The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 300

He had definitely noticed.

I spoke up awkwardly, explaining, "The brandy cocktail was much stronger than I expected. Sorry to embarrass myself in front of you."

"It's fine, I'm strong," Leon didn't seem to mind at all, offering a considerate smile. "I can just guide you through the rest of the dance."

Leon's words grounded me to some extent.

It was completely different from the cautious, walking-on-eggshells feeling of dancing with Ferris.

After all, it was my first time attending such a gathering, and I was here as Ferris's date. I absolutely could not make a fool of myself.

But sometimes, what you fear the most is exactly what happens. When the violin melody soared again, I was spun outward. My teetering stilettos slid across the floor, and my feet felt as if they no longer belonged to me.

A grip tightened around my waist. Ferris grabbed my lower back and took a half-step back, his knee bracing against my stumbling legs. The gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses swept over my flushed, alcohol-warmed cheeks. "You can't even handle something this simple?"

The spinning chandeliers dragged bizarre, flashing afterimages across my retinas. Wearing three-inch heels that I rarely touched on a normal day, I stumbled half a step backward. My rhinestone-encrusted shoe suddenly collided with Miss Zale, who had unexpectedly cut in.

"Careful!"

"Watch out!"

Two voices rang in my ears simultaneously, and two distinctly different body temperatures collided at my waist. Ferris's lightly calloused thumb pressed directly against the hollow of my shoulder blade above my dress, while Leon's fingers, smelling faintly of bergamot oil, latched onto the metal clasp of my corset ribbon.

Both men had caught me at exactly the same time.

"Ms. Hayes is drunk," Ferris's deep voice pressed heavily into my ear. "My apologies, everyone, but we must take our leave."

His grip around my waist suddenly tightened. Without warning, Ferris swept me off my feet, carrying me effortlessly in his arms.

"You're leaving right now?" Leon's concerned voice rang out. An iris brooch adorned the lapel of his suit, and his cufflinks flashed as he reached out, creating a subtle clash against the matte finish of Ferris's bespoke dark suit. "There's a lounge upstairs. Why don't you take her there to rest for a bit first?"

"No need," Ferris rejected the idea with absolute finality.

Leon stepped forward to follow, glancing at me as he asked, "Shouldn't you ask what Selena wants?"

Ferris's forward momentum abruptly halted. The warmth radiating from the hands holding me spiked. He shot Leon a silent look and spoke in a flat, indifferent tone. "I can take perfectly good care of my own date. You should focus on entertaining your guests tonight, Leon."