***TRIGGER WARNING***
EMMALINE
The scent of alcohol hits me before I even fully turn.
I don’t recognize the man standing in front of me. His eyes are glassy, his stance wobbly, and the sour reek of booze clings to every word he breathes out. His shirt is untucked, his collar loose, like he’s been drinking since the moment he woke up.
I remember Alexander’s warning, the reminder that I’m supposed to act the part tonight, and I force my lips into what I hope looks like a polite smile. “Enjoying the ceremony?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, his gaze drags slowly over me from head to toe, lingering in places that make my skin crawl. When he finally smiles, it’s the kind of smile that makes my stomach knot.
“I was,” he says, voice thick and slurred, “but something tells me it’s a
