Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 477: Their Own Happiness

Aurora was the star of the evening. Meanwhile, Gemma, without any sense of restraint, was snapping selfies from every angle, drawing the attention of many. People were probably thinking how peculiar her behavior was-clearly someone who had never seen a grand occasion before.

Aurora had changed into the evening gown Julian prepared for her. He, who always wore dark suits, had made an exception today by donning a white one. The ballroom was decorated exquisitely, like a scene straight out of a fairy tale. Aurora hadn't worn such a princess-like dress in a long time. If she remembered correctly, the last time was on her 18th birthday.

Back then, as the eldest daughter of the Montgomery family, her grandfather had hosted a grand banquet, inviting the upper echelons of society to celebrate her coming of age. It had been a kind gesture, though the event was later marred by unexpected twists and turns.

She descended the staircase, her hand lightly brushing the railing. At the bottom of the stairs, Julian was already waiting for her. With a gentlemanly bow, he extended his hand in invitation.

Aurora and Julian had interacted many times before, but tonight's atmosphere felt different. Meeting his deep, affectionate gaze, she felt her heart race. He took her hand and led her into the center of the ballroom. As the music shifted to a graceful waltz, the other guests naturally sought out dance partners and began to dance.

Eric glanced at Emily, who was thoroughly enjoying her cake. "Let's go. We're dancing." "What? Dancing?" Emily asked, her lips still dusted with a bit of tiramisu.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me the daughter of the Langdon family doesn't know how to dance?" Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Who says I can't? I'm just worried you'll step on my toes," Emily retorted with a scoff.

wearing dresses, let alone dancing. Her father had once forced her to practice, and she'd ended up stepping on her instructor's feet so many times that she nearly drove him to quit. While she could remember the

from the corner of her mouth

fingers on her lips. Before she could process it, she found herself in the middle of the floor. "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to dance with a statue?" Eric teased, a soft

hands were pressed tightly against his chest. "Don't be nervous. I'll lead," he whispered gently into her ear, his voice

movements. It was only later that she realized why she'd never been able to dance well before-it was because she didn't care about her past partners. Eric, however, seemed to have a magnetic pull that guided her effortlessly. Not only did she not step on him, but she

his gaze. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, so perfect it felt like a dream. Elsewhere, Gemma was unwilling to miss an opportunity. "Ian, can I be your partner? You know

makeup. Her dress, tight and low-cut, left little to the imagination-she had clearly

realize how peculiar Gemma was-so peculiar that

it was fortunately drowned out by

someone else," Ian said curtly,

watching others dance. Several men had already approached her to ask for a dance, but she declined. She had only learned to dance briefly in college, with little practice since, and wasn't confident in her skills. That's when Ian

asked, still processing what Ian

out," Ian whispered in

brushed against her skin, and Heather, who had never even held a boy's hand, instantly turned red, her pulse quickening. Before she knew it, Ian had led her onto the dance floor. "I-I'm not very good," she stammered, lowering her head in