looking back at me felt unfamiliar, like someone I’d only ever seen in passing.
Is… is that really me?
“I—Is this really me?” I whispered, my voice barely audible beneath Billy’s excited humming.
The dress was nothing short of a masterpiece. Forest-green silk clung to my body like a second skin, molding itself to curves I’d never learned to appreciate. It was sleeveless, leaving my shoulders bare, and that alone made me feel exposed. But it was the daring slit on the left side that truly stole my breath—cut high on my thigh, flashing skin with every tiny shift I made.
I looked beautiful.
And terrifyingly vulnerable.
My makeup was simple yet flawless, enhancing instead of hiding me. Paired with the dress, it drew out the gold flecks in my eyes until they shimmered softly beneath the lights. My hair fell freely down my back, untouched, effortless… elegant.
As stunning as the dress was, it made me feel naked. No—exposed. Like I was standing under too much light with nowhere to hide. I had never worn anything like this in my entire life.
“I must confess,” Billy said dramatically, hands flying to his mouth, “Jaxon does have an eye for beautiful things. I mean—look at you.”
“It’s beautiful,” I admitted, twisting my fingers together nervously, “but don’t you have one that’s… less exposing?”
“No, silly,” Billy laughed. “This is perfect. Just wait till Jaxon sees you in this. Jaxon Lennox won’t know what hit him.” He adjusted the gown one final time, clearly satisfied.
I forced an awkward smile, my gaze drifting back to the mirror as doubt tangled with something dangerously close to curiosity.
“Why wait?” Billy continued brightly. “Go show him. The men’s dressing rooms are downstairs. Take a left and you’ll find the VIP section. Jaxon should be in the first room—that’s his favorite spot.”
Another staff member appeared beside us, holding out a pair of black heels.
God.
I wasn’t good with heels. At all. My face twisted the moment I saw them—especially when I realized they were barely three inches high.
I thanked Billy, took the purse he handed me, and headed downstairs, my heart pounding louder with every step as I searched for Troy and Jaxon.
When I reached the door, I knocked and waited.
It didn’t take long before a female staff member opened it.
“Is Mr. Lennox here?” I asked.
She nodded and stepped aside, ushering me in.
As we moved deeper into the dressing room, I saw him.
Jaxon.
He sat in the hairstyling chair, facing the mirror mounted on the wall. At the sound of our footsteps, the chair slowly rotated—and he turned to face me.
He looked handsome even without his suit jacket, but something about the way he rested back against the chair felt… wrong. Too still. Too loose.
I stepped closer, and unease settled heavily in my chest.
Something was off.
His complexion was pale—too pale. The sight stirred an unwanted memory of that night at the party, when he’d taken me to his room. The same unsettling stillness. The same sense that he was barely holding himself together.
I caught him staring at me, but his eyes looked weak. Unfocused. Exhausted.
“Wow,” he said softly. “I must confess, I’m shocked. The dress fits perfectly.”
Even his voice sounded unsteady.
And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.
Jaxon’s POV
I was barely holding on, forcing my body to stay upright through sheer will, counting every second and hoping I could last until Troy returned with my injection.
My head throbbed viciously, a dull pressure building behind my eyes, growing louder with each passing moment.
Then there was a knock at the door.
For half a second, relief flickered through me. Troy.
But the silence that followed immediately killed that hope. Troy never waited. He would’ve knocked once and walked straight in like he owned the place.
A staff member hurried toward the door just as I tried to stand, but the moment I shifted my weight, a brutal wave of dizziness slammed into me. My vision blurred violently, the room tilting as if the floor itself had shifted, and I collapsed back into the chair with a sharp breath.
That’s when I saw her.
In the mirror.
A figure standing behind me.
Nancy.
For a heartbeat, I wondered if my mind was finally giving in—hallucinating under the pressure. But she didn’t fade. She didn’t blur.
She stayed.
Real.
And damn it… she looked incredible.
So incredible that I turned fully to face her, even as the room continued to spin wildly around me. Somehow, the moment my eyes locked onto her, she became the only thing that wasn’t moving. The only solid point in a world that was threatening to pull me under.
I took her in slowly, helplessly mesmerized. I’d always known her eyes were green, but against the deep, dark shade of the gown, they looked like polished emeralds. The fabric seemed to hunt down every gold fleck in her irises, dragging them to the surface until her gaze glowed with a quiet, dangerous fire.
It wasn’t just a perfect match.
It felt intentional.
Like the dress had been made for her… or she had been made for it.
“Wow,” I said, the word leaving my mouth before I could stop it. “I must confess, I’m shocked. The dress fits perfectly.”
I tried to steady my voice.
I failed.
The effort alone cost me more strength than I had left. I caught the flicker of concern that crossed her face as she started walking toward me, and something tightened in my chest.
Did she already know?
“I’ll excuse myself now,” the staff said quietly before leaving the room.
“Are you okay?” Nancy asked, leaning closer. “You look like you could pass out any moment.”
I stared at her face, my gaze dropping to her lips before I could stop myself. Heat curled low in my stomach, sharp and disorienting, colliding dangerously with the dizziness threatening to drag me under.
If she had any idea how fucking hot she looked right now, she’d know that standing this close to me was a very bad idea.
“I’m fine,” I forced out, even as my body screamed otherwise. “I just… really need to make a call.”
I shoved my chair back and pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the warning signs roaring in my head.
Big mistake.
The second I took a step, my body betrayed me completely.
It felt like gravity disappeared—no balance, no strength, no control. My legs gave out beneath me, and I had nothing left to stop the fall.
Pain exploded through my body as I hit the floor.
Nancy’s POV
The way he dropped—hard, sudden, completely lifeless—ripped a scream out of my throat as I rushed to his side.
“Jaxon!”
Nothing.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I stared at his still face. His eyes were closed. Too closed. Too calm.
“No… no, no,” I whispered, fear crawling up my spine. “Jaxon.”
My voice shook as I tried again, louder this time. “Jaxon, if this is a joke, stop it. This isn’t funny.”
Silence.
Pure, terrifying silence.
A sharp gasp tore out of me as reality crashed in. My hands were already trembling as I kicked off my heels and dropped to my knees beside him, the cold floor biting into my skin. I leaned down, pressing my ear close to his chest, barely daring to breathe.
Then I felt it.
His breath.
Weak—but there.
“Oh thank God,” I whispered, the words breaking as relief and terror tangled painfully in my chest.
I pressed my palm to his forehead and flinched. He was burning up. Too hot. Unnaturally hot.
Panic tightened its grip around my throat.
I didn’t know what to do.
I didn’t know how to help him.
Troy.
Troy would know what to do.
I started to rise, desperation pushing me forward, but suddenly his hand wrapped around mine—weak, shaky, but pleading. The force wasn’t strong, yet it was enough to pull me back down beside him.
“Jaxon…” I breathed.
His eyes fluttered open slowly, unfocused, like he was fighting his way back from somewhere dark. When they finally found mine, something in my chest cracked.
With visible effort, he lifted his head and rested it against my lap, his fingers guiding my hands to his ears as if he needed me to understand.
“It’s noisy,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. “The ringing… it won’t stop. Please… block it out.” He swallowed painfully. “It feels like there’s a hole in my head, and the noise just keeps pouring in.”
I stared down at him—at this powerful, arrogant man reduced to something fragile in my arms—and felt my own tension slowly unravel.
Carefully, gently, I covered his ears with my hands.
He let out a low, broken sound, one that twisted painfully in my chest.
I hated it.
I hated hearing him like this.
I hated seeing him in pain.
He was supposed to be strong. Perfect. Untouchable.
Someone I could hate freely.
Not someone who could make my chest ache like this… not someone who made me feel guilty for every harsh thought I’d ever had about him.