Nathaniel’s POV
I had been to dozens of Chloe’s events. Galas, charity dinners, fundraisers, business launches. They all felt the same after a while, rooms filled with polished laughter, music that sounded expensive but soulless, and glasses of champagne that never seemed to empty. They were all masks, in more ways than one. People wore diamonds like shields, tailored suits like battle armor, and smiles that never reached their eyes. I usually stayed quiet, drifting on the edges, never giving anyone more of me than they deserved. But tonight, I was restless from the moment I stepped inside.
Jason had been the one to hand me the invitation. He’d dropped it on my desk days ago, his voice steady, casual, as if he wasn’t aware that every night around Ava burned me alive.
“Mother wants you t
