Elena’s POV
I didn’t stop to think. The moment the noise erupted, my body reacted before my mind could catch up.
“Elena don’t!” Nora grabbed my wrist, panic sharp in her voice. “If there’s trouble…”
“I’m not hiding,” I said, pulling free. I ran straight into the chaos, pushing against guests who were fleeing in the opposite direction. Dresses brushed past me, heels stumbled, someone screamed my name but I kept going. The main hall looked nothing like it had minutes ago. People were packed along the edges, pressed flat against marble pillars and glass walls, too afraid to move. The air felt heavy, electric, like a storm trapped indoors.
Then I saw him. Eric stood at the center, unmoving. His posture was rigid, controlled, but I knew him well enough to recognize the fury beneat
