“Ms. Paston, although you’ve declined our invitation several times, your aerial dance performance was truly breathtaking. We’d like to extend another offer. Would you consider joining our troupe?”
The voice on the other end was soft yet carried a strength that seemed to pulse through my veins.
I wiped away my tears and responded with conviction, “I accept!”
Victor arrived soon after. When he saw me packing without makeup or fuss, he nodded with approval.
“We just got engaged, so there’s no rush to move into the Whyttons' place. We’ll have the servants take care of it when the time comes. Don’t worry, everyone knows the mystery box thing was just a prank. My parents won’t make a fuss about it.”
Victor pulled out a gift box tied with a delicate ribbon.
“Abby picked out a dress for you. Try it on, see if it fits.”
The dress was a low-cut, backless gown with a slit running all the way up to my thigh. It didn’t look like an evening dress. It looked more like… lingerie.
Victor’s fingers brushed behind my ear as he expertly started undoing my clothes.