Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Eyes turned to Raphael, waiting for him to act, to be the gentleman they all expected him to be. And he did not disappoint them.
Without hesitation, Raphael bent down and scooped Colette into his arms.
The crowd sighed in approval, as if they were watching a romantic drama unfold before their very eyes.
He barely spared me a glance, but when he passed, he whispered, “Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”
Then he was gone, disappearing through the doors with Colette in his arms.
I stood there, frozen, as laughter and chatter resumed around me, as if I were nothing but an insignificant extra in their grand affair.
They might have thought I was foolish for agreeing to come, but the real fools were them—they had no idea what my true intentions were.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. Without hesitation, I turned away from the glittering ballroom and stepped onto the balcony.
**
As Raphael drove her to the hospital, Colette glanced at him and murmured, “Sorry for bothering you. Nadine must be jealous seeing this.”