Upon entering the ballroom Blair was encountered by Kati and Izabel.

"Did you see him?" Kati and Iz prompted as soon as they saw Blair.

"Who?" Blair feigned ignorance

"Charles Bass, of course!"

Blair had to chuckle. Of course she had heard of Charles Bass, he made it after all to be a ladies man and a successful businessman. In her mind he would be Chuck Bass, no matter what.

"I saw him"

"So, did you speak to him yet?"

Blair was annoyed. Just because Chuck decided to come back from England didn't mean that he should be in the center of New York's society. However, as she was the chairwoman of the charity which held the ball she was forced to greet him. She let her gaze wander to Chuck, finding him in the corner of the room talking to some businessmen.

"No, later!" Blair said gruffly, ending their conversation.

She was stunned, how Chuck had sneaked himself into her social circle. Everybody whom she had considered a friend was talking to Chuck and she hadn't known that he was back in New York. She was outraged at herself, how was it possible that someone like Chuck sneaked back into New York, without her noticing?

There she stood, alone, feeling left out, as she watched how the people around Chuck laughed heartily at a told joke, that she didn't see that Chuck had detached himself from the group. Suddenly she came back to reality, feeling that somebody stood behind her. Slowly she turned around, only to take a sharp breath in.

"Chuck." she deadpanned, almost with a hissing voice.

She saw a smirk upon his face.

"Blair."

It was his business-like tone.

She shook her head. He saw her soft curls bouncing up and down.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, almost menacingly, but with a friendly smile plastered over her face.

"Here? What do you mean with that, New York, or …"

"New York, this charity event, … " she shot back.

Here, next to me.

"Blair, m'dear, I heard you are quiet a successful woman" he drawled, letting his gaze fall over her body appreciatively.

"Stop it." She hissed now. "I'm a respectable businesswoman, the best friend of Julie Barney Warner."

"Ah yes" he mused "I've heard of it."

"Have you?" Blair didn't know that gossip would reach to England. Then Chuck should know that she was engaged to be married…

"So you know that I'm…" Blair started, but was interrupted. She closed her eyes. This could not be happening. But it was.

"Blair, darling, what are you doing here alone… Oh. You must be the Charles Bass"

It was Lord Wilfred. Blair hated his name, it almost sounded like her grand-grand-father's name, and therefore she called him Will.

Chuck's eyes betrayed confusion, but he quickly hid it behind his masked face.

"I am, I am. And you are?" Chuck asked with an edge in his voice.

"Lord Wilfred Conelly. I've heard you have spent your last 10 years in my homecountry!", he chuckled.

Chuck was still confused, Blair could feel it, he glanced at Blair, then at, she shuddered, Wilfred, and then back to her.

Now Wilfred was confused as well, it seemed like he had intruded upon something, and was disturbing their moment. He furrowed his brows. Blair was his fiancée. Who was this guy?

Before anyone could say anything, Blair was called by Kati. It was time for her speech. Excusing herself, and with a last stricken glance, she left the two men standing there.

They watched her, mesmerized, how she stepped onto the stage, and began performing her speech.

Wilfred sighed, "Blair is really a rare diamond, one is lucky to find those, I'm sure you know."

Chuck said nothing.

"She's my fiancée, you know. When I asked her to marry me, she made me the happiest man on earth" Wilfred continued, throwing sideway glances, to gauge Chuck's reaction.

Chuck didn't react in any way, Wilfred was content to see. But he didn't know Chuck like Blair did. She, from her stage, saw how Wilfred pointed at her, saying something, and Chuck's eyes changing to a disturbing glimmer. Nevertheless, she ended her speech with a confident voice, smiled at the audience, and stepped down. The ball was , as always, a huge success. They had gotten many donations.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked feigning innocence.

They both knew it was a farce.

"The news that you're going to officially be a Lady, of course" Chuck spit the words out.

Now it was there, in the air. And this air felt too cold. She didn't know what to say, if she should apologize, or get angry. At last she decided to get angry. Who was Chuck Bass to act like he was the ruler of Blair Waldorf? Blair Waldorf was successful, Blair Waldorf was beautiful, was rich, was smart. She was envied, she ruled over others, she was not ruled!

"It's none of your business" she shot back at him.

Chuck took a sharp breath in. He opened his mouth, to apologize, to explain, to argue, - she didn't know. Then he closed it again. And then, surprisingly, he agreed.

"It is not my business" he conceded.

Why did she feel like something had bruised her heart hearing those words? They both knew it was true, so why did she even care?

"I'm right. … You're right."

"Yeah… so it seems"

"But…" her voice sounded almost childlike. She cleared her throat, then attempted to speak again: "You left me. Without a reason. Without … anything. So don't dare to approach me ever again."

Chuck wanted to say something, but Blair was gone already. He ran after her, only to see her in the Englishman's arms, stepping into their limousine.