Meanwhile, back in the grand ballroom.
Caius’s attention flickered toward the roar outside for only a second before Mr. Anderson pulled him back.
"Adrian, come—you must meet the elders of the secondary houses."
Caius smoothed his expression into a practiced, social mask. He had noticed Selena’s departure. She had sent her maid to whisper something to the Andersons that left them preening with delight. It was a look he knew well from the gambling tables: the smug satisfaction of a player who thinks they’ve just swept the pot.
And that roar... it was Lucian. Was that feral bastard still lurking?
Caius clinked his glass against a guest's and took a shallow sip. "Forgive me. Regarding the family business... that is a conversation for Selena. She handles the structural affairs of Blackthor
