The chaos finally died down.
Violet followed Julian toward the parking area. He glanced around once. “Where’s your driver?”
“They made us park outside earlier—there wasn’t any space left,” she said quietly.
Julian pressed his lips together, said nothing, then motioned toward his own car. “If you’ve got everything, get in. I’ll cover the cost of your clothes.”
She hadn’t brought anything except her phone, which was still in her hand, so she simply nodded and got in.
When the door shut, silence settled in—thicker than before.
At least earlier there’d been the faint sound of laughter, music, trees rustling. Now it was just the two of them, and the echo of what had just happened. She’d watched Julian and his friends argue, stuck on the sidelines, not knowing where to look.
Julian looke
