CHAPTER 249

The hum of the party buzzed in the distance as William stood by my side, his hand resting gently on my shoulder, grounding me as I fought to keep my emotions in check.

My heart pounded, and I had to remind myself to breathe. I wasn’t about to let Scarlet’s petty cruelty ruin this night for me. Not after everything I had been through to get here. Not when I had just tasted victory.

William's phone buzzed, breaking the tense silence between us. He glanced at the screen and nodded curtly, motioning for me to follow. "My friend’s waiting outside. She’s a stylist. She’ll fix this,” he said, his tone reassuring, as though it was a given that the evening wasn’t going to end in humiliation.

As we slipped through the dimly lit hallways, I kept my head down, my heart thudding in my chest. The ink stain on my gown was spreading, its inky tendrils a visible reminder of Scarlet’s latest attempt to sabotage me. But I couldn’t let her win. Not tonight. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing