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.

on them, enveloping them in a circle

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

and extended

around them started chanting, "Say

a tune.

gritted teeth and no way out, Roseanne placed her hand in his.

moved

backward, spinning and embracing,

fox in his arms. Their movements intertwined, their eyes locked, and Corley's smile was

dance, and she was good at it. It was thanks to her mother, who believed her daughter should be well-rounded, encouraging her to explore dance, art, music, and

and computer competition available, progressing from local to national levels,

year, Roseanne

Top universities offered her scholarships and spots without exams, promising study abroad opportunities, but Roseanne declined

you thinking about?" Corley's voice