Chapter 165

Stella made her way toward the piano in the hall, the dark blue fishtail dress shimmering under the light like a ripple in the night sky. Charles instinctively stepped forward, trying to stop her, but Grace grabbed his arm and held him back tight. "Charles, where are you going?" Her tone had a sharp edge, clearly not planning to let him leave. He tried pulling away, but she didn't budge. His voice lowered, cold and controlled. "Let go." Instead of backing off, Grace leaned in close and whispered right beside his ear, "Charles, don't forget our agreement. Today's the day we make our engagement public—you can't ruin things now." Charles clenched his jaw, watching helplessly as Stella sat down at the grand white piano in the center of the hall. Lifting her gown gracefully, Stella took her place before the piano. "'Mariage d'Amour.'" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and a faint bitter smile curled on her lips. "For the happy couple tonight." The piece wasn't hard, but it fit the