Her breath caught. The weight of his words settled deep within her, curling in her stomach like a flame that refused to be smothered. He was looking at her now, really looking at her, and she knew—if she stayed, if she didn't walk away now, there would be no turning back.
But how could she walk away from this? From him?
Her pulse thundered as she made her choice. Slowly, deliberately, she reached for his face, cupping his jaw with trembling fingers. His skin was hot beneath her touch, searing.
"Then let me help you."
His restraint snapped.
In the next breath, his lips crashed against hers, urgent, desperate, the embodiment of everything he had been holding back. Rose gasped, her fingers tightening in his hair as he pressed her against the wall, his body molding to hers as if she was the only thing grounding him.
Heat surged between them, an inferno neither of them could stop. Every touch, every breath, was a plea, a confession, a surrender. He kissed her like a man starved, like she was the only salvation he could find in the chaos consuming him.
And she let him.
She matched him, meeting his hunger with her own, losing herself in the storm of him. Whatever this was, whatever it would become, Rose knew one thing for certain—
There was no stopping now.
-------
The morning after the ball, Rose wakes up feeling overwhelmed by the events of the night. Julian is still asleep beside her, his expression peaceful yet unreadable. The weight of what happened crashes down on her—what did this mean for them? Did it mean anything to him at all?
Before Julian wakes, Rose gathers herself and quietly leaves the room, needing space to think. But as she steps out, she finds herself face-to-face with Kelly, who looks both furious and smug. Kelly throws a cryptic remark at Rose, hinting that last night was not just a coincidence.
Meanwhile, Julian stirs awake, his mind foggy from the effects of whatever was in his drink. The memories are scattered, but one thing is clear—Rose was with him. And something inside him refuses to let it be a fleeting moment.
As Rose tries to avoid him, Julian is determined to get answers. But before he can, his mother, Flourish Carter, intervenes with a knowing smile, subtly reminding him of his responsibilities and what is expected of him.
Tension builds as Julian and Rose cross paths again—this time, with all the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions between them.