Amelia stood before the mirror, her fingers smoothing over the delicate fabric of her dress. The only one she had brought with her. The deep navy silk clung to her frame, elegant in its simplicity, its fitted bodice and flowing skirt designed for quiet grace rather than extravagance.

She didn't need anything more. She was breathtaking. And I hated that she was going.

I stood behind her, carefully pulling the zipper up along her back, my fingers steady despite the storm in my chest. I didn't want her to do this. Not because I doubted her and not because she wasn't ready. But because he would be there.

Michael.

There was no way he wouldn't show up.

But I had no choice. This was her moment. The start of something bigger—the thing that would bring her back to music, back to herself.

And yet, as I watched her standing there, poised and graceful, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was different.

Because this wasn't in the novel.

Amelia Valemont never played at the charity ball.

In the book, this event was all about Michael and Saddie. The image of them together, the whispered conversations about Mrs. Valemont's conspicuous absence—it was a turning point, the moment where society no longer questioned Saddie's presence in Michael's life.

A night that had once been written as a humiliation for Amelia.

But now, here she was. Dressed in navy silk. Walking into the same charity ball. But this time, she would be the one people would talk about.

And Michael?

Michael would be the one watching from the crowd.

I swallowed hard, adjusting the cuffs of my sleeves as I took one last look at her.

"Nervous?" I asked.

She exhaled softly. "Not for the recital."

I already knew what she meant. She wasn't afraid of playing the piano. She wasn't afraid of standing before a crowd, of having hundreds of eyes on her as her fingers danced over the keys. She was afraid of him. Of seeing Michael again.

I clenched my jaw, my hands slipping into my pockets to keep them from forming fists. I wouldn't let him near her. I had made that vow the moment she agreed to this recital. 

And if things went the way I hoped, he wouldn't even get the chance. Because Saddie would be there too. And with Saddie came drama. If I was right, she'd make a scene. Something that would demand Michael's attention everytime Amelia was there.

I didn't tell her any of this. Didn't tell her that I was already preparing to stand between her and Michael if it came to that. Instead, I simply held out my arm. She hesitated for half a second before looping hers through mine. And together, we walked out the door.