Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Murray arched an eyebrow, finally extending his hand to her in a grand gesture of invitation, bowing slightly in a classic dance pose.

Grace couldn't help but smile as she placed her hand in his, and together, they glided into the dance floor.

When Roseanne and Mamie returned from the restroom, they caught this scene unfolding before their eyes. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, perfectly complementing each other. It was a nice sight. Roseanne calmly diverted her gaze, only to be met with an unexpected sight-two hands appeared in front of her, one from the left and the other from the right.

Corley and Owen Reynolds were simultaneously asking her to dance.

Mamie, taken aback, stepped back, bowing out of what seemed like a brewing battle.

Was this some high-stakes romantic showdown?

Corley, with a smile playing on his lips, said, "Roseanne, would you do me the honor of sharing a dance?"

Owen Reynolds smirked, "What a coincidence, Mr. Sullivan and I seem to have the same idea."

As Corley turned to face him, Owen held his gaze, neither flinching nor backing down.

The tension was palpable.

Roseanne stood frozen. What was happening? Had these two conspired to stage this?

She instinctively looked for Mamie, who grimaced apologetically: "Roseanne, I'm really sorry, but you're on your own this time."

The corner they were in might have been dimly lit and secluded at first, not drawing much attention. But never underestimate the power of gossipmongers. No secret is safe for long.

"What's going on here? Mr. Reynolds and the big sponsor going head-to-head?"

"Who are they inviting? Let me see... Oh, Roseanne. Well, that's not surprising."

Beautiful, academically brilliant, and a published author in 'Science' as a first-year student? No wonder she's in demand!

Moreover, she was voted one of the "Top Seven Campus Beauties."

"Wow, this is getting interesting!"

"Not even soap operas dare to plot like this!"

"This world is nothing but a lengthy romance novel!"

A classic love triangle never goes out of style, especially when the protagonists are so newsworthy.

The onlookers were enthralled: "Keep it going, we love the drama!"

From afar, Murray's grip tightened upon witnessing this scene.

"Ouch-"

"Sorry." After apologizing, he released Grace and promptly left the dance floor, leaving her standing there, bewildered. Roseanne was completely numbed.

She glanced at Corley, his eyes brimming with hope and anticipation, making her heart flutter yet hesitant to delve deeper.

Then, turning to Owen Reynolds, she

met his gaze. His dark pupils were like the vast ocean, with gentleness hidden deep beneath and a hint of amusement on the surface.

Roseanne's heart skipped a beat, but ultimately, she looked away.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I can't tonight, just remembered I have some experimental data to analyze. You guys enjoy your evening need to leave."

With that, she turned and hurried away.

Corley's expression darkened as he

watched her leave. Yet, thinking i over, she hadn't accepted Owen Reynolds's invitation either

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"Looks like Mr. Reynolds is out of luck this time."

Owen Reynolds remained calm, simply retracting his hand. "Disappointed over this? What about the future?"

Corley frowned. "The future?"

"Yes," Owen said, a slight smile on his lips. "There's always tomorrow."

With that, he walked away.

"Wow, neither succeeded. How interesting!"

"Roseanne's playing hard to get?"

"If I had a 'Science' publication, I'd be even prouder, believe it or not."

As the crowd dispersed, the excitement faded.

But two figures remained, standing out now that the crowd had thinned.