"May I?"
Lucian stood there, looking like he'd just stepped out of a painting, his violet eyes glinting through a sleek black-and-silver mask.
His white hair caught the soft glow of the chandeliers, and he tilted his head.
The silent stranger froze. Slowly, he released me, giving Lucian a small, unreadable nod before melting back into the crowd.
I turned, my eyes scanning desperately for the stranger, but he was gone, like smoke, like he'd never been there at all. My heart pounded, refusing to calm. Who was that?
"Are you okay?" Lucian's hand brushed mine as he stepped closer, claiming the spot my mysterious partner had vacated.
His voice was smooth, low, and held the faintest edge of curiosity. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just… someone strange," I muttered, my eyes still darting across the ballroom.
Around us, the whispers began.
"Wait, is that Lucian D'Amaris?"
"That's definitely him, look at his hair."
"Why's he dancing with the scholarship girl?"
