Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

The man was in a sleek black suit, the sapphire blue cufflinks catching the light in a way that was impossible to ignore. His vintage Patek Philippe added a touch of timeless elegance, perfectly complementing his choice of disguise for the evening, a Phantom of the Opera mask.

Roseanne locked eyes with him, and right away, she recognized the playful spark in his look that revealed his identity.

It was Corley!

Roseanne turned him down. "Sorry, I don't dance."

Yet, Corley was unyielding. "I've seen you practicing ballet behind the school auditorium."

Caught in her lie, Roseanne was speechless for a moment. She then remembered. He referred to her solo performance, which never happened during her senior year's prom night. After two months of relentless practice, an ankle injury had kept her off the stage. She had almost forgotten about it, but he knew.

Suddenly, the emcee said something, and the spotlight began scanning over the crowd.

The audience's screams grew louder with each passing second.

off guard, the beam of light landed on them, enveloping

smirk. "It's tradition here that if a man and a woman are caught in the spotlight, they have to dance. Would you

he bowed slightly and extended his hand for the

them started chanting, "Say

tune. Dance a

way out, Roseanne placed her hand in his. Corley immediately

they moved together

backward, spinning and embracing,

endearing little fox in his arms. Their movements

to explore dance, art, music, and manners from a young age. She had groomed Roseanne to be polite, talented, and knowledgeable, never expecting

entered every science and computer competition available, progressing from local to national levels, eventually selected for intensive training camps and winning awards

Roseanne

opportunities, but Roseanne declined them all. She insisted on taking the SAT and aced it earning

thinking about?" Corley's voice brought her back to the