A Dance with Danger

Chapter Ten

**Ilaria's POV**

The food court was bustling with life, the noise of chattering voices and the clatter of trays blending into a familiar symphony of midday chaos. I sat at a table with Olivia, Harmony, and Rielly, a welcome escape from the tension of the past few days.

The girls were animated, their voices rising and falling as they filled me in on the latest gossip and news, but my mind was distracted, the thoughts flickering like shadows at the back of my mind.

Olivia had just returned from a photoshoot, and she couldn’t stop talking about it. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she recounted every detail, the shoots, the outfits, the creative direction.

Her energy was contagious, and I found myself smiling as she gestured with her hands, clearly still buzzing from the experience.

“Seriously, it was like a dream come true!” Olivia said, taking a sip of her iced coffee. “I’ve been working so hard for this, and finally, it paid off. They said they want to book me again for the next campaign—maybe even a few high-end brands. It’s crazy!”

“I told you it would happen,” Harmony teased, nudging Olivia’s shoulder. “You’ve got the look, girl.”

“I agree,” Rielly added with a grin. “You were born for this.”

Olivia’s smile stretched wider, basking in the praise. The entire table was caught up in her joy, the genuine excitement for her success easing my own tension. I watched her, feeling a pang of admiration for her drive. Olivia’s world was so different from mine—uncomplicated, bright, and open. Sometimes, I wondered if I’d ever be able to live like that.

As the conversation continued to swirl around me, I found myself lost in thought. The life I led, the path I was walking... it was nothing like the one Olivia had carved for herself.

My mind wandered, and for a split second, I couldn’t help but think about the looming wedding. A wedding that was supposed to be a celebration, yet it felt like something else—something far less innocent.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my purse, snapping me out of my reverie. I fumbled for it, my fingers brushing against the cool glass as I saw the name flashing on the screen: *Mom*.

I quickly picked up, flashing a tight smile at my friends as I answered the call. “Hey, Mom.”

“Sweetheart, I just wanted to check in,” Abigail’s warm voice came through, comforting and familiar. “I know everything has been a whirlwind with the wedding plans, but I’m so excited! I can’t believe the big day is almost here. It feels like just yesterday we were talking about all of this.”

Her enthusiasm was genuine, but as she spoke, my mind began to drift. A sharp, involuntary flashback hit me like a wave, and I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. The memory was vivid—an image that came to me unbidden.

I saw Tiberius standing before me, the man I’d married in name only, his dark eyes piercing through me with that dangerous mix of cold indifference and hidden fire.

I remembered how he had commanded attention, how he made everything around him feel like it was part of his world. The memory of our fake marriage twisted into something far more complicated.

There had been moments when I’d wondered—no, *feared*—that the line between what was real and what wasn’t was more blurred than I ever wanted to admit.

It was a life I had never asked for, a web of lies I was entangled in, and yet somehow, with Tiberius, there was something magnetic, something I couldn’t escape.

My fingers tightened around the phone, and I blinked rapidly to push the thoughts away. “Yeah, me too, Mom,” I finally replied, forcing the tightness in my throat to subside. “I’m excited as well.”

I heard her sigh on the other end, the sound filled with a warmth that tugged at my heart. “I know it’s been stressful, darling, but I have no doubt everything is going to fall into place.

You’re strong, and you know how to make things happen. Just remember, I’m here if you need anything. I love you, sweetheart.”

The words were simple, but they struck a chord with me. My mother was always full of encouragement, always full of light, never quite understanding the shadows that lingered over my life. And maybe that was for the best.

“I love you too, Mom,” I said, my voice softer now, the memories of Tiberius fading, for the moment at least.

I could hear her smile through the phone. “I’ll be there soon, honey. We’ll make sure everything is perfect.”

“Yeah, we will,” I echoed, though a part of me wasn’t so sure.

After a final exchange of pleasantries, I ended the call. The quiet in the food court seemed to close in on me as I set the phone down on the table, my thoughts swirling.

A distant laugh from Olivia brought me back to the present, but the heaviness in my chest remained. The excitement my mother had for the wedding only made my own sense of dread sharper.

I could feel the weight of my friends’ gazes on me as I stared into space, lost in thought. Harmony was the first to break the silence, her voice soft but insistent.

“So,” she began, her eyes flicking between me and Olivia, “What’s going on with you, Ilaria? You’ve been quiet lately. Something on your mind?”

I blinked, trying to focus. “Nothing, just... wedding stuff, you know?” I forced a smile, hoping it didn’t seem as strained as it felt. “My mom’s really excited about it, and I guess it’s kind of rubbing off on me.”

Olivia, always quick to notice shifts in mood, leaned forward. “You don’t seem excited. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lied smoothly, pushing the thoughts of Tiberius aside, though they lingered like an unshakable cloud.

But Rielly, ever the perceptive one, raised an eyebrow. “Ilaria, we’ve been friends long enough to know when you’re *not* fine. You’ve been a little... off lately. Is it the wedding? Or something else?”

I let out a breath, not entirely surprised that my friends were picking up on my unease. They’d known me for years, seen me through my highs and lows, and I knew they cared about me. Too much, maybe.

“It’s just... it’s complicated,” I said, feeling a flicker of guilt rise in my chest. “There’s a lot of pressure, and I’m not sure how to handle it.”

The table fell silent for a moment as the girls exchanged glances. Finally, Harmony placed her hand over mine, her touch warm and reassuring. “Ilaria, you’ve got us. If anything goes wrong, you call us. Promise?”

Olivia nodded in agreement, her usual lightness replaced by a rare seriousness. “We’re always here for you, no matter what.”

Rielly, too, leaned in, her eyes full of understanding. “We’ve got your back, okay? No matter how messy things get.”

I felt my chest tighten at their words, a sense of relief mingling with the faintest trace of guilt. “I promise,” I whispered, my voice cracking just a little. It wasn’t often I let people in, let them see my vulnerabilities. But these girls—they were different. They were family in their own way.

The conversation shifted again, the laughter and chatter returning to the table, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in my gut. The wedding was coming, and so was the storm I could already feel gathering on the horizon.

But for now, I was here with my friends, and that was enough.

For now, I would hold on to the promise I made—to call them if things went wrong. The rest of it, the weight of everything that was coming, would have to wait.