Kiss My Revenge The Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 54

"Seriously? This is straight out of a soap opera. Hold on, Miss Lancaster has the last name Hawke too. Could she actually be the real daughter of the Hawke family? Why else would Arabella be so fixated on her?"

"No way. If she were their real daughter, they would've claimed such a talented kid ages ago. Unless they've lost their minds."

"Exactly. I mean, just look at them together - the vibe is totally different. Miss Lancaster's got that classic elegance you'd expect from someone raised by a big-shot family."

...

"Lovely weather tonight, isn't it?" Miranda switched gears.

Even though it was nighttime and they were at an outdoor party, surrounded by nothing but the glow of artificial lights.

Elian, however, was still caught up in Miranda's earlier teasing.

"Answer me this first - are you unhappy with what you saw?" His voice was low, laced with a hint of danger.

Miranda shrugged. "I didn't really see anything."

Elian's lips curled into a roguish grin, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. "If you want, I could give you another chance."

There was an unspoken challenge in his words, a raw, wild allure that was hard to ignore.

Hard to deny, Elian was basically a walking temptation. He could effortlessly draw people in with his charm.

Miranda frowned. "I'm a respectable doctor, Elian. What are you even talking about?"

Her feigned innocence only made Elian's grin widen.

"Miranda, it's not polite to flirt and then run away," he enunciated each word gently, his breath brushing softly past her ears, his gaze intense.

Miranda cleared her throat, cleverly steering the conversation in a different direction. "Your grandfather's illness is quite complicated."

His gentle patience was hard to resist.

Miranda, already holding a rare fondness for this well-mannered man, decided to accept his offer out of courtesy.

She nodded slightly, raising her hand.

Just as she was about to place it in Sebastian's, another hand intercepted. Elian smiled at Sebastian. "Apologies, but as they say, first come, first served. Surely, when it comes to dance, it should be my turn. Mr. Everhart, you agree?"

Sebastian met Elian's gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Indeed, there's an order to things. But Mr. Ashcroft, surely you know that one must also have respect and decency."

His calm retort was a bold challenge to Elian.

Elian's smile gradually faded. Their seemingly calm exchange was charged with an undercurrent of rivalry.