Irvin's POV
I didn't want to go.
Not because of Davina.
I refused to accept that someone like her held any influence over my choices.
Velvet had always belonged to me. My sanctuary, my refuge.
Nothing could alter that.
Not my father, not Davina, not whatever the fuck was brewing inside my goddamn mind.
After spending an entire day enduring my father's crap, I needed relief. A drink. Something to occupy my thoughts.
So here I was.
Velvet pulsed with its typical vibe—laughing voices, glasses clinking together, smooth jazz flowing from the sound system.
The blue LED lights bathed everything in that familiar glow, creating an atmosphere that made conversations quieter, drew people nearer.
Ryker and Benjamin were already lost in discussion, trading mockery back and forth while Caroline perched next to him, nursing her cocktail.
I attempted to concentrate. I genuinely tried.
But my attention kept wandering.
Looking around.
Hunting.
Davina should be working.
She always was.
