"I'm going," I said, out loud, although there was no one in my apartment to hear me. The invitation sat on the table in front of me, taunting me. I'd spent the better part of the day deliberating. Staying home meant avoiding the storm, but it would also mean caving to Orla and Madison. And I wasn't about to give them that satisfaction.
It was a risk, this gala, but I'd taken worse. The truth had to stay buried, and I'd wear the mask I'd crafted with such painstaking detail: confident, composed, untouchable.
The moment I walked into the venue, it felt like every head had turned my way.
"Luciana," Finlay said from my left.
I turned, and for that moment, some of the tension in my chest unwound. He was impeccable: his tailored suit fit well, his smile as easy as ever.
"You look stunning,"
