ISABEL'S POV
And here we are.
The night of the gala had finally arrived, and my nerves were twisting in knots inside my stomach as I stood in the ballroom beside Lila. Packs from far and wide had gathered, their laughter and conversation echoing in the background, feeling strangely distant as I was way too distracted to care about what was being said around me. It all looked so dazzling, and yet all I could think about was my escape. My hand tightened at my side as I reminded myself that tonight was my chance. My one and only chance. I couldn’t afford to mess this up, not unless I wanted to be stuck in this misery for the rest of my life.
“Isn’t this place beautiful?” Lila sighed beside me, her eyes wide as she took in the crystal chandeliers, the glittering décor, the elegance of every
