“I don’t know the steps,” I admitted, my voice softer than I meant it to be.

“You don’t need to,” Xavier said with a smile that was both reassuring and dangerous. “Just follow the rhythm. I’ll handle the rest.”

Every gaze in the hall was fixed on us, hungry for a show. If I resisted him now, the illusion he had built would shatter—and I knew I would be the one to bear the cost.

So I yielded. My hand went where he guided it, resting on his shoulder, the other caught in his ...