Elena's POV
The knock came again, harder this time, and Damian stepped back from me with visible reluctance, some careful composure sliding back into place across his features even as his eyes lingered on mine a moment longer than necessary.
"Come in," he called.
The door opened, and Ruth stepped through, breathless from what must have been a hurried walk from the ballroom, her sharp eyes taking in the scene before either of us said a word… the closeness of our chairs, the flush still warm in my cheeks, the particular charged quiet that clung to the room like static after a storm.
"The car's ready whenever you are," Ruth said, her voice carefully neutral, though something in her expression suggested she'd already guessed at far more than the words themselves let on. "The council disper
