Evaline:
I had never felt more trapped by shimmering silk, polite smiles, and the weight of a thousand eyes pretending not to stare.
Ten minutes after River and I entered, the air shifted again, like thunder rolling in before a storm. And there he was.
Kieran.
He was the first of the brothers to make an appearance after River. The murmurs started from the far end of the ballroom and rippled forward, parting the crowd like they had rehearsed it for years.
Kieran stepped in dressed in all white. His blonde hair was pulled into a perfect manbun, and he was wearing a simple but elegant half-mask that only made his sharp jawline more striking. He wasn't looking at anyone. Not yet. His gaze moved slowly over the room like a silent predator getting a read on the battlefield.
My breath hitched as our eyes met across the room.
I offered a smile, timid but genuine. He didn't smile back, but his gaze softened just enough to let me know he saw me.
