RAVENNA

Part 27

Nieve POV

After stuffing ourselves and laughing at each other's expense, I finally made my way over to meet my grandparents. They were here for the wedding—though, more importantly, for me. Before the headmistress could officially write them for the incident, Gabriel had already beaten her to it.

I walked to their table, where the senior guests were gathered. My grandparents sat there, along with Aunt Yuxi and uncle Tae Ho. Other familiar and unfamiliar faces filled the seats, and in the distance, I caught sight of the duchess and the headmistress.

"You guys done with the food?" I asked, slipping between my grandparents' chairs.

They looked up at me with warm smiles and nodded. Behind me, Esme and Rob followed. They greeted them as well.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Winston," Rob said, extending his hand toward my grandfather.

"Hello, young man. And you..." My grandfather squinted at Esme. "You must be Esme, am I right?"

"Yes, Mr. Winston. It's wonderful to meet you both." Esme smiled brightly.

"Well, Nieve has told us much about the two of you. Thank you for being her friends," my grandmother said kindly.

"She's more than worth it," Nikolai's voice came from behind. He was dressed sharply in grey trousers, a sky-blue shirt, and a matching vest.

"Oh, hello Nikolai," Rob greeted. "We didn't know you'd be here too." I spoke.

"Of course I'd be here, darling," came an all-too-familiar, annoying voice. I rolled my eyes before even turning around.

"Aww, did you miss me, Winston?" Sebastian leaned casually against my grandfather's chair, his smirk already infuriating. "Hello, Mr. Winston... and—" His hand darted toward my grandmother's. "The breathtaking Mrs. Winston."

Before anyone could stop him, he bent down and placed an over-the-top kiss on her hand, loud enough to make the table chuckle. My grandmother cooed like he was some prince from a fairytale.

"Get your hands off her," I growled.

Sebastian turned to me, grin widening. "Relax. If you're jealous, Winston, I can always kiss you instead. Hands, cheeks—take your pick."

Gasps and muffled laughs rippled around the table.

I narrowed my eyes, baring the fakest smile I could muster. "If I wanted to risk catching rabies, I'd wrestle a stray dog, not let you anywhere near my face."

The table burst into laughter, half shocked, half delighted at our bickering. Sebastian just chuckled, tilting his head.

"Careful, Winston," he said smoothly. "One of these days you'll confuse hatred for attraction. It happens more often than you'd think."

I snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. The only thing I'm attracted to is the idea of you leaving."

Sebastian tilted his head, eyes glittering with mock admiration. "Sharp tongue, fiery glare... careful, you're ticking all my boxes."

"Too bad you're not ticking any of mine," I shot back.

Before Sebastian could come up with another sly remark, the announcer's voice rang out across the hall, calling the bride and groom for their first dance. The chatter quieted, and all eyes turned toward the couple as soft music began to play.

We rose from our seats almost in unison, drifting toward the centre of the hall with the other guests. The bickering faded into the background, swallowed by the elegance of the moment as Lilya and Michael stepped gracefully onto the dance floor.

Author Pov

Lilya and Michael stood at the centre of the hall, their hands joined, smiles soft as they swayed gently to the song "I Do It for You." The room hushed, every pair of eyes fixed on the couple as their love unfolded in every graceful step.

But the romance didn't last long. The music shifted, slow melodies giving way to the infectious beat of "The Ketchup Song."

In an instant, chaos bloomed. Nieve hiked up her long skirt, tucking it at her waist to shorten it, and kicked off her heels with no hesitation. Beside her, Gabriel shed his coat, tugged loose his tie, and the two stormed the dance floor like it was their rightful stage. Their wild, perfectly ridiculous moves left jaws dropping all around.

Bowen, Nieve's grandfather, was the first to break from the stunned crowd. With a mischievous grin, he marched up to the musicians and demanded a new tune. The rhythm shifted again—this time to the fiery "Papi." With surprising agility for his age, Bowen joined them, his steps making the hall erupt with cheers.

Laughter rang out as Alex dragged others onto the stage, pulling them into the frenzy. Partners swapped, hands clasped then spun away again, the group growing until the floor looked like a festival. Nieve and Esme moved together in sync, mirroring each other's steps before collapsing into giggles.

From a distance, Sebastian leaned back with his arms crossed, watching with narrowed eyes. Beside him, Nikolai sat with his mother, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

"I didn't know she could dance like that," Sebastian muttered, though his eyes didn't leave Nieve.

"Not everyone is like you, show off." Nikolai teased.

Sebastian scrunched his nose, earning a quiet laugh from Nikolai.

And in the far corner—where the music dulled to a faint echo and laughter was but a shadow—stood a girl. Tall, beautiful, her smile touched with admiration but something unsettling lurked around her. Her gaze never left Nieve, watching the way her hair tumbled over her face with every twirl, how her laughter shone brighter with every step. Each twirl, each toss of hair, each burst of laughter only deepened that quiet smile, but there was no warmth in it—only intent.