Raphael did not reply. He merely followed his father, leaving Colette to turn her eyes toward me with a sharp, knowing glint. A storm was brewing behind her gaze.
I tried to slip away, already anticipating what was coming, but she strolled toward me, a glass of wine in hand, acting as if I were invisible.
Before I could react, she was suddenly in front of me, feigning surprise. And in the next moment—chaos erupted.
Colette stumbled back dramatically, the glass slipping from her hand and the glass shards hit her leg. Red wine splattered across my white dress, an ugly stain spreading like a wound.
And then she cried out.
“Blood!” Her voice rang across the room, loud enough to turn every head toward us.
I barely had time to process what had happened before Raphael appeared, his face clouded with concern.
“What happened?” he demanded.
Before I could speak, Colette’s voice trembled as she clung to his arm.
“It’s my fault,” she sniffled, the perfect picture of innocence. “I accidentally bumped into Nadine. Ah… my foot, it hurts so much.”
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Eyes turned to Raphael, waiting for him to act, to be the gentleman they all expected him to be. And he did not disappoint them.
Without hesitation, Raphael bent down and scooped Colette into his arms.
The crowd sighed in approval, as if they were watching a romantic drama unfold before their very eyes.
He barely spared me a glance, but when he passed, he whispered, “Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”
Then he was gone, disappearing through the doors with Colette in his arms.
I stood there, frozen, as laughter and chatter resumed around me, as if I were nothing but an insignificant extra in their grand affair.
They might have thought I was foolish for agreeing to come, but the real fools were them—they had no idea what my true intentions were.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. Without hesitation, I turned away from the glittering ballroom and stepped onto the balcony.
**
As Raphael drove her to the hospital, Colette glanced at him and murmured, “Sorry for bothering you. Nadine must be jealous seeing this.”
“It’s fine. Leaving you there would’ve been worse,” Raphael replied coolly. “I can explain it to Nadine later. Besides, it’s just acting, remember?” His voice carried a warning edge.
Suddenly, Colette clutched Raphael’s upper thigh, wincing. “Argh… it hurts so much.”