Across the hall, Julian had watched everything.
His eyes followed Sophia the moment she walked away from Edward. He had been distracted the entire evening, barely hearing half the conversations directed at him because his attention kept drifting back toward her. Every movement she made pulled him in without effort.
“Mr. Vale?”
Julian blinked slowly and realized one of the investors was still speaking to him.
“My apologies,” he muttered distractedly and one of them smirked knowingly.
The moment he noticed Sophia leaving the ballroom area entirely, he immediately stood up. “Excuse me for a moment,” he added before walking away before anyone could stop him.
He followed her trail through the hallway quietly.
The farther he walked from the ballroom, the quieter things became. The loud mu
