Chapter 16 up
“I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
Selena’s voice trembled—not with sadness, but with panic wrapped in anger. She stood in the middle of the increasingly crowded ballroom, her eyes locked on Nyla, who was speaking calmly with a few guests.
Clark gently caught her arm. “Selena, this isn’t the place—”
“I don’t care,” Selena cut in. “She’s doing it on purpose. She wants to humiliate me.”
Clark frowned. “Nyla hasn’t done anything.”
The words cut deeper than a slap.
“So now you’re defending her?” Selena hissed.
Before Clark could answer, Selena had already stepped forward.
Her strides were quick, too rushed. The sharp sound of her heels echoed against the marble floor, drawing several glances. But Selena didn’t stop. Her gaze was fixed on one destination—
Nyla.
And Vincent.
They weren’t standing too close, not too far either. A polite distance. A conversation that looked light. But to Selena, the sight was enough to set her mind on fire.
“Nyla.”
The call was sharp. Too loud for an elegant party.
The conversations around them faded. Several guests turned, sensing the sudden tension in the air.
Nyla turned slowly. Her face remained calm. “Yes?”
Vincent looked at Selena as well, his gaze cool and assessing.
Selena smiled—a forced smile. “I just want to make sure you don’t misunderstand anything while talking to Mr. Vincent.”
Nyla lifted an eyebrow slightly. “Misunderstand what?”
“About who you really are,” Selena replied quickly. “I think it’s important for people to know the truth.”
Clark, who had just reached them, stiffened. “Selena, stop.”
But Selena had already gone too far.
“You see, Mr. Vincent,” she said, turning to him, “Nyla is very good at crafting an image. She looks innocent, strong, dignified.”
She let out a small laugh. “But the reality isn’t that simple.”
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
Nyla didn’t move. She didn’t interrupt. She didn’t defend herself.
That silence only made the tension heavier.
“Go on,” Vincent said quietly.
His tone was flat, but it made Selena hesitate—just for a moment. Still, her ego pushed her forward.
“She has a… complicated past,” Selena said. “Many men. Many stories that aren’t appropriate to discuss in a place like this.”
Some guests looked shocked. Others exchanged uneasy glances.
Clark stepped forward. “Enough, Selena!”
But Selena ignored him. “I just don’t want Mr. Vincent to be deceived. A woman like her—”
“What kind of woman?”
Nyla finally spoke.
Her voice was calm. Low. But unmistakably clear.
All eyes turned to her.
“What kind of woman do you mean?” Nyla asked again, looking at Selena without hatred, without excessive emotion.
Selena faltered. “You know what I mean.”
“No,” Nyla replied gently. “I don’t. Because you’ve never mentioned facts. Only accusations.”
Vincent turned to Selena. “Do you have proof?”
Selena fell silent.
The air grew heavy.
“I… heard it myself,” she said at last. “Everyone talks about it.”
“So,” Vincent concluded calmly, “you came to a formal event, accused someone publicly, without evidence, based solely on gossip?”
His voice remained controlled, but the pressure behind his words drained the color from Selena’s face.
“I’m just being honest,” Selena protested.
Nyla stepped forward one pace. “Honesty never needs chaos,” she said evenly. “And it never comes with the intention to destroy.”
Selena scoffed. “You pretend to be strong, Nyla. But—”
“Selena.”
Clark’s voice rang out, firm and loud.
The room fell silent.
“What you’re doing is embarrassing,” Clark said tightly. “Stop. Now.”
Selena turned to him, her eyes glassy. “You’re defending her again?”
“I’m defending common sense,” Clark replied wearily.
Vincent let out a quiet breath. “I think this conversation has gone far enough.”
He turned to Nyla. “I’m sorry you had to be put in this position.”
Nyla nodded politely. “It’s all right.”
Then she looked at Selena. “I won’t respond to your accusations. Not because I’m afraid—but because I respect myself.”
The words were simple.
But they struck hard.
Whispers spread again—this time not about Nyla, but about Selena.
“She’s too emotional.”
“Inappropriate.”
“No evidence at all.”
Selena felt the world tilt.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
She wanted Nyla to crumble. She wanted Vincent to pull away. She wanted everyone to look down on that woman.
But the opposite had happened.
Nyla stood tall. Vincent seemed to respect her even more. And Selena had become the source of an ugly spectacle.
“Let’s go home,” Clark said coldly.
Selena stared at him in disbelief. “Now?”
“Now,” Clark repeated firmly.
Selena glanced at Nyla one last time. Their eyes met.
There was no triumph in Nyla’s gaze. No mockery.
Only calm—
and somehow, that hurt far more.
As Selena walked away, the whispers resumed, their direction unmistakable.
Not about Nyla.
On the balcony, Vincent stood beside Nyla. “You know,” he said quietly, “the most dangerous person isn’t the one attacked by gossip.”
Nyla turned to him. “Then who is?”