Sara
The moment we stepped into the ballroom, I knew something was wrong.
The air shifted.
Whispers sharpened.
Heads turned faster.
Matio’s hand on my waist tightened for the tiniest second—then loosened.
He leaned closer and murmured, “Remember what we agreed. Distance.”
His voice was flat, controlled, rehearsed.
My chest sunk a little.
But I nodded anyway.
We walked inside together, but the space between us felt like miles.
The chandelier lights glowed gold across the hall, bouncing off crystal glasses and shimmering gowns. It was elegant, warm, and
nothing like the suffocating Ikari events I grew up attending.
This was supposed to be different.
Safe.
But the moment I saw my father walking in, flanked by my mother and my sister Hana—
My stomach dropped.
The Ikari name t
