close to my dialling heart

61🌹a dance with danger

🎶I took an arrow to the heart, I never kissed a mouth that tastes like yours, strawberries and something more, ooh, yeah, I want it all🎶
~Ed Sheeran~

DOVE 🕊

My breath had caught the moment I stepped out of the car, my heels sinking slightly into the marble pathway. Even the ground beneath my feet seemed too luxurious to touch-black marble with veins of gold running through it like lightning bolts frozen in stone. It was all too much. The sheer magnitude of it all felt almost absurd. I had never imagined wealth like this, and yet here I was, standing in the heart of it.

Beyond the ornate gates, which had loomed so high above me, there was a raven intricately carved into the iron-a chilling reminder of who they were. The Raven, their symbol. Xavier's family wasn't just wealthy-they were untouchable, their empire stretching far beyond what I had ever comprehended. The raven, watching silently from the gate, made my skin crawl as if it knew something I didn't. This was no mere mansion. It was a fortress, and I was walking into it willingly.

The courtyard stretched before me, a parade of elegance and excess. Fountains bubbled with crystal-clear water, their soft splashes filling the air as the lights reflected off them, casting delicate rainbows in the mist. Black, glossy luxury cars were lined up like soldiers-Bentleys, Rolls Royces, and sleek sports cars-each more expensive than the last, parked in perfect formation, belonging to guests who were just as powerful and dangerous as the family inside. It was Mr. Meadows' birthday and the elite of the elite had gathered.

As I walked forward, the sound of my heels clicking on the marble echoed eerily in the vast space, drowned out only by the low murmurs of conversation coming from inside. I had spotted a few people already, dressed in gowns and tuxedos, which probably cost more than what I could ever hope to own. High society-people whose lives were so far removed from mine that I felt like an intruder.

The mansion itself had towered before me, its golden domes glittering in the night sky, casting a regal glow over everything. It wasn't just a home-it was a statement, a symbol of power and wealth that seemed untouchable. The air felt heavy with the weight of it all, a mixture of fear and awe settling in my chest as I stood there, too stunned to move for a moment.

I had known Xavier's world was different, but this... this was something else entirely. How could anyone live like this? The luxury, the excess-it was as if the ground itself had been made to remind me that I didn't belong. The estate was too grand, too immaculate. I felt small, almost insignificant, like one wrong step would have me swallowed by the sheer opulence of it all.

As we stepped inside, the stares became even more intense, but they weren't just focused on me-they were locked on Xavier. He had always carried himself with this untouchable aura, this dark, commanding presence that made people stop in their tracks. And now, with me by his side, they couldn't help but stare. It was as though the very sight of him with someone-someone like me-was enough to capture everyone's attention. I felt their eyes on us, their whispers mingling with the soft clinking of glasses, but I knew they were wondering more about him than me.

The guests-dressed in their finest, dripping with wealth and status-were scattered throughout the massive room. Some of them stood in clusters, talking in hushed tones, likely gossiping about who we were or what Xavier had done to be with someone like me. Others were seated on plush velvet couches, sipping champagne or something far more expensive, their movements delicate as if they were afraid to disturb the perfection of the setting. The instrumental music, soft and elegant, drifted through the air, mingling with the low hum of conversation. The melody of violins and a grand piano created a refined backdrop, though the occasional laugh or clink of glass punctuated the atmosphere, reminding me that this world was as opulent as it was powerful.