“What is he doing here?” His grandmother’s voice was low, sharp, and full of disbelief. Moments ago, she had been smiling, but now her face had darkened, her eyes narrowing with unmistakable hostility.
“Who?” Ethan asked, confused, as he followed his grandmother’s line of vision. His eyes landed on a man who had just arrived at the party.
The man looked vaguely familiar, but Ethan couldn’t quite place him.
His grandmother’s hand tightened around her glass, her knuckles whitening. She didn’t move, her eyes locked on the man as he walked toward them with a calm, almost rehearsed stride.
The man’s gaze met Ethan’s briefly as he drew near.
“Mother,” Victor’s voice cut through the stillness, smooth and almost charming. “It’s been too long.” He held out his hand, his fingers outstretched, a
