Sonia’s POV
The hum of the ballroom rose again as Clara finished another speech. The crowd erupted into polite applause, the orchestra swelling into a soft waltz that rippled through the room like silk. But I wasn’t hearing the music anymore. Not really.
Because Luke Hale had not left.
He was still there, still standing just a few feet away, still impossibly composed, still wearing that faint smile that somehow managed to be both charming and dangerous. And more than once, I caught him looking my way. Not in a leering, arrogant way… no. His gaze wasn’t crude. It was… curious. Intent. The kind that made you feel seen, really seen, in a room full of polished masks.
I tried to ignore it. I really did.
Alexander stood beside me, his hand resting stiffly against his glass, knuckles pale ag
