Owen whispered his request to Mark, who listened with wide eyes, clearly shocked. After a moment of hesitation and struggle, Mark finally buried his face in his hands, defeated, and agreed to Owen's demand.
*****
Owen returned to the party, where soft music played in the background.
His gaze found Zoey among the guests.
She looked relaxed and happy, chatting with the other women, the earlier sense of isolation and rejection gone.
Just then, a gentleman approached Zoey, extending his hand to invite her to dance.
Zoey seemed surprised but after a moment's hesitation, she accepted his offer.
However, just as her hand was about to touch the gentleman's, a warm hand firmly grasped hers.
"Owen?" Zoey looked at him, surprised.
Owen, without a word, pulled her into the dance floor.
As th
