Everyone in the ballroom watched Emma defend a trembling elderly woman when the wealthy guests refused to move, but nobody expected the billionaire who approached them to kneel before her and whisper one word: “Mother.”

The gala proceeded like a delicate game of chess. Emma stayed by Isabella’s side for the first two hours, greeting foreign dignitaries and philanthropists who treated her with newfound reverence after seeing Isabella hold her hand like a daughter.

As midnight approached, Isabella retired to her quarters under heavy guard. Emma slipped away from the loud music and made her way to the quiet, two-story private library at the far end of the estate.

She stood near the tall French doors, looking out over the moonlit terrace and the dark, restless expanse of the lake.

“Hiding?” a deep voice asked from behind the shadows.

Vincent stepped into the moonlight, holding two glasses of sparkling cider. He handed one to Emma.

“Just catching my breath,” Emma admitted with a faint smile. “It’s exhausting pretending to belong in a world that isn't yours.”

“You don’t belong to their world because you are better than it,” Vincent said, leaning against the doorframe beside her. His gaze wasn't on the view; it was entirely on her. “I watched you tonight. You spoke to the serving staff with the same dignity you showed the French ambassador.”

“They’re human beings, Vincent.”

“I know,” he whispered, turning toward her. “And so are you.”

Vincent reached out, his warm, calloused fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from her cheek. Emma felt a shiver trace down her spine. Her breath caught as his fingers lingered against her jawline.

“Vincent, this is dangerous,” Emma whispered, her heart racing. “I’m your mother’s companion. I’m from a different world.”

“I don’t care about the world, Emma,” Vincent said, his voice raw with an intensity he had kept buried beneath cold steel for years. “I have spent my whole life surrounded by people who claim to love me for what I have. You are the only person who ever saw me when I had nothing to offer you except a mother who needed help.”

He leaned in slowly, his lips inches from hers, the heat between them overwhelming.