The corners of Logan’s eyes crinkled. He could hardly see from the wide smile on his face. He placed a hand on Alex’s upper back, “Let’s go.” He led her through the crowd. Jae and Emily followed behind them, taking soft steps. The both of them looked dazed. They didn’t say anything in fear that they’d break whatever calm aura …

Jaime walked back to her party. She had an arm around her husband’s and her head cradled on his shoulder, a giddy smile stretching her lips to oblivion. Her facial muscles will hurt later but she didn’t care. Her family was complete. No one could possibly ruin the moment for her. Oliver ran a thumb over the back of her …

Alex sat outside the ballroom. The moon rose high and a lake overlooked the low marble hotel wall. They had decorated a secluded area into a mini garden filled with lush grass and fully grown plants. Vines covered the archway of its entrance and a few tables and chairs had been set up in a corner, next to a marble …

She brisk walked over to the other table. Her father was nowhere to be found while the rest decided to stand up, stretching their legs. A few guests had joined them. “And here she is,” Angie said proudly. She wrapped an arm around Alex’s shoulders, “She looks more like me everyday, doesn’t she?” “Yes, she does” a woman smiled pleasantly. …

“Oh, that cousin” Alex fake gasped, clapping her hands together, “He’s from my mother’s side of the family. I haven’t heard from him in so long.” Emily gave her cousin the side eye. Alex actually remembered it before she could. It had been a while since it happened. The two had a short attention span when it came to boys. …

“I… am… full” Emily moaned. She leaned on the back of her chair, cradling her neck on the top of the backrest. Her grandmother outdid herself this time. The food all smelled delicious. They tasted divine as well. Even if she tried to resist, she didn’t leave a single bite uneaten. Her only problem left happened to be her dress. …

Logan heard Alex’s breath hitched. She stared at him hard, wide-eyed. For a moment, she wondered if she was awake. Another moment, she speculated if the person in front of her was actually Logan. But then, he kept looking at her. The gleam in his green eyes enhanced as time went on. His lips continued to curl at the corners …

Ethan and Lilly made their way into the ballroom. They linked their arms in the same manner as the previous pairs that came out before their turn. The whispers escalated at the sight of them. Ethan placed a hand on his sister’s, rubbing the back of it. “Don’t listen to them” he told her without shifting his gaze. Lilly simply …

Inside the ballroom, decorations of white and gold adorned the place: tall windows framed by gold embroidered curtains, long tables at the outskirts with white tablecloth and gold tableware. Smaller round tables had been placed following the pattern of the long tables. They followed the same decorative style. The dome ceiling hung various chandeliers in different sizes. The lights brightened …

Alex huffed in the bathroom, folding her arms over her chest. She found herself again in a similar situation when she met her parents for dinner—with Logan in tow. Emily stood behind her while she sat on a stool. Her cousin held a curling iron in one hand and that made her the more dangerous person at the moment. “You’re …