Chapter 7

All at once, all eyes were on Ivanna. She froze and instinctively glanced at Adrian. His gaze was filled with mockery and amusement. At that moment, Ivanna finally understood what was going on—this wasn't just some casual party. It was a setup, planned to humiliate her. Ivanna slammed her glass down on the table, her lips curling into a cold smile. "If you want to see a dance, go to the theater. I don't have time to entertain you." Lydia flinched and shrunk back, her voice trembling as she said, "I... I'm sorry, Ivanna. I've never been to a party before. I didn't mean to overstep..." Her tone was pitiful as she spoke. Adrian then slipped an arm around her shoulders and said, "Why are you apologizing? It's just a dance. Ivanna, don't tell me you're being that petty." The crowd knew exactly whose side they were on. Ivanna had never been favored by her family. For years, the only one who had ever stood up for her was Adrian. But now, he had turned his back on her too. Upon seeing this, the crowd too felt as if they could freely mock Ivanna. Someone shouted across the hall, "Yeah, Ms. Powell, don't be such a killjoy! It's just a dance. Why act so high and mighty?" "I've seen bar girls dance, but never a rich heiress like Ivanna. Who here thinks she'll do any better?" "Who knows? Once they start dancing, they'll probably look the same anyway." Laughter rippled throughout the crowd. All the while, Adrian didn't say a word and simply looked at Ivanna with that same mocking smile. The scene pulled Ivanna back to the past. Felix had never supported her dream. To him, his daughter performing on stage was a disgrace to the family name. At banquets, people had mocked her for it too. During such times, Ivanna would be shocked into speechlessness. However, once when Adrian had witnessed this, he'd stormed across the hall, smashed a bottle over a man's head, and warned that anyone who insulted Ivanna would be making an enemy of both him and the entire Cross family. For that, Adrian had been whipped until his back was raw. Ivanna had sat by his bedside then, weeping until her eyes swelled. But Adrian had only smiled, pinched her cheek, and whispered, "Don't cry, Ivanna. Chase your dream. I'll always protect you." Yet now, he was protecting someone else. Ivanna drew a long breath as she clenched her fists tight. It didn't matter. She could protect herself now. "If you're all here for entertainment, go ahead. But whether I dance or not is my choice. I'm done here. Excuse me." Ivanna turned on her heel, ready to leave, but before she could walk away, a rough hand seized her wrist. She spun around, only to see a face that was both familiar and unwelcome—Samuel. She remembered meeting him a few times before. He said, "Don't go, Ms. Powell. Everyone's here. Don't spoil the fun! "I hear you studied ballet, right? That fancy stuff is boring. Why not give us a striptease? It's all dancing anyway, isn't it?" His grin was lewd as his eyes openly raked over Ivanna. Years ago, when she and Adrian were still close, Samuel had made a similar crude joke. At the time, Adrian had beaten him bloody for it. But now, upon seeing that she had been cast aside, Samuel couldn't keep his filthy mouth shut. Ivanna's brows furrowed as she tried to yank her arm free, but Samuel's grip only tightened. His hand slid up her arm, and his fingers reached toward her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, Ivanna spotted a wine bottle on the table. Without hesitation, she snatched it up and smashed it against his head. "I told you! Let me go!"