Chapter 13: Chapter 13.

Alessia raised her head slightly, her calm voice cutting through the tension. "Lady Selene is upset because I danced with you," she said, her tone soft and untroubled. "I had no intention to upset her. I simply wanted to enjoy a dance, nothing more."

Cassian's gaze softened, shifting from Selene to Alessia. "Is that true, Selene? Did you really think Alessia was trying to humiliate you?"

Selene's chest tightened, her mouth dry, but she forced the words out. "She shouldn't have danced with you. You're my fiancé, Cassian. And you... You should have known better than to indulge her."

Cassian's jaw tightened, his frustration clear. "Selene, you're acting like it's all her fault. It was just a dance. Why would she steal what wasn't yours to begin with?" He stepped closer to her, his voice firm but not unkind. "You forced me into this, did you forget?"

'Damn, that's deep,' Claudia mused, nodding to herself.