The Scorned Heiress: No More Mercy novel Chapter 554

She never anticipated that her moment of hesitation would cost her the floor. Seeing Danny and Tara together is a knife to the chest. They move with such breathtaking elegance and unspoken harmony that anyone would assume they have been deeply in love for years, sharing a thousand dances before this one.

A suffocating wave of jealousy crashes over Julianna. She can't suppress it, no matter how hard she tries. It is a bitter realization of just how deeply she has fallen for him.

As she stands there, spiraling into her own misery, a voice interrupts her thoughts.

"Miss Sinclair. Why are you standing all by yourself? May I have the honor of this dance?"

It's Landon. Having crashed and burned with Tara, he is already on the prowl for a new target. Julianna might lack the jaw-dropping allure and edgy presence of Tara, but she possesses a classic, refined beauty. Her quiet elegance makes her a top-tier catch in his eyes.

Before Julianna can respond, Bonnie marches over, her eyes flashing with disdain. "You pathetic creep! You just got rejected by Tara, and now you think you can come sniffing around for a backup? Dream on. My cousin would never stoop so low!"

Landon's smile falters.

"Let's not talk about them," Julianna says coldly. She forces her voice to stay even, though her nails dig into her palms. The last thing she needs is Bonnie replaying the agonizing details she just witnessed with her own eyes.

"Fine, we'll drop it," Bonnie agrees cheerfully, completely oblivious to her cousin's dark mood. She loops her arm affectionately through Julianna's. "Should we go find Mr. Howard and my dad? It's a huge gala. We should introduce you to some influential people."

At the mention of Mr. Howard, Julianna's expression darkens further. If Bonnie hadn't recklessly dragged Professor Howard into a petty rivalry earlier and caused him public humiliation, Julianna wouldn't have just endured a blistering private lecture from him. And yet, here Bonnie stands, perfectly unscathed and entirely ignorant of the mess she caused.