I met his stare without flinching. “Oh no, I… what’s that?” I pointed sharply behind them, feigning alarm. “Is that smoke?”

Both guards instinctively turned, their gazes flicking toward the direction I pointed.

Then I ran inside immediately.

My feet moved furiously as I dashed through the open space between them. They shouted behind me, but it was too late. I was already inside.

The hall was glittering, full of glass and wealth and artifice. Laughter floated through the air like perfume. Champagne clinked in crystal flutes. But all I wanted to see was her.

She was standing on the stage like a queen, basking in the fake glow of other people’s love.

I didn’t wait.

“You STOLE MY SONG!” I shouted.

The room froze.

Every head turned. I saw their expressions shift from confusion, to recognition, to disgust.

“Isn’t that the person that killed Mr David?” someone whispered.

“Didn’t she go to prison?”

“No, she was released recently due to lack of evidence.”

“But why is she here?”

Anna turned toward me slowly, her lips curling in that familiar venomous smirk.

“Oh, Bella.” Her voice dripped with false pity. “You must be joking. Why on earth would I steal a piece from someone like you?”

She gave a light laugh, as though the accusation was amusing.

“Everyone knows how talentless and ugly you are.”

The laughter that followed was loud and cruel.

My hands curled into fists.

“You know the truth and the truth is that it’s mine,” I said, voice trembling.

“Security!” someone shouted loudly.

I heard the footsteps coming from both sides of me, but I didn’t care.

They were about to grab me when a voice came through.

“Enough.”

It was just one word.

But the room went silent immediately.

The crowd parted. And through it walked a man in a black suit. There was power in his every step. Jesse Black.

Rumor had it he was old money, with new power—his fortune rooted in global real estate, tech empires, and the kind of offshore accounts you couldn’t trace. Some said he had ties to the mafia. Others said his background was worse. No one dared confirm it nor did anyone dare to ask. I wondered what he was doing in such an event like this but I didn’t have much time to think.

He stopped right in front of me. He didn’t ask who I was.

Instead he turned right to Anna.

“She’s telling the truth, isn’t she?”

Anna’s lips parted, but no words came out.

“M-Mr. Jesse, I…”

He raised a hand.

She shut up.

“I believe her,” he said.

Then he looked at me and walked forward.

Before I could process what was happening, his arm wrapped around me and he lifted me into the air, bridal-style, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I gasped. “What are you doing?”

He met my eyes.

“Let’s go home.”

And then he carried me out.

Gasps followed us as we pushed through the crowd. The music screeched to a stop. Anna’s voice wobbled behind us, confused and angry, but I ignored it completely. My vision blurred as I pressed my face into Jesse’s chest, the heat of his body the only grounding thing in the chaos.

The moment we stepped outside, cameras flashed again, reporters yelling his name this time.

“Mr. Black! Is that your date?”

“Who is she?”

“Are you both in a relationship?”

Jesse didn’t say a word. His grip on me remained firm but careful, as though I might break if he held any tighter.

A black car that was sleek, shining, and waiting pulled up to the curb. The driver rushed to open the door, bowing slightly.

Jesse ducked inside with me still in his arms, shutting out the outside world.

The interior of the car was just like him, cold, luxurious, dark leather with gold detailing. His scent clung to the space. It was masculine and expensive.

He finally let me go, and I slid into the seat, breathless, my heart pounding against my ribs like it wanted to escape.

Neither of us spoke for the first minute.

I stared out the tinted window, watching the road vanish. My hands were trembling slightly in my lap, the echo of Anna’s betrayal, of the crowd, of my scream still reverberating in my chest.

“Why did you do that?” I murmured.

He didn’t look at me. “Is that your way of saying thank you?”

I turned to face him. “Thank you very much…err.. Mr Jesse.”

“You are welcome,” he said flatly. “There are better ways to handle situations like that.”

I didn’t reply. Part of me wanted to cry. Another part wanted to laugh. Instead, I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. I still didn't understand where he was going with all this. But I was indeed thankful that he got me out of that humiliating situation.

The drive was quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. There was something steady about Jesse. Like even in the middle of a storm, he wouldn’t waver.

When the car finally rolled to a stop, I blinked up at the towering building before us.

Glass and steel stretched into the night sky. Every window glowed faintly, like stars captured in architecture. A doorman stood under a canopy, bowing as Jesse stepped out first, then offered me his hand.

I hesitated. My shoes hit the pavement. I had no idea what I was doing anymore but I still followed him.

The lobby was a sea of marble and golden light. Rich silence blanketed everything. People moved like shadows. Everything was quiet and purposeful. This wasn’t a home. It was a palace carved into the bones of the city.

A tall man in a crisp black suit greeted Jesse at the elevator with a slight bow. “Mr. Black.”

“Go and get every necessity of a woman,” Jesse said, not looking at him. “And buy some clothes in her size. Comfortable ones.”

“Yes, sir.”

I blinked. Clothes? Women neccessities?

The elevator opened directly into a private floor. The moment I stepped out, the atmosphere changed.

It was quieter here and warmer.

The hallway stretched ahead with sleek, dim lighting, and I could already smell something soft and sweet like sandalwood and bergamot.

Jesse led me down the hall, past minimalist art and silent doors, until we reached a set of double doors.

We entered and I sat on a velvet couch that probably cost more than my life. The room was filled with glass walls, sleek furniture, and the kind of items that screamed power.

Jesse stood in front of me, with his hands in his pockets, looking like he owned the sky.

I was still trembling.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. “Why did you do that?”

He smirked. “Because I hate liars and maybe because I’m a kind person.”

That still didn’t make sense to me.

I laughed bitterly. “So you defending me today was charity work?”

“No.” His voice dropped.

I lifted my eyes to meet his.

He stepped closer.

“It seems you’ve really forgotten our first meeting so quickly.”