Aresha
The ballroom glittered with crystal chandeliers and murmured politics. Every laugh, every clink of champagne glasses was a weapon in disguise. Veyrantis elites had long perfected the art of smiling while plotting a dozen ways to bleed their rivals dry.
Aresha walked into the hall like a blade wrapped in silk. Silver hair spilling down her back, eyes lined with shadows, her black gown flowing around her like a StormCloud. Conversations faltered as heads turned. Whispers rippled.
The ghost returns.The Silver Lilith… here?
She ignored them. She had learned long ago that silence unnerved more than words.
But then her gaze caught him.
Darius Vale.
He stood near the far end of the hall, tall and composed, his midnight suit cut to perfection. He wasn't looking at anyone else—only her. As though the whole glittering circus was nothing more than a stage for their private war.
Her jaw tightened. She forced her steps measured, calm, even when her pulse betrayed her.
The twins were nearby, laughing as they played a quiet game with Aurora Silas's children. Saleena glanced up, her silver hair catching the light—and for a heartbeat, Aresha's mask slipped.
The sight of the girl's laughter. The sound of it. It shook something loose in her chest she didn't want to acknowledge.
And Darius noticed.
Of course he noticed. His eyes flicked between Aresha and the children, and though his expression didn't change, she felt the trap tighten another notch.
Darius
She moved through the crowd like fire through dry grass—drawing every gaze, every whisper, every trembling breath.
But his eyes weren't on the spectacle. His eyes were on the cracks.
The almost imperceptible pause when she saw the children. The softness she tried to bury. The way her throat moved when she swallowed the emotion back down.
She had walls higher than empires, stronger than bloodlines. But even the strongest walls had fractures. He'd been patient enough to see them.
Tonight, he would widen them.
"Vale," someone greeted him, some foreign minister eager to curry favor. Darius answered smoothly, never once breaking his gaze from Aresha.
He watched her pour herself a glass of wine, her grip elegant but tight. He noted the shift of her shoulders; the careful way she turned her body to keep her left wrist hidden. Every detail filed away. Every silence telling him more than words ever could.
She thought she could control this battlefield. What she didn't realize was that she was already playing on his board.
Still… when she caught his gaze across the room, a flicker of challenge in her eyes, he almost forgot why he was hunting her. Almost.
The Collision
Their paths converged near the grand staircase. For the onlookers, it was nothing but two titans of power exchanging pleasantries.
But for them, it was war.
"Mr. Vale," Aresha said coolly, her voice the perfect balance of politeness and disdain. "Your reputation precedes you."
"And yours," Darius returned smoothly, his lips curving in that almost-smile that never reached his eyes. "Though whispers rarely do you justice."
Her gaze sharpened. "Whispers are dangerous things."
"Only to those with secrets worth keeping." His voice was low, meant for her alone.
The air between them tightened. For a moment, neither spoke. But their silence was louder than the orchestra playing in the background.
Then—Saleena's laugh broke through again. The little girl darted across the room with Draven in tow, nearly colliding into Aresha.
Aresha froze. Instinctively, her hand shot out, steadying the child with a grace that betrayed years of hidden care. For a fleeting second, she let herself look at Saleena as more than a nuisance—silver eyes meeting silver eyes.
And Darius saw it. All of it.
His chest tightened, and for once he almost let his mask slip. Almost.
But instead, he leaned down, his breath brushing near her ear as the girl scampered away.
"You can deny them all you want, Aresha," he murmured, low and dangerous. "But blood never lies."
Her eyes snapped to his, fury warring in their depths.
And for the first time that evening, she felt her control tremble.