Chapter 226: The Masquerade Heat
Evaline:
I had never felt more trapped by shimmering silk, polite smiles, and the weight of a thousand eyes pretending not to stare.
Ten minutes after River and I entered, the air shifted again, like thunder rolling in before a storm. And there he was.
Kieran.
He was the first of the brothers to make an appearance after River. The murmurs started from the far end of the ballroom and rippled forward, parting the crowd like they had rehearsed it for years.
Kieran stepped in dressed in all white. His blonde hair was pulled into a perfect manbun, and he was wearing a simple but elegant half-mask that only made his sharp jawline more striking. He wasn’t looking at anyone. Not yet. His gaze moved slowly over the room like a silent predator getting a read on the battlefield.
My breath hitched as our eyes met across the room.
I offered a smile, timid but genuine. He didn’t smile back, but his gaze softened just enough to let me know he saw me.
A few minutes later, Oscar strolled in with his usual swagger, and the mood in the room changed once again - lighter, flirtier. Gasps and giggles followed his every step as he adjusted the cuffs of his dark red-colored suit jacket.
His mask was gold and black, and the confidence in his walk said he wasn’t hiding. Not really. Like Kieran, he also looked right at me, winked, and then blended into a group of high-ranking officials, probably already charming the Luna daughters standing nearby.
I sighed. I knew the look in their eyes. The soft accusation. The silent plea. Why River? Why not him or Draven?
Because River felt safe. Because his fans would pass me as his secretary or one of his assistants unless they saw me hanging on his arm after this night as well.