Burning Passion

CHAPTER 209: FIRST DANCE AND A KISS

* * *

Nina enters the living room. Harry quickly stood on his feet upon seeing her entering the room. His eyes cannot avert, staring at Nina. 

Annie turned her head. She burst out with awe. "Oh, my goodness! How lovely you are, darling!" Annie walks toward Nina and hugs her niece. "You are so beautiful!" 

"Thank you, Aunt Annie." Nina heaves a sigh of relief. She was tense whether she looked fine. Compliment by her aunt, it means she looks okay.

"Have fun!" Annie placed a white fur coat around Nina's shoulder. 

The woman waves, watching the car leaving the apartment. She is happy that her niece is going to socialize once in a while. She is hoping no one got jealous. It worries her after the two men who made a bet haven't won. 

It made her happy that Harry became Nina's date. She could see how her niece gleamed, eyes sparked, and that sweet smile on her lips than the first day Nina arrived in England. 

Annie looked up and gaped at the beautiful moon. She is praying that night stays wonderful. 

"Ahem! Hello, Madame. Why are you lovelier than the moon shining bright tonight?" 

Annie laughs at the man riding a motorbike, halted in front of the doorsteps. 

"George, you need not be a trying hard poet." 

The guy stepped down from his bike and walked toward the patio. "Can I invite you for dinner, Madame?" 

"It would delight me!" 

George takes the hand of his wife and kisses the back of the palm. He guided his wife to step down the stairs. 

"Would you be alright taking the motorbike toward the restaurant?" George asked Annie. 

His wife is wearing a long dress and high heel shoes for dinner out tonight. 

"Have you forgotten why I fall in love with you? That man in uniform, riding on his bike, waiting patiently outside my school even on snowy days?" 

George chuckled. He leans over to kiss his wife before he starts up his motorbike and heads to the restaurant he made a reservation for tonight's date. 

~~~~~ 

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

Meanwhile, Nina and Harry, along with Jessica and Samuel, arrived in the Palace. 

Harry extends his hand to guide Nina, stepping out of the car. 

Blushed, Nina thanked Harry. 

"Let's go?" Harry said he gave his elbow to Nina.

Nina nodded and placed her palm into Harry's arm, leading her to climb the staircase. 

They could already listen to a beautiful melody from the Great Hall. A long line in the corridor, waiting for their turn to take a photo by the exclusive reporters allowed inside the Palace.

"Isn't that lady the rumored girlfriend of Prince Albert of Geneva?" said one reporter. 

"Yes! I did not forget her face! She is the girl in the article!" 

Nina heard it all. She bit her lower lip as it worried her might Harry believe it. 

"That wasn't true. They just made up and put meaning to what they saw." 

"I know."

"Oh. You don't believe it? I mean, I'm glad you don't regard this kind of gossip." 

"It's gossip, yeah. It was their job to create hype so that their article sale." 

"Right! They earn from it. By destroying someone's life with false information," Nina concurred; she sighed with relief that Harry believed nothing. She was thankful that Albert lost. Or else she has to prepare her mental sanity for any gossip to come out tomorrow. 

Nina is now a little relaxed after that quick talk she shared with Harry. That was brief, but her heart fluttered with so much happiness. But she is hoping that Harry would not hear of how loud her heart pounding inside her chest. 

Harry and Nina entered the Palace and followed the others, waiting to be introduced. Last night, each member of the team received the invitation for this Gala. Harry handed the invitation card; the Introductory read the names written on it.

"Young Master Harry Shang and Young Lady Nina Li!" 

Gradually, Harry and Nina took the grand staircase of this Palace. Nina holds tight to Harry's arm to not make a mistake steps in the stairs. 

She was overwhelmed as every pair of eyes in that Hall pinned on them, particularly toward her. 

Nina wears a different evening gown from everyone. Everyone knows that her dress is an image of where she came from. And her gown was too beautiful and just perfect on her. 

Meanwhile, Albert is wearing a sour face. He was thinking and wishing that he should be the one dating Nina tonight. 

But the most jealous tonight is Steven. He cannot draw his eyes away from Nina. She was too beautiful wearing red Cheongsam. 

"Oh, my gosh, Nina! You are so pretty!" Sarah meets them halfway. 

"Thank you, Sarah." 

"So, it's the dress your mom prepared for you?" 

"Ah, yes. My mother brought a lot of various colors." 

"Oh, great! You should show it to us! Can we also try it on?" 

"Sure! Why not?" 

The girls giggle and continue chatting. Not that long. A duke takes their attention to announce the Queen and her family.

After the Queen's speech: welcoming everyone and congratulating the International Physic Quiz, the Gala officially started.

Tonight's Gala invited a few famous international singers to perform. The Orchestra is playing a famous duet love song; couples start gathering in the middle of this Hall. 

"Harry, why haven't you danced Nina, yet?" Natalie asked the guy before she stepped on the dance floor with her date. She winks at Nina, who instantly flushes her cheeks.

Harry glanced at her, extending his hand and asked Nina, "Shall we?" 

Nervously, she gives her hand to Harry, guiding her toward the dance floor. It was her first dance with Harry. 

During her 18th birthday, Steven, whom she dances with when Harry heads back to the US before her birthday. 

It saddened her, but thanks to Harry's presence. Her birthday is complete. And to speak of Harry's gift. She is wearing it right now; Harry is staring at it. 

Meanwhile, Steven's date is Rose, but Sarah steals him, and Rose is now dancing with Albert. However, Steven and Albert remain looking at Harry and Nina. Both men want to steal Nina from Harry and dance Nina tonight. 

Steven and Albert made a step closer to Nina, but the two guys bumped into each other. Instantly, their eyes wrestle and no one wants to give up. 

"Albert, enough!" Sarah whispered at his brother. "Just give up! It was Harry who won!" 

Albert shot a glare at his sister. "This is your fault!" 

"What? The challenge is obvious! Who has more correct answers is going to take Nina as a date!" 

"Harry is not part of the challenge!" Albert insisted. All he has known. The bet was only between him and Steven. 

"But don't forget, brother. It was Harry who had the correct formula for a solution." 

"But Harry—" 

"I'm going to sit!" Rose left Albert on the dance floor. 

Now that he has no dance partner. Albert is forced to follow Rose and sit beside her, not to look stupid in the middle of the Hall. 

* * * 

Nina is walking around the maze garden. She excuses herself to go to the restroom, but after she uses the lavatory, she escapes from the Great Hall to breathe fresh air. 

She is always not fond of any gathering. She could only enjoy it tonight because Harry was here. 

"Nina!" 

She turned around and watched Harry striding closer toward her. Her eyes cannot avert from him. He was too handsome in his dark blue tuxedo. 

"Here is the water." 

"Oh, thank you. Where is Jessica?" 

"Ah. She is with the Ambassador talking with French guests." 

"Oh, Jessica now is good with French! Yes, it's great. She will be a big help in the company. Jessica graduated as Cum Laude in college, but here she is. Serving me." 

"But your family who sponsored her to finish her degree." 

"Yup! But she has a greater career in our company. So, I will try to tell my father that he should start giving Jessica a job in our company after this school year. I am already fine alone here in England. I have good friends! And I'm already used to my surroundings." 

Nina waited to see what Harry could say about her plans, but he remained silent. So she continued. 

"Well, my father surely would not like the idea." She laughs awkwardly. Maybe Harry felt that she was on a boring date. "I'm sorry if it's boring around me." 

Harry wrinkled his forehead, peering at Nina. "Oh, no! You are not. It was me. I'm sorry. I'm just listening to you." 

"Oh. Um…" and that made her speechless. Does Harry admit he is boring? Not at all! Nina thought. Later they both laugh from awkwardness. 

"Oh." 

"What's the matter?" 

"I think my shoe heel stuck on the pavement." 

"Oh. Let me see it." Harry kneels on one foot. He looked at Nina's shoe. There is a crack on the pavement, the reason Nina's shoe stuck. He helps her to pull her shoe. 

"Thank you— Oh!" 

Harry was about to stand on his foot when Nina fell over him. Followed by a loud bark of a dog who jumps at Nina, the reason she landed on top of Harry. 

The thing is, their lips brush against each other... 

* * * 

EXTRA: 

While some reporters talking about Nina Li and Prince Albert to make a scandalous article. A reporter from Zen City joins their discussion. 

"Excuse me. I have advice for all of you. Be careful of the article you will write about the Young Master from the Shang Empire and the Young Miss of Li Household." 

"And why we should mind? Who are you?" 

"It doesn't matter if I am an ordinary journalist or an International one. But the private information I know. The Li daughter is engaged to a young master from the Shang family." 

After it said, the guy left the other foreign journalist who was in deep thoughts if they should change the story they covered tonight.