I left the ballroom before my hands could betray me.
But not in a way that would make people look up and wonder. I moved through the crowd the same way I had all night, calm on the outside, calculated and unhurried, like nothing in the room had reached inside me and twisted hard. That was the only way to survive a place like this.
Bastián’s voice still sat in my ears.
Why did that wolf look at you like you were his favorite secret?
I kept my face calm as I passed the tables, the delegates, the women in black silk and men in shiny shoes, who all turned their attention elsewhere the moment I moved. Somewhere behind me, I could feel Bastián’s eyes on my back, sharp enough to cut through the dress, the jewelry, and the makeup hiding what had no business being hidden.
I should have gone t
