Xander
The world outside the SUV exploded into light the moment the door swung open. Camera flashes cut through the darkness, turning the entrance into a spectacle.
I stepped out first, blinking against the glare, then reached back into the vehicle. Her hand found mine almost immediately—light, uncertain, trembling beneath my grip.
The Starlight Ball used to be private. Guests arrived through hidden entrances and disappeared inside without an audience. Tonight, crowds pressed against the barricades, cameras raised high, all of them hoping for a glimpse of nobility.
I didn’t mind the attention. The flashes, the staring, the endless curiosity—it all blurred together after a while.
Beside me, she was having a much harder time.
Her fingers tightened around mine. She tried to hide the tre
