Chapter 51 The Uninvited Guest
Chapter 51 The Uninvited Guest
(AURIANNA’S POV)
A single spotlight hits the runway after the lights dim. Cameron steps out and smiles at the audience with effortless confidence.
“Good evening, everyone,” he says. “Tonight, Valen Couture invites you into a world where romance feels… magical again.”
I quickly take my phone and start to record, because if I don't, Chelsea’s gonna cuss me out.
“L’Amour Enchanté is a celebration of love in all its forms,” Cameron continues. “The kind that disarms you, challenges you, consumes you, and transforms you. Each piece you’ll see tonight was crafted to capture that feeling—the spark, the mystery, the enchantment. Thank you for being here with us…. Let the magic begin.”
The music starts playing, and the first model steps out.
My mouth parts in awe as I watch her walk the run way. She wears a floor-length ivory gown, embroidered with crystal vines that shimmer like frost. Her hair is slicked back with tiny pearls pinned throughout it, and the way the spotlight hits, gives her an ethereal glow.
“Wow…” I hear someone murmur.
“Stunning,” someone else says.
The lights turn warm and the runway shimmers like gold.
The second model steps out wearing a golden mini-dress. It looks like it was molded on her body. She wears golden heels with ribbons wrapping up to her knees. She wears a crown of sunflowers on her hair, and the contrast of her dark brown skin against the gold leaves me starstruck.
“Ugh…” the woman next to me says. “I would kill for that dress.”
I turn to look at her… let's just say she looks like someone who could actually commit murder for that dress.
The lights dim and turn blue just as the next model walks onto the runway in a navy blue jump suit. The front is a deep V-cut, showing just the right amount of cleavage. The fabric is studded with blue crystals, and as she walks, the spotlight makes her shimmer like stars.
The next model steps out and everyone around us breaks into another wave of polite applause. I try to focus on recording for Chelsea, I really do, but suddenly my bladder decides it hates me. My stomach tightens and I shift in my seat, trying to sit still until I finally push myself to the limit.
I quietly push up from my seat because I need to pee, right this moment.
Zayne turns toward me, his brows pulling together. “Where are you going?” he asks quietly.
“I’m just going to the bathroom,” I whisper. “I’ll be right back.”
He studies my face for a second, probably noticing the tight look I’m trying really hard to hide. Then he nods and leans back in his seat, but his eyes follow me until I step into the aisle.
I weave through rows of people and slip out of the seating area. The hallway is darker, quieter, but of course the bathroom isn’t right there. Why would life ever be that easy for me? I walk fast—too fast—turning down one hallway, then another, until panic starts bubbling up my throat.
“I swear to God,” I mutter under my breath, “if I end up pissing myself at a fashion show full of A-listers, I'll throw myself into traffic.”
I spot a staff member carrying a clipboard. “Excuse me, sorry, where’s the restroom?”
She blinks at me, startled, then points sharply to a door at the very end of the corridor. “That way. Last door.”
“Thank you,” I say, practically speed-walking.
By the time I push the door open, I’m convinced I’m seconds away from disaster. I rush into the nearest stall, lock it, and sit down, exhaling like my soul just returned to my body.
Once I’m done, I fix my dress, flush, and step out of the stall. The bathroom is empty and the soft hum of the overhead lights fills the space. I walk to the sink, leaning forward a little as I wash my hands. My reflection looks slightly frazzled, but honestly, who cares.
Then a voice cuts through the silence.
A male voice.
“Agent Aurianna Astranova.”
A shiver runs down my spine.
The second I look up at the mirror, my heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach.
Standing a few paces behind me like he stepped out of thin air, is the man I've been dreading from the moment I took this mission.
It’s him…
Dominik D’Angelo.