Davina's POV
I had begun to settle into the evening.
The beat pulsed gently in the air, conversations humming around me like distant white noise. Initially, everything felt overwhelming—too intense, too opulent, too excessive.
But now, it wasn't nearly as daunting as I'd anticipated when I'd emerged from that limousine.
I adjusted the hem of my gown, my fingertips grazing the delicate material as I fought to calm my racing pulse.
I was out of place here. That much was obvious. Yet Irvin had a way of making me believe that perhaps, somehow, I wasn't just some random girl who'd wandered into a life that wasn't hers.
Then I spotted Caroline from across the space.
My pulse quickened.
It wasn't terror—not anymore. Once, perhaps. Caroline had intimidated me in that particular way reserved for those who thrived on tearing others apart.
But that terror had diminished, eroded by everything I'd survived.
I wasn't afraid of Caroline.
I simply wanted to avoid drama.
Not this evening.
