. Every inch of the grand hall gleamed under the golden glow of chandeliers, casting intricate patterns of light across the polished marble flo

e opulent chaos. The dress, a masterpiece of fabric and artistry, accentuated the sharp contrast between her ethereal beauty an

movement. Women, their envy barely concealed behind polite smiles, examined her with scrutiny, as i

sight of other men admiring his wife stirred something close to possessiveness within him. It was irrational. Their marriage was a mere arran

the crowd with a detached gaze. She moved through the throng with quiet grace, every step a sil

e interrupted L

terprise extended a hand, his polished charm evident in the effortless way he commanded attention

ing a curt nod before introduci

es. "Ah," he mused, taking in her regal posture and unreadable expres

ze lingering on Nora. "I wouldn't

ected by their words. She had long since learned how to navigate conversati

clenched his jaw. An unfamiliar irritation simmered beneath t

ved the scene in silence. He noticed the way Lucas's shoulders tensed, the

g," he remarked, taking a slow sip of hi

every other woman here-driven by ambit

emplative. "Is she?" he mused, his voice lower now, edged with some

spond. He didn'

evening pressing against her ribs, excused h

to a secluded balcony. The night stretched before her, the city lights twinkling like distant stars.

ays preferr

the silence," a voice

hing in his expression-a knowing softness, a memory sh

now," she said, her tone light

y railing. "And I thought you'd be content

unspoken history woven into

e elite, but in a small, forgotten town where his life had nearly ended. A reckl

s she had always been the same, and th

aid quietly, his voice lacking its

across her features before she masked it.

atching her closely. "But I

ll, almost wistful smi

and fragile, as if acknowledgin

versation, Andrew exhaled and shifted his p

ad. "It wouldn't

a long moment. "You're

idn't

she wasn't entire

ealth, and whispered secrets. But on that balcony, beneath the vastness of the c

oment in a c