His Affection

l chandeliers radiating a warm glow on the elegantly dressed guests mingling beneath their shimmering light. Noah Donovan stood against the wall

ted by the customary small talk with pe

her approach, but her flirty banter and incessant closeness grew more suffocating with every passing minute. As an artist, Noah cherished his solitude-an introvert in a

e with me!" Claire exclaimed, her hand tightening a

hed. "No,I don't

he forced a smile. "But everyone i

resting heavily on his shoulders. He felt the prick of annoyance climb higher with each insistence from Claire, her laughter grating at

f red wine from a nearby tray. It reflected his mood perfectly-dark, deep, and intoxicating. As Claire kept talk

?" he snapped, feeling the eyes

oment, a flicker of hurt crossed her

a second thought, he poured the wine directly onto her expensive silk dress, the dark stain blossoming across the fab

e soaked fabric clung to her body. Her eyes widened, shimmering with anger and s

bewildered guests, in the aftermath of his calculated embarrassment. A whirlwind of whispers

ion, knowing intimately that he had crossed a line. Yet, a dark satisfaction smirk kindle

him. To Noah, the liberation was worth the price of humiliation he had imposed on another. In t