A Dance with Destiny

Chapter 4

Diana couldn't help herself. The tension in the air was thick, but something inside her made her giggle softly, the sound light and airy as it escaped her lips. She covered her mouth quickly, trying to stifle the sound, but the nervous laughter only seemed to add to the fluttering chaos inside her chest. She tilted her head to the side, her soft blue hair falling gently over her shoulder, and the playful innocence in her expression made her look even younger than she really was.

For a moment, Mattheo just watched her, his gaze softening. He had always been the one to command attention, to be the one everyone chased after, but here she was—so genuine, so unguarded—and it left him speechless. Diana's eyes—those wide, doe-like eyes—locked with his, and something inside him stirred. She was adorable, in a way he couldn't put into words.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Diana asked, her voice barely more than a whisper, but it held a hint of playfulness. She couldn't help herself; the way Mattheo looked at her made her feel like the most important person in the room. For the first time, she felt noticed in a way that wasn't about her family name, her perfect posture, or her bloodline.

Mattheo blinked, his breath catching in his throat. Her eyes were so innocent, so full of wonder, and yet so full of unspoken curiosity. She was different from the girls he usually encountered. She wasn't throwing herself at him; in fact, she seemed almost shy. But her shyness was endearing. It made him want to be the one to draw her out, to be the one she trusted.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice low. "But I can't stop looking at you."

Diana's giggles faded, and a soft pink blush spread across her cheeks. She had never really thought of herself as special, certainly not in the way others might see her. In fact, she had never had a boyfriend, and never been kissed by anyone other than family. She had spent most of her life overshadowed by her sisters, Astoria and Daphne, who were always the center of attention in their world. Diana had always kept to herself, unsure of what it meant to be seen in a romantic way.

Her gaze softened as she thought about it. This was the first time someone—especially someone like Mattheo Riddle—had taken such an interest in her. She felt both excited and terrified by the possibility of what it could mean. Her heart thudded in her chest as she glanced up at him again, the shy, delicate smile never leaving her face.

"Is it really me you're interested in?" she asked, her voice sweet but uncertain. She tilted her head again, looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes that seemed to hold so much vulnerability. "I mean... I've never really had a boyfriend before. I've never been on a date, never kissed anyone except maybe... my cousins at family reunions," she added with a nervous laugh, her hand lightly touching the side of her neck as she tried to calm the growing heat in her face. She doesn't trust everything she has heard.

Mattheo blinked in surprise at her words. He hadn't expected her to say that. He had assumed—no, expected—that someone like her, a Greengrass, would have a line of suitors vying for her attention. But here she was, confessing that she had never been kissed or even been on a date. The revelation made his chest tighten, and his protective instincts kicked in.

"Really?" he asked, his voice gentle, as if the idea of her never having been kissed was something he could hardly comprehend. He stepped a little closer, though not too close, giving her space. "You're telling me you've never been with anyone?"

Diana nodded shyly, her fingers playing with the edge of her rose-patterned dress. "I've been too focused on... well, being me, I guess. I've never had time for anyone else." She bit her lip nervously, avoiding his gaze for a moment. "Maybe... maybe that's why I don't know what to do when someone like you looks at me like that."

Mattheo took a step forward, his heart beating louder in his chest. The way she spoke, with such raw honesty and vulnerability, made him feel something he wasn't used to—compelled, almost. "There's nothing wrong with that, Diana. You don't have to be like everyone else."

She looked up at him again, those big eyes wide with curiosity. Something about the way he said her name made her stomach flutter. Diana had always been the one to keep her distance, to hold everyone else at arm's length, but with Mattheo, it was different. There was a part of her that wanted to let him in, to see where this might go—even if it was something she had no experience with.

"Do you... do you want to get to know me?" she asked, her voice soft but full of quiet hope. Her heart was pounding, but she couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. She tilted her head again, and in that moment, she looked like the sweetest puppy—a girl who had never experienced love but was willing to take a chance on it.

Mattheo's eyes softened, his breath steady as he took in her words. There was no hesitance in her tone, no playfulness. She was serious. And for the first time in a long time, Mattheo felt his walls crack, his heart responding to the raw sincerity in her question.

"I do," he said, his voice deep and sincere. "I want to get to know you, Diana. I don't know where this will go, but I'd like to find out."

Diana smiled shyly, her heart fluttering in her chest, and for the first time in her life, she allowed herself to believe that maybe—just maybe—she wasn't as invisible as she had always felt. And perhaps this was the beginning of something truly unexpected.