It was as though the room shifted around her, and for a brief moment, Rebecca could think of nothing but how impossibly beautiful Lillian looked.
The feeling was immediate. Raw. Her heart skipped a beat, and she had to remind herself to breathe, to not let the surprise show on her face. But it was hard—too hard, because all she could see was Lillian, radiant, confident, and utterly mesmerizing. The same woman she had touched in secrecy, whose lips she had kissed in quiet, hidden rooms now stood before her, shining for everyone else to see.
But then her gaze fell on Benji.
He was by her side, his arm looped comfortably through hers, and the way they were laughing together, talking closely, made Rebecca’s stomach twist into a knot she hadn’t felt in years.
Jealousy.
It surged through her with a force that caught her off guard, burning hot and fast, igniting something dark in the pit of her stomach. She knew she had no right to feel this way. She hadbeen the one keeping things purely physical between her and Lillian, never letting it go beyond their secret encounters. She had been cold and hard with Lillian and never let Lillian past her walls. She had drawn the lines, built the boundaries, and reinforced them at every chance. And yet, here she was, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of Lillian with someone else.
Benji leaned in close, whispering something into Lillian’s ear that made her laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Rebecca’s jaw tightened, her grip on the delicate champagne flute in her hand growing rigid. The sound of Lillian’s laughter, the sight of her smile—they felt like blows she hadn’t expected and certainly didn’t welcome.
Of course, Lillian could be with whoever she wanted; Rebecca knew that. She had made no promises or claims. But watching her now, on the arm of Benji, smiling and laughing as if the weight of the world didn’t press down on her every day—it made something inside Rebecca snap.
She had never allowed herself to feel this way about anyone. Vulnerable. Exposed. Jealous.
The word itself felt foreign, strange. It wasn’t an emotion she was familiar with—at least, not when it came to personal relationships. She’d worked her entire life to avoid these kinds of feelings, to keep herself locked away, distant. That had always been her way. Control over everything, over everyone, over herself.
And yet, here she was, standing in the middle of a grand ballroom, staring at Lillian like some lovesick fool, feeling her control slip through her fingers.
Rebecca took a steadying breath, forcing herself to pull her gaze away, trying to regain her composure. But it was useless. Lillian was there, so clearly visible to her, a magnetic pull she couldn’t resist.
She watched as Lillian and Benji continued to move through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with other guests, more than one person stopping to compliment Lillian on her dress and how beautiful she looked. Each compliment felt like a thorn driving deeper into Rebecca’s chest, though she kept her face neutral, carefully controlling the storm inside her.
Her eyes tracked them across the room, unable to stop herself from observing every movement, every small interaction. The way Lillian tilted her head to listen to Benji, the way he made her laugh—it all grated on Rebecca’s nerves. The way he stood so close to her, the way he looked at her, as if he had every right to be by her side.
Rebecca hated it.
And it wasn’t just because Benji was there, standing too close, too familiar. It was because in that moment, Rebecca realized something she hadn’t allowed herself to admit before.
She wanted more.
She had been so careful keeping Lillian at a distance, making sure their relationship never crossed the lines she had drawn. It was supposed to be purely physical. A secret, something she could control, something that wouldn’t affect her carefully built world.
But seeing Lillian like this, in a setting far removed from their secret meetings, seeing her smile and laugh with someone else, someone who didn’t know the way her lips tasted, the way her breath hitched when she was touched in just the right way—Rebecca realized she had been lying to herself.
Shedidwant more.
And the jealousy she felt, the possessiveness that clawed at her chest, was a brutal reminder of how much she had been pretending otherwise. It wasn’t just physical anymore. It hadn’t been for a long time.
Rebecca’s eyes narrowed slightly as Benji said something else that made Lillian laugh again, and that dark surge of jealousy flared hot in her veins.
She had no claim on Lillian Harrington. But that didn’t stop the flood of emotion coursing through her now, raw and unfiltered.
Rebecca turned sharply on her heel, making her way toward the bar, the need to distance herself from the sight of them—of him—too strong to resist. She needed a drink. Something to cool the fire raging inside her.
But no matter how far she walked, she knew there was no escaping the truth that had hit her tonight.
She wanted Lillian. More than just the late nights, more than the stolen moments. She wanted to be the one who made her laugh, who held her arm in public, who stood by her side without secrets.
And now, as she stood at the bar, gripping her drink tighter than necessary, Rebecca realized that she couldn’t keep pretending this was just a simple affair.
The lines were already blurred.
And now, she had to face the consequences.
Her grip on the champagne flute tightened, and for a split second, she considered turning and walking out of the ballroom altogether. She hated how exposed she felt, how vulnerable the jealousy made her. This wasn’t her. Rebecca Lang didn’t lose control, didn’t let her emotions dictate her actions. But tonight, the façade was crumbling.
