He had seen something. Maybe not what had happened, but it was certainly enough. Enough to sense the tremor in me I thought I'd hidden.
The orchestra swelled again, couples gliding across the marble, a blur of color between us. But I couldn't look away. Not when his gaze held me here, like this. Commanding, dangerous and far too familiar.
He raised a brow, hands clasped neatly behind his back, nodding at whatever his father and the ministers were saying. Our eyes met for a heartbeat. His unreadable, mine pleading. Then he looked away, returning his focus to their conversation.
The rejection stung, sharp and immediate. But I deserved it.
I lifted my chin, forcing my spine straight and turned from the railing overlooking the ballroom. Below, couples began to drift back to the dance floor, their laughter and music weaving together as if nothing had happened.
