In a private suite adjoining the Regent's Hall at The Saville Mancova, the room hummed with quiet activity. Makeup brushes swept across palettes, curling irons clicked, and Adrianna Ortega's team flitted about with the efficient grace of a well-trained battalion. Victoria stood before a full-length mirror, her reflection almost unrecognizable even to herself, the soft glow of the sconces casting a delicate light over her.

Her gown shimmered with every subtle movement — a breathtaking off-shoulder creation in a blush champagne hue. The fabric, dusted with fine glittering threads, caught the light like stardust, flowing gracefully to the floor before parting into a delicate slit that reveals just enough of her elegantly flawless leg.

The bodice hugged her form with sculpted precision, accentuating her slender figure while maintaining an air of refinement. The off-shoulder drape framed her collarbones, and the faint blush tone complimented the warmth of her hazelnut-brown hair and golden undertones of her skin.

Her hair was styled in an intricate low chignon — soft waves pinned into a rose-like bun at the nape of her neck, with a few loose strands curling elegantly along her jawline. Around her neck rested a fine silver necklace adorned with crystal drops, each one catching the light like a whisper of stars. Matching earrings framed her face, adding a quiet brilliance that mirrored the depth in her hazel eyes.

She held a delicate satin clutch in a champagne tone, its oversized bow and jeweled clasp adding a touch of femininity to her otherwise composed elegance.

Adrianna circled her like an artist appraising her masterpiece, fingers grazing the edge of the gown's delicate fabric.

"Turn a little to the side," she said, squinting thoughtfully.

When she finally stepped back, her stern expression gave way to a satisfied smile.

"Perfect. You haven't lost your touch, Vicky," she said warmly, pride in her tone.

Victoria smiled faintly at their reflections. "You make it easy, Ria. Your designs always do half the work."

Adrianna laughed, warm and musical. "Flatterer. But you give them life. No one wears my gowns the way you do."

Then her lips curved into a mischievous grin. "But tell me—spill—was it really true what I saw in social media yesterday? That your fifth engagement is with your first love?"

Victoria hesitated, her mind flicking back to the press conference. She kept her reply simple.

"Yes."

Adrianna gasped dramatically, clasping her hands together. "Vicky! That's straight out of a romance drama. Running into your first love, ending up engaged—ugh, it's perfect. Do you realize how lucky you are?"

Victoria felt heat rise in her cheeks, and she ducked her gaze, smoothing the fabric of her dress as though that could hide her fluster.

"It's... not exactly like that," she murmured.

Adrianna leaned in, grinning wider. "Ohhh, look at you blushing. You really are a terrible liar when it comes to him."

She looped her arm through Victoria's and gave her a playful nudge. "Fine, fine, keep your secrets. But you better let me claim my prize. I've been sketching wedding dresses for you since your second engagement, and finally—finally!—I'll get to see you walk down the aisle in one of them."

Victoria laughed softly, though her cheeks still burned, and gave another quiet smile. Adrianna's teasing had a way of cutting through her carefully built composure, leaving her just a little exposed, but also a little lighter.

But the moment shifted when the suite doors opened. Fidel entered first, his presence commanding as always, followed by Nathaniel.

He'd walked into countless rooms like this—meetings, galas, negotiations—but this one felt different the instant his eyes found her.

Victoria.

For a fraction of a second, the world dulled into silence. The mirror, the stylists, even Fidel — they all ceased to exist. It was only her.

He held his composure, every movement calculated, but something inside him was quietly unraveling. He had never pictured Victoria like this—not in this kind of dress, not standing there under the soft golden light that seemed to adore her. There was nothing overtly provocative about her, yet everything about her drew him in—an allure that was quiet, deliberate, and devastatingly natural. She didn't need to try; she simply was. And that was what unsettled him.

His stride remained steady, his expression unreadable, but inside, something dangerous stirred—a tension he couldn't quite name. It wasn't desire alone; it was deeper, older, something that had been buried and suddenly remembered. He tried to look away, to drag his focus elsewhere, but his eyes betrayed him. Like iron to a magnet, he was pulled back to her—helplessly, inevitably, endlessly.

Fidel's face lit up the moment he saw his daughter. Pride softened his usually stern features as he took in Victoria's graceful figure in her gown.

"You look stunning, Vicky," he said, his tone filled with warmth.

Victoria smiled, her heart swelling at the affectionate approval in her father's eyes. For a fleeting second, all her worries melted under that proud gaze.

A discreet knock at the door broke the moment. One of the staff slipped in, announcing that the program was about to begin. Fidel gave Victoria's hand a light squeeze before straightening his coat.

"I'll see you both out there," he said with quiet authority, before sweeping from the room and leaving her alone with Nathaniel.

Adrianna leaned close, her lips curling with mischief as her elbow nudged Victoria's side.

"Vicky... look at him. He's absolutely mesmerized, just drinking you in." Her voice lilted with playful sing-song, the kind of teasing that knew exactly how to fluster her friend.

Color bloomed across Victoria's cheeks before she could stop it, her breath catching in her throat. Adrianna caught it instantly and grinned like a cat with cream.

"Ohhh, there it is. You're blushing again. Alright, I'll be kind—I'll leave you two for a while." With an exaggerated wink, she slipped away, deliberately giving them space.

Nathaniel's gaze caught every flicker of it—the pink rising in her face, the way she suddenly refused to meet his eyes. To him, it was devastatingly alluring, that rare crack in her polished composure. For a moment, he simply stared, struck by how easily she could undo his careful control. Bewitching. That was the only word for it.

Victoria, however, felt her pulse race uncomfortably. Adrianna's words echoed too loudly in her mind, making her chest tighten. Now, standing under the weight of Nathaniel's unreadable gaze, she found herself couldn't look straight at him. Her poise—her shield—wavered. She tightened her grip on her clutch, fighting to steady herself, willing her face to cool.