The Black Swan's Final Revenge Pirouette: The 99th Game Was Mine All Along by Kylie Homme

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Chapter 15

The proximity was intoxicating. Unlike their distant encounter across the stage, Luigi could now detect subtle details that sent shivers of recognition down his spine–the faint jasmine scent that had haunted his dreams for a year, even the staccato rhythm of her pulse visible at her neck.

Each familiar element heightened his impossible suspicion.

Her deliberate silence felt strategic rather than shy. No other dancer in the company maintained this careful muteness–only her.

uncharacteristically tentative motion, he reached toward her mask, his usually steady hand betraying a slight tremor. The closer he got, the more his own heartbeat echoed in

with Luigi, she had expected his typical reaction to being ignored–a flash of entitlement, then dismissal. The Luigi Maggiore she had known would have scoffed at

her best defense, never imagining he would simply reach for the mask

the pearlescent surface, Ariana’s entire

a sharp ringtone sliced through the tension.

for his phone with a suppressed

In grave concerni

came through transformed his expression from intense curiosity within seconds.