He clasped Ariana's hand, guiding her through the dance as the music swirled around them. Yet, her attire was ill-suited for the twirling motion, causing her to stumble. Inadvertently, she ensnared her own skirt and collided with Holden's chest.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry," Ariana stammered, her distress palpable. Panic surged within her, the desire to vanish from the stage nearly overwhelming.

However, Holden just frowned slightly.

As her body had collided with his just moments before, an inexplicable quickening of his heartbeat ensued, an anomaly in his normally steady emotional state since the accident.

An unsettling intuition gnawed at Holden, a feeling that all was not as it should be. Urgency surged through him, compelling him to conclude the dance.