The Miracle of You

Michael knew that it was Hailey the moment she went into his arms.

How could he not? She was the woman that he loved. It would be impossible for him not to know that it was her.

She looked so beautiful that his heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had seen her so radiant. When she was a teenager, she never cared about makeup and beautiful clothes. She was so simple in her tastes that it was endearing.

He could still remember the day she went to the prom barefaced and wearing the most gaudy, obnoxious dress he had ever seen.

At that time, he wished that he could erase the horrifying sight from his memory, but it was perfect to use that time to tease her about it. Sometimes she would get annoyed with him, and sometimes she would laugh along with him. It was so refreshing to be around someone like her. There was no pretense, no unnecessary drama, and no prejudice.

Now, that same young girl was now a mature woman. A woman so beautiful that it took his breath away.

He thought about speaking to her. He wanted to talk to her one last time. He wanted to ask why she had to push him away that day.

Also, what if she still refused to talk to him?

But the words got stuck in his throat and he didn’t know what to do. He just moved automatically and danced, taking her with him. He didn’t know if she recognized him or not, but there seemed to be a hint of surprise in her expression, as far as he could tell. It was as if she had been taken by surprise.

This wasn’t exactly what he had planned. He had wanted to talk to her at this party, but fate had somehow arranged everything perfectly for him. When the time came to change partners, there she was, whirling right into his arms. He caught her easily, automatically, quickly hiding every emotion on his face as he tried to slow down his racing heartbeat.

He was so lost in his own mind, trying to find the right words to say, that he was stunned when the music stopped.

And when she stared at him, as though expecting him to say something – perhaps a word of farewell as a courtesy to the dance partner once the dance ends – he felt his throat go dry.

So when silence only fell between them, tension enveloping the small gap, Camille bowed politely before turning around to leave.

At that moment, Michael felt a spike of panic in his heart.

Without thinking, his arm shot out and his slender fingers gripped her wrist. He did it gently, not using too much force, just enough to keep her in place without alarming her.

“Hailey,” he called out.

She froze. He could feel it, the way her arm stiffened in his grasp. He couldn’t see her eyes very well because of the dim lighting and the elaborate mask, but he could feel the shock filling her system.

Why did he say that now?

Why did he have to say that name?

But he couldn’t help it. No matter what, he still thought of her as Hailey. It was the name that had been engraved in his heart for years.

Even though he knew it was selfish, he wanted to say it just one more time. It didn’t matter if it was the last time.

“…Excuse me?”

Her tone was hushed, but also a little surprised.

“Please,” he implored, tightening his grip around her wrist a little. “Please give me at least ten minutes of your time. Let me talk to you one more time.”

***

There were no words to accurately describe what Camille was feeling right now.

‘So he did recognize me,’ was her first thought.

It was so strange. Her heart never stopped racing. She felt warm all over, as if she was slowly being filled with anticipation.

Hearing her former name again… Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her that much when Michael said it. If it had been Christian, she would have been furious.

But with Michael, her heart was soft. She felt both happy and guilty about meeting him again.

But there were too many eyes in this room. Even though both of them had hidden their identities thanks to the elaborate costumes and masks as well as the dim, romantic lighting in the room, she still felt paranoid.

What if someone recognized them? Christian had just introduced her to the other businessmen. What if some crazy rumors started to spread than the ones they had planned?Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Even worse, what if Christian saw them?

She didn’t think the man would be jealous. Far from it. Judging by his psycho personality, Christian would probably be delighted. He liked situations where he had the chance to control something or turn it into blackmail material. In the end, Camille would be the one to lose.

Still, she couldn’t find it in herself to continue to refuse Michael. The least she could do was listen to him, especially after he asked her like that.

“Folge mir und sei sehr vorsichtig,” she told him in German, which translated to: ‘Follow me, and be very careful.’

She trusted that he would know what she really meant.

And he did.

With a nod, he took her hand and led her away from the crowd of dancers. The two of them walked inconspicuously, successfully blending into the mass of people in elaborate costumes.

They walked towards the open doors of the hall that led to a large balcony, an area that happened to be empty at the moment. It wouldn’t be too suspicious if they stayed there, since they were technically still at the party, albeit in their own little world.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two, someone in particular was watching them with a smile.

Christian gazed after them from afar with a smile as he continued to waltz with a beautiful woman, gliding her flawlessly over the dance floor.

Everything was going according to plan.