The doors slid open, spilling her back into the noise of the gala. Music, laughter, the clink of champagne glasses. Normalcy wrapped around her like armor. She straightened her spine, adjusted the line of her gown, and stepped back into the ballroom as if nothing had happened.
The sudden brightness forced her eyes to adjust. Crystal chandeliers threw light across every polished surface, turning the ballroom into a city of reflections. People twirled in conversation, dressed in satin and money. Waiters glided through the crowd with trays of champagne that sparkled like liquid gold. To everyone else, this moment was just another glamorous night. To her, it felt like walking back into a battlefield.
Damien spotted her instantly. He swooped in like a hawk, drink in hand, his undone tie swing
