My mafia love

4 ~ The Dance.

Kellys POV:

The drive to the ball felt nothing like the first car ride that brought me here.

That one had been filled with silence so heavy it pressed against my chest, every second stretching into something unbearable.

I sat in the back, the fabric of the dress they'd put me in feeling foreign against my skin, too elegant for someone in my position. Every detail about me had been carefully arranged hair, makeup, the way the dress fit like it had been made for me and yet all I could think about was how none of it was my choice.

Cade sat in the front seat, his posture relaxed, one arm resting against the door as if this were nothing more than another routine evening. His gaze drifted to me occasionally, not lingering long, but long enough each time to remind me that he was watching.

Always watching.

Adam, on the other hand, had no such restraint. Sat next to me along with Derrick.

"You clean up well, kitten," he said, leaning back in his seat with an easy grin.

"Why is he coming with me?" I asked, nodding toward Adam.

"Because I'm charming," Adam answered immediately.

"Because you're being watched," Derrick corrected flatly.

That shut the conversation down.

My attention shifted back to the window, watching as the city gave way to something grander, brighter. The closer we got, the more obvious it became that this wasn't just any event.

The building itself was breathtaking, lit up in a way that made it look almost unreal, but I barely had time to take it in before I was being guided inside. The doors opened, and suddenly, I was stepping into a room filled with people who all seemed to notice me at once.

And just like that, I wasn't invisible anymore.

I was being watched.

Every step I took felt deliberate, like I was walking onto a stage I didn't agree to be on. I could feel their gazes, lingering, assessing, curious. Some of them recognised me, I could tell. Or at least, they recognised what I represented.

Cade rushed off as soon as we entered the building, said it was 'work'.

Adam stayed close at first, his hand lightly guiding me forward, but his attention didn't last long.

"Stay here," he muttered, already distracted, his eyes flicking toward a group of women across the room who were very clearly interested in him.

"You're supposed to be watching me," I said under my breath.

"I am," he replied, not even looking at me. "From a distance."

"That's not how watching works."

"Relax, kitten, you're not going anywhere." And then he was gone.

I stood there for a second, my heart picking up slightly as I realised, no one was holding me. No one was stopping me.

This was it.

My chance.

I didn't hesitate.

I turned, moving quickly but not enough to draw attention, weaving through the crowd, my eyes scanning for exits, doors, anything that looked like a way out. My pulse raced, adrenaline kicking in hard enough to drown out everything else.

I headed for the closest door immediately, my pace quickening despite myself, my breath coming faster as I pushed through it and into a quieter hallway.