Page 86 of Chandelier Enthralled
I playfully slapped his arm.
We paused our discussion briefly when the waiter returned to take away our plates.
We were handed dessert menus and quickly chose what sounded good. I went with the same order as them—again.
And I was grateful for the well-timed interruption.
“Look,” I said with confidence, “if you don’t want me returning to Pulse360, you’re going to have to give me a really good explanation.”
“Why don’t we focus on your personal life,” said Cameron. “We need to extract Hugo.”
“He’s still there?” Henry looked disturbed. “You gotta tell him to fuck off, Wills.”
“He’s looking for another place.”
“We have to fly to New York.” Henry didn’t look like he was joking. “Tonight.”
I leaned over and gripped his sleeve. “He has nowhere else to go. He’s a student and doesn’t have any money.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Henry glared at me. “After what he did to you.”
“You told him?” I glared at Cameron.
“Of course I told him,” Cam admitted. “We ride at dawn.”
“Can I handle this, please?” I asked. “Because if you go there, you’ll embarrass me.”
“Willow!” Henry looked upset. “This isn’t right.”
“Do you prefer who you are when you’re not with him?” asked Cameron flatly.
I blinked at him, stunned with his insight. “Yes.”
“Then there’s the answer you need,” said Cameron. “Now you’ve eliminated all doubt that you did the right thing.”
“I know that I did…” I tried to put my pain into words.
“It’s not your fault,” Cameron added kindly. “Charisma bypasses your natural defenses.”
“That’s deep,” said Henry.
There was an undeniable truth to it. Hugo had swept me off my feet with his handsome looks, irresistible charm and boyish playfulness, so tall and handsome and popular with everyone.
Hugo was a nightmare I didn’t know I’d been trapped in.
“My life’s a mess,” I whispered.
Cameron squeezed my hand with affection.
At the far end of the restaurant, a stir of movement caught my attention—a female string quartet gracefully made their way onto the intimate stage, their instruments cradled with care. They arranged themselves in a circle, facing one another, their poised silence as captivating as the anticipation they inspired.
The room hushed.
The quartet was encircled by the warm, flickering glow of candlelight, casting an almost otherworldly aura around them. The atmosphere brimmed with drama, though not a single note had been played yet.
When the lights dimmed, ethereal music flowed through the space, the instruments resonating with such exquisite beauty that it seemed to suspend time.
Everyone here seemed utterly transfixed, momentarily forgetting our surroundings as the melody possessed the space, each note hauntingly vibrating in the cool air of Prima. Strings hummed softly, their vibrations reaching me like a touch, each tremor sending a shiver across the skin, while the deeper chords pulsed beneath the surface. Every note lingered like a breath caught in the throat, both heavy and light, folding into one another until the sound was like an invisible presence, wrapping around me, drawing me deeper into its shimmering world.
