The ballroom's atmosphere buzzed with tension as Eva stood in the corner alongside Mary and her friends. Her eyes flicked toward the stage, where the empress, dressed in her beautiful brown gown, stepped onto the stage. The crowd's murmurs quietened as she raised a hand, commanding instant silence.
''Lords and ladies of the empire,'' Empress Dahlia began. ''May I have your attention!''
All eyes turned to the brunette woman just as Eva caught sight of Maxwell, his face flushed with humiliation, dragging the unconscious Cecelia toward the exit. Her limp body sagged against him, drawing a few stifled gasps from the onlookers. When she saw this, her lips twitched into a satisfied smirk, but her attention quickly returned to the stage.
