Chapter 54

Chapter 54


Veronica
I couldn’t breathe.
Not because of how tight the dress was.
Not because of the lights or the crowd or the cameras flashing somewhere beyond the runway.
But because the second I stepped out and looked ahead—
I saw him.
Dante Russo.
Even from across the room, I recognised him instantly.
His dark suit fit him perfectly, one hand wrapped around a champagne glass while his sharp eyes locked directly onto mine like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing either.
My heart slammed painfully against my chest.
I forced myself to keep walking.
The dress Miyako chose for me flowed softly around my legs, the deep crimson silk almost glowing beneath the lights. Earlier she had called it “controlled danger.”
At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant.
Now I did.
Every step felt unnatural knowing Dante’s eyes were still on me.
I kept my expression neutral the way the instructors had taught me earlier.
Even if I felt like throwing up internally.
By the time I reached the end of the runway, my hands were already freezing cold.
The audience blurred together into meaningless shapes and colours.
Except him.
For some reason, I could still feel him clearly.
I turned smoothly like I had practiced earlier and started walking back.
And somehow that felt even worse because now I had to walk toward him.
This was a mistake.
A huge mistake.
The moment I disappeared backstage again, I finally inhaled sharply.
“Oh my God,” one of the makeup artists gasped excitedly. “That was perfect.”
Perfect?
I looked like I was seconds away from collapsing.
Another stylist immediately rushed toward me, fixing a strand of hair near my shoulder.
“You did amazing for your first runway.”
First and last.
Definitely last.
I was still trying to calm my breathing when Miyako appeared beside me.
Unlike everyone else backstage, she looked perfectly composed.
Of course she did.
“You’re shaking,” she observed calmly. “Anything wrong?”
I immediately shook my head.
“No. I’m fine.”
Her eyes lingered on me for a second longer than necessary like she knew I was lying but decided not to push.
“Well,” she said smoothly, “you certainly captured everyone’s attention.”
That was exactly what I didn’t want.
I forced out a small smile before stepping away slightly.
“I think I just need a minute.”
Miyako nodded easily. “Take your time. The closing segment starts in twenty.”
I murmured a quiet thanks before turning quickly and walking deeper backstage.
The further I moved away from the crowd, the harder it became to breathe properly again.
My chest felt tight.
My thoughts louder.
Because seeing Dante again had dragged every emotion I’d spent weeks trying to bury straight back to the surface.
The hospital.
Kiara.
Losing my job.
Everything.
All because of him.
I stopped near the hallway leading toward the private restroom area, pressing my fingers briefly against my temple.
No.
I wasn’t doing this tonight.
I wasn’t about to let Dante Russo ruin another thing for me.
Not this opportunity.
Not after everything.
I exhaled slowly before pushing open the restroom door.
The cold water helped slightly.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror afterward, barely recognising myself.
The dress.
The makeup.
The version of me staring back looked like someone who belonged in this world.
But I knew better.
A quiet sound behind me made me freeze.
Then—
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
My eyes shut briefly.
Of course.
Slowly, I turned around.
Dante leaned casually against the doorway like he had all the time in the world.
But his eyes?
His eyes were focused entirely on me.
“What do you want?” I asked immediately.
One of his brows lifted slightly at my tone.
“That’s how you greet people now?”
“Yes.”
Something about my answer almost amused him because the corner of his mouth twitched faintly.
“You disappeared.”
I let out a small disbelieving laugh.
“You say that like I owed you an explanation.”
“You did.”
My eyes widened slightly.
The audacity.
“No,” I replied sharply. “Actually, I didn’t.”
Silence stretched tightly between us.
For once, Dante didn’t interrupt immediately.
He just watched me carefully.
And somehow that annoyed me even more.
I folded my arms tightly across my chest.
“You know what?” I muttered. “I think my life was actually doing perfectly fine before you showed up.”
Something flickered briefly across his face.
Gone too quickly for me to fully read.
“You ruined everything,” I continued quietly. “My job. My peace. My entire life became complicated because of you.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Well, it happened anyway.”
And for some reason that frustrated me more than if he argued back.
I looked away first.
“And for the money…” I added more quietly, “thank you. I really do appreciate it.”
His expression shifted slightly.
“But don’t do it again.”
That seemed to genuinely surprise him.
“I don’t need you fixing my life every time something goes wrong.”
“You needed help.”
“I needed space.”
The words came out harder than I intended.
But I didn’t take them back.
“I want to handle things on my own now,” I said softly. “So please… let me do that.”
For a moment, Dante simply stared at me.
Then slowly—
A small smile appeared on his face.
“If you say so,” he murmured.