Chapter 291

Author’s POV The music swelled through the grand ballroom, conversations hushed as all eyes turned toward the dance floor. Ryan guided Serena with practiced ease, their movements fluid and synchronized as if they'd been dancing together their entire lives. The way his hand rested at the small of her back, the elegant arch of her neck, the perfect distance between their bodies, it was a masterclass in ballroom etiquette. Though Elena Parker stood with her new husband in the traditional spot of honor, the guests' attention had clearly shifted. Whispers rippled through the crowd. "Look at them move..." "Did you see her dress? Beautiful..." "He never takes his eyes off her, does he? The way Blackwood looks at her..." Elena's painted smile grew increasingly brittle as she watched the couple commanding the floor. What should have been her moment—her big day—was being effortlessly usurped by the woman she'd hoped to humiliate. Her fingers tightened around Jasper's arm until he winced. "They'r