[Hazel]
Twenty minutes earlier...
I was already drained—completely wiped out—after barely sixteen minutes of forced socializing with my relatives. It felt impossible to believe I was the same person who once survived hours-long galas with Elijah, then pulled all-nighters after. Somehow, talking to family was an entirely different kind of exhaustion. Socializing with strangers was easier. At least with strangers, there was an escape route. Family, though? That was a marathon of memories, expectations, and unspoken judgments.
I slipped away to the drinks and beverages section, ordering a martini like a desperate anchor. After a brief wait, the cold glass was finally in my hand, the sharp tang of vermouth and gin soothing in a small way. I stood back, watching the crowd—the effortless way
