Page 17 of Bound By Crimson

Chapter Seventeen

The Winter Gala

The penthouse felt unusually quiet as evening fell, the hum of the city far below, soft against the glass windows. Lyric stood before the full-length mirror in her private dressing suite, heart quickening as the glam team added the final touches.

The gown shimmered like frozen starlight. Silver sequins cascaded down the fabric in a fluid, delicate pattern, catching hints of ice-blue beneath the silver.

The skirt flared softly at the bottom, the train sweeping the floor like a ripple of moonlight. White feathers trimmed the shoulders and curled gently down her back, softening the gown’s sharp elegance.

A diamond necklace kissed her collarbone. Matching sapphire earrings glinted like frost. Her hair swept up into an intricate twist, a few tendrils left loose to frame her face. Soft silver smoky eyeshadow gave her an ethereal glow.

A whisper of diamond-dusted highlighter made her skin gleam as though touched by winter itself. She barely recognized the woman in the mirror.

The glam team stepped back, admiring their work. Rowan lingered a moment longer, her voice soft.

“You look... unreal. ”

Lyric met her eyes in the mirror and gave a faint smile. “Thank you.”

With that, the team quietly packed up and slipped out, leaving Lyric alone with the silence—and the woman staring back at her.

---

Kai stepped into the doorway behind her, already dressed in a classic black tuxedo with a silver tie that mirrored her gown. He paused, drinking her in. The look in his eyes made the room feel warmer than it should.

“You are,” he said slowly, “beyond anything I imagined.”

Lyric smiled, a nervous flutter in her chest.

“Do I pass the Winter Gala standard?”

“You’ll silence the room.” He crossed to her, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles.

“You’re perfect.”

---

Thomas waited downstairs with the Bentley. As they drove through the evening streets, Lyric watched the skyline blur past—towers dressed in lights, bridges strung like diamonds across the water. The city felt infinite.

They pulled up to the venue—a grand historic ballroom draped in silver and crystal. Giant frosted trees lined the steps. Ice sculptures sparkled at the entrance like sentinels guarding royalty.

---

Kai stepped out first, taking her hand as she followed. Flashbulbs burst the moment they appeared. No longer the mystery woman. Now, she was his.

Inside, the ceiling soared high above them, painted with silver constellations. Crystal chandeliers glimmered like frozen stars. Every table glowed with candles and winter-white roses. The crowd rippled as they entered.

Lyric felt the weight of every gaze. Some curious. Some admiring. A few already tinged with jealousy. Kai led her gracefully into the room, his arm a steady anchor.

They moved from conversation to conversation—moguls, politicians, foreign dignitaries, and faces Lyric vaguely recognized from magazines.

Kai introduced her with quiet pride. Not just as his date. As his future.

Lyric answered questions smoothly. Years of navigating small-town gossip and eclectic shop customers had prepared her more than she realized.

A few wives of powerful men offered polite smiles laced with thinly veiled judgment.

One woman in particular—a tall blonde in a pale ice-blue gown—watched Lyric with obvious disdain, her gaze sliding to Kai more than once.

Lyric noticed. And ignored it. It felt strange, being envied.

Almost like wearing someone else’s skin.

The music swelled as a string quartet took up a waltz. Kai led her onto the dance floor. The marble gleamed beneath their feet as he swept her into motion, every step practiced and powerful.

As they danced, he leaned in, his voice low. “Everyone here knows who you are now.” His hand tightened at her waist. “There’s no going back.”

“I wouldn’t want to,” Lyric whispered. His eyes burned into hers. “You’re everything I ever wanted.”

As the song ended, applause rippled around them. For a moment, Lyric stood perfectly still at the center of the crowd. Not as a girl from Pennsylvania. Not as someone to pity. Not as a mystery. But as Kai Thorn’s partner. Respected. Admired. Envied. And, for the first time in a long time— powerful.

---

Later, as they stepped out of the ballroom, Kai’s hand never left hers .

Outside, the air was crisp and laced with the distant hum of traffic. A valet passed by with a nod. Kai glanced at his phone, then leaned close.

“I’m going to call Thomas to bring the car around,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Be right back.”

Lyric nodded, watching as he stepped away toward a quieter corner of the entrance.

She stood near the grand doors alone, bathed in the soft halo of the exterior lights. Guests filtered out in pairs and clusters, voices low, laughter echoing faintly across the steps.

Then, a figure moved into her peripheral vision.

The woman in the ice-blue gown.

Up close, she was even taller than Lyric remembered, with high cheekbones and hair so flawlessly styled it didn’t dare move in the breeze. Her heels clicked with precision as she approached—then her shoulder grazed Lyric’s with just enough force to make it clear it wasn’t a mistake.

“Oops,” the woman said, tone flat. Her perfume was sharp—something expensive and calculated.

Lyric turned slightly, unsure whether to confront or ignore.

The woman’s mouth curled, not quite a smile. Her voice dropped low, just between them.

“You must think he’s yours. How cute.”

She leaned in, gaze razor-sharp. “But just so you know… it’s not forever, you’re just a phase.”

Then she turned and walked away, hips swaying, not sparing another glance.

Lyric didn’t move. Her heart thudded once—then again, slower. A flush crept across her chest, though she couldn’t tell if it was anger, confusion, or something colder.

Kai returned moments later, hand reaching for hers. “Car’s pulling around now.”

Lyric offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Kai pulled her close, brushing a kiss to her cheek as the Bentley rounded the drive. They climbed in together, the door closing with a quiet click.

They rode in silence, the city glowing beyond the tinted windows .

For a moment, that woman’s words echoed faintly in her mind—sharp, smug, possessive.

You’re just a phase.

Who was she? How did she know Kai?

And why did her voice sound like she owned him?

Unease stirred beneath Lyric’s skin, coiling low and tight.

But she buried it deep.

She leaned into Kai, breathing in his scent, letting the quiet rhythm of his presence drown out every dark thought.

Tonight was hers.

And she wouldn’t let anyone steal it.

---

Back at the penthouse, Lyric paused before the vast windows, staring out across the skyline. The world felt endless. Her future, limitless.

She didn’t yet realize how fragile it all was.