“James, are you free to come back soon?”

“Nope.”

At the masquerade ball, Charlotte Watson stood in the shadows, mask on, watching the cozy little scene not far ahead.

The man was holding his phone while casually flirting with the woman next to him.

“My birthday’s coming up...” Charlotte went on, “My parents and yours want to throw a party. They’re planning to officially announce our wedding date.”

James paused, then gave a lazy, mocking smile. “Sure, let them. I’ll show up to sign the papers when the time comes.”

“Okay, I’ll hang up now.”

Charlotte ended the call. Her eyes, slightly upturned at the ends like blooming petals, narrowed faintly.

She calmly watched the couple who looked like they might just start making out then and there.

One of them was her fiancé, James Dickinson — yes, the guy she just called.

Back then, James had joked in front of both families, “Actually, I kind of like Charlotte.” The elders took it seriously.

Eager to get into Jiangcheng’s elite circle, Charlotte’s parents began cozying up to the Dickinsons, selling Charlotte as the perfect daughter-in-law.

Top of her class, polite, well-mannered. Even though she was still young, Charlotte already outshone her mom in the looks department, which quickly gained the approval of James’s parents.

So, when she turned eighteen, the two families arranged their engagement.

And just like that, a few years passed. James’s reputation for playing around grew, and having a fiancée clearly didn’t stop him from partying every night.

Before, Charlotte used to get upset when James flirted with other girls behind her back. She told her mom about it.

But her mom just looked at her, face expressionless. “Sweetie, boys will be boys. We're still depending on the Dickinsons’ investment. Don’t let your little feelings ruin the company.”

Later, she tried to bring it up with James’s mom. The woman kept her gentle face but talked with cold undertones. “Your dad’s company will be going public soon. Your uncle already prepared a gift for the board… As for James, he’ll settle down after the wedding. Let him have his fun for now, you’re a smart girl—you’re not going to make a fuss over it, right?”

That’s when Charlotte got it.

She wasn’t a daughter nor a bride-to-be in anyone’s eyes—just a chess piece between two business families.

So she learned to ignore James’s antics, mastered the art of being the perfect, obedient fiancée.

Just like now.

The guy could sneak off with his side piece to a masquerade, yet couldn’t be bothered to attend the party meant to announce their wedding?

Charlotte shifted her gaze, spotting someone standing beside her out of the corner of her eye.

Startled, she took two steps back.

The man towered over her, wearing a stylized silver mask typical of the ball, revealing only his jawline and lips.

He seemed to have seen right through her cool, indifferent act as she watched her fiancé flirt with another woman. His lips curved into an unhurried smile.

Charlotte caught the meaning of that smile, which ticked her off. “Were you eavesdropping?”

The man turned to her, completely unfazed, voice mellow. “Weren’t you spying on them too?”

Caught red-handed, Charlotte’s annoyance only deepened.

“Your fiancé?” he said, tilting his head toward the approaching couple. “Looks like they’re coming over.”

Charlotte glanced that way. Sure enough, James and the woman were heading right towards them.

Even with the mask on, James would definitely recognize her.

Her instinct was to walk away.

But the man stepped forward, blocking her path. He bent down a little. Charlotte couldn’t see much behind his mask, only those dark, unreadable eyes.

Then she heard his low, almost teasing voice. “Your fiancé’s fooling around out here. Ever thought of getting even?”Charlotte Watson was no fool—she understood exactly what the man meant.

Yeah, she got it.

Just going off what she'd seen herself, James Dickinson had no shortage of women around him.

If she'd let herself get mad over every one, she’d probably be dead from rage by now.

She stared at the man, raising her brows faintly. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"This masquerade's kinda fun," came a syrupy voice from James's arm candy as she clung to him with a giggle. "Tomorrow I'm gonna wear a mask so good, you won't even know it's me."

James adjusted his mask, chuckling casually. "I'd know you anywhere with one look."

The girl laughed again, practically swaying with the effort.

They were getting closer.

Charlotte took a step in, wrapped her arm around the stranger's neck, and murmured softly, "I don’t think anyone would mind if I kissed you, right?"

He lifted a brow but didn’t flinch.

Charlotte tiptoed up and kissed him.

His breath caught, and in the next second, he pulled her into his chest.

It was just lips touching, but with how he kissed back, Charlotte felt like he might just devour her whole.

Panic crept into her chest.

James passed by with his date, spotting them. He scoffed.

"Someone's desperate," the woman muttered with a sneer.

Charlotte caught that and snapped back to the moment.

She nearly turned around to smack the chick right upside the head.

Seriously?

Like those two had any right to throw shade.

The man pulled back, gripping Charlotte’s chin, his voice going lower, raspier. "Next time, try to mean it."

Charlotte: "..."

This guy... definitely had a bit of a sly flair to him.

James hadn’t planned to pay them much attention, but then his eyes locked onto the ring on her hand.

His pupils narrowed. He stopped walking and stared hard at Charlotte.

Sensing his gaze, the man pulled her closer with a hint of annoyance. "Got something to say?"

Charlotte, tucked against the man’s chest, heart pounding like crazy, glanced at James from behind her mask.

"Charlotte Watson?" James frowned and called out.

Charlotte: Knew it. That jerk was bound to recognize me.

But even if he had, she couldn’t admit it now.

Slowly, she withdrew her hand and slid the ring off, mimicking James’s date’s voice. "Babe, let’s go somewhere else~"

She was mortified.

The man paused, then let out a low laugh. "Sure."

His arms tightened around her.

Charlotte buried her face further into his chest. Best to just play dead at this point. Totally committed to the damsel act.

As he carried her away at an unhurried pace, the man suddenly stopped and looked back at James. "She’s with me."

James frowned deeper. When he glanced back at Charlotte's hand, the ring was gone.

Had he imagined it?

"Babe, let’s head out?"

"Yeah."

James didn’t push the thought any further.

Charlotte had always been the good kid, obedient through and through. The woman he just saw throwing herself at some guy? Definitely not her.

Had to be mistaken.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte he thought he knew was being carried off by that stranger.

He walked steadily, not rushing at all.

Now that the spark from ticking off James had worn off, Charlotte started feeling the embarrassment wash over her.

"Put me down."

Instead, he smirked and pulled her in tighter, voice languid. "Use me and toss me already? That’s cold, even for you."

And just like that, Charlotte knew—she’d gotten herself tangled up with someone not so easy to shake.

Her parents would definitely be looking for her soon. No way could she be seen hanging around him too long.