The Miracle of You

Camille held her breath as she waited for him to respond. She continued to glare at him from behind her mask, gripping his shoulder so tightly as though giving him a warning.

She knew that she was being reckless by challenging him and possibly provoking him, but it was either that or become his lifeless little doll for the rest of her life. As a matter of fact, she was still going to be his contract wife. She wasn’t going to break their agreement.

All she wanted was for that little bit of freedom not to be taken away from her. It was hard enough to be around him all the time. She didn’t want to have to pretend that he was pleasant enough to be her ‘friend’. It was ridiculous.

“…” Christian gripped her waist and continued to dance, his brown eyes studying her face intently. Camille followed his steps, but continued to stare back at him stubbornly.

“Hmm,” he said softly. “You have a point.”

That was all he said. He continued to dance with her, paying attention to the beats of the melody and the rhythm of the instrumental. She figured he was thinking about her words, turning them over in his head, trying to figure out the best course of action. He tended to be like that most of the time, so she let him be.

Then the music subtly escalated, hitting slightly higher notes than usual. It was as if the melody was building to a climax.

At that moment, she belatedly realized that everything seemed to be changing. The couples around them came closer and began to twirl their female partners around them in a synchronized pattern. Christian followed suit, spinning Camille around before gently releasing her to the opposite side.

And Camille suddenly found herself in the arms of another man.

Her lips parted in surprise, she stared at her new male partner. He was dressed in a meticulously tailored black suit that hugged his form. Underneath was a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie around his collar. The jacket was decorated with silver embroidery along the lapels and cuffs. He also wore a crimson-lined cape that cascaded down his back.

It was his mask, however, that caught her attention the most. It covered the upper half of his face, trimmed in silver and decorated with intricate patterns and feathered accents.

The two didn’t speak a word. Camille couldn’t even think of a reason to. She was so taken aback by everything that she just followed his lead, swaying her body to the melody.

She knew it was rude to stare, but she couldn’t help it. He looked… somewhat familiar. His hair was neatly styled, and his cologne was a subtle blend of wood and spice that lingered in the air as he moved. The soft glow of the chandeliers above cast shadows on his features, giving him a charming, enigmatic aura.

‘Wait…’ Camille realized.

‘This is… This man is…’

It was unmistakable. This figure, those lips, that nose… Just the overall features. Even those light-brown eyes behind that beautiful mask.

She recognized him. How could she not? She had been thinking about him a lot for the past few weeks. She still replayed the scene of her shoving the yellow flowers into his chest and walking away. She could still remember the look on his face when she did it, and the way he looked in the rearview mirror as the taxi drove away.

It was him. There was no mistaking it.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

‘But… does he recognize me?’

‘Or am I the only one who knows?’

She didn’t know if he recognized her as well. His expression was carefully impassive, and she couldn’t read it at all. There were no signs of amusement or displeasure. Just no emotion at all.

It was like seeing a different side of Michael McGregor.

With these uncertain thoughts swirling in her head, she continued to dance with him, not even noticing that their movements were becoming more natural and graceful as time went on. Suddenly, she forgot all about Christian and focused all her attention on Michael, wondering why her heart rate was quickening from being so close to him.

They swirled around the room in fluid motions, never speaking but continuing to stare into each other’s eyes. It was as if they were in their own separate world, but the atmosphere was in complete contrast to the one between her and Christian earlier.

There was this electricity between them, a magnetism that drew them together. As the seconds passed, Camille felt the warmth of his closeness wrap around her like a subtle embrace. His grip on her back was so firm and reassuring. It was as if he was her protector, shielding her from all her worries, if only temporarily.

She was so caught up in the moment that when the song stopped, she was startled inside. Had she been so absorbed in the dance?

Were they supposed to switch partners in the middle but she had been so distracted that they didn’t go through with it?

Camille opened her mouth, but instantly regretted it because she didn’t actually know what to say. Michael’s face was still unnervingly impassive, and it was making her feel uncomfortable. Was this really her high school friend?

Why did she feel so much distance than before even though they were literally only inches apart right now?

Camille instinctively licked her lips, feeling as if everything had gone dry, including her throat. It was so tense and uncomfortable for her that her mind went blank.

And why was he just standing there, staring at her? Did he recognize her too?

Then why wasn’t he saying anything?

The other couples chatted with each other while the band prepared to play a different, more lively music.

In the end, she bowed to him as a gesture of farewell before turning around to walk away. She would have to search for Christian and-

But then a voice stopped her.

“Hailey.”