Twenty-Eight

Dani:

Three days passed quickly, and here we were in a party fit for Cinderella.

The soft hum of conversation filled the grand ballroom of Sterling Enterprises, an extravagant holiday party that was doubling as my and Ryan's engagement announcement.

The evening was lit with golden fairy lights that twinkled like stars, and the scent of fresh pine from the towering tree in the corner mingled with the faint smell of expensive champagne. It was the kind of event you read about in glossy magazines—elegant, over-the-top, with everyone dressed to perfection, yet it felt strangely... unreal.

I stood by the grand staircase, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest as I smoothed my emerald-green dress down, the fabric soft under my fingertips. Ryan had insisted on helping me pick it, and while I didn……