Inside the hall, music swelled from a live orchestra, and glasses clinked with champagne. Guests greeted them with rehearsed admiration, masks of civility hiding curiosity and fear.
Kairo bent his head slightly, his voice a low threat only she could hear.
“You’re testing me.”
Arielle didn’t flinch. “I’m simply wearing a dress.”
“Not the one I chose.” His jaw flexed, though his smile for the cameras never wavered.
“Exactly,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on the sea of glittering guests. “I’m not a mannequin, Kairo.”
He chuckled under his breath, a sound more dangerous than amused. “Careful, Arielle. You mistake defiance for power. Tonight is about unity, not rebellion.”
“And yet,” she said, turning her head just slightly so their eyes met, “everyone’s looking at me. Not at the dress y
