Elena’s Point Of View
The sound of my name being called snapped me back into the room. For a moment, I had forgotten where I was, the dazzling chandeliers, the perfectly dressed guests, the gentle clink of glasses. All eyes turned toward me with warm applause. My chest tightened, not from nerves, but because I knew I couldn’t falter. Not now.
I stood slowly, smoothing the front of my dress. My hands lifted deliberately to my hair, brushing it into place, tugging just enough so the locks fell across my ear, concealing the discreet airpod no one could suspect. I could practically feel Jaxx smirking through the line, waiting, his heavy breathing already tickling against the silence only I could hear.
As I moved toward the podium, the room seemed to shrink and expand at once. Every table, e
