CH.5

EVANGELINE

"Let's see where this decision takes you, Evangeline." I whispered to myself while forcing my feet to carry me toward the stairs where Gael waited with his expression unreadable as granite.

He extended his arm without looking at me. His distaste was evident in every line of his body and every reluctant gesture.

I placed my hand on his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles, and we descended the stairs in synchronized steps.

The grand ballroom came into view. An opulent space filled with elegantly dressed guests, crystal chandeliers casting rainbow light across polished marble floors, all eyes focused on our entrance like spotlights.

I unconsciously tightened my grip on his arm as nervousness overwhelmed me completely. Being the center of attention had always made me uncomfortable, made me want to disappear into the shadows where no one could see me stumble or fail.

Gael glanced at me briefly. His expression remained indifferent, before returning his focus forward as if my discomfort was irrelevant to him.

"You make a beautiful couple." An unfamiliar man's voice reached us through the crowd. "Congratulations on your engagement."

I smiled politely at the stranger's compliment, even though the words felt hollow and meaningless when applied to our arrangement.

"Gael, won't you introduce your fiancée?" the man continued with obvious expectation.

"This is my uncle, Richard, and his wife, Margaret." He said curtly.

I smiled to both, grateful for the distraction from my spiraling thoughts. "It's an honor to meet you both."

"How lovely you are, dear." Margaret's enthusiasm was infectious, warming something cold inside my chest. "Gael made an excellent choice. You're absolutely radiant."

I smiled shyly at her praise while the man beside me remained unmoved by her words, as if compliments about me were meaningless to him.

We continued through the crowd, my hand still clasped around his arm as I distributed smiles to faces I didn't recognize, playing the part of the happy bride-to-be while dying inside.

"Brother!"

A young man with an infectious smile blocked our path, his demeanor miles away to Gael's perpetual cynicism.

Energy radiated from him like sunlight, making me feel slightly more hopeful about this family I was joining.

"Won't you introduce me to your beautiful fiancée?"

"Do it yourself!" Gael's reply was characteristically curt and dismissive in a way that made me wince internally.

My eyebrows furrowed at his constant rudeness and complete lack of social grace.

Did he speak to everyone this way? Was this the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with?

The other man seemed accustomed to such treatment, brushing off the slight with ease. "Hello, I'm Sebastian, his cousin. Please forgive his manners. He was raised by wolves."

He appeared genuinely pleasant, radiating warmth that was completely absent in his cousin. His easy smile made me feel welcomed in a way Gael never had.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Evangeline."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. You're going to fit right into this family."

I smiled at his compliment, feeling my cheeks warm with genuine pleasure for the first time all evening.

"I'd love for you to meet my wife. She'll be delighted to make your acquaintance."

I felt Gael's arm tense beneath my fingers like a coiled spring.

When I glanced at his face, he looked genuinely upset despite his efforts to maintain composure.

The furrow between his brows deepened noticeably and his jaw clenching with barely controlled emotion.

"This is my wife, Seraphina."

My attention shifted to a striking woman with black hair that cascaded down her back like silk. She was tall, imposing, with the kind of natural elegance that made other women feel inadequate by comparison. Everything about her screamed sophistication. From her dress to the way she held herself with regal poise.

Her gaze swept over me with obvious distaste, examining me from head to toe without any attempt at subtlety or politeness. Those scrutinizing eyes lingered on my dress, my hair, my face, cataloging every detail with the thoroughness of someone searching for flaws.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Evangeline."

She remained silent for an uncomfortably long moment, assessing me like I was a threat to be evaluated.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and I could practically feel the waves of disapproval radiating from her.

The silence stretched until Sebastian nudged her shoulder gently in a subtle reminder of basic courtesy.

"Likewise." Her tone suggested the complete opposite, dripping with barely concealed hostility.

The single word felt like ice water thrown in my face. However, I offered a polite smile despite my growing discomfort, trying to maintain some semblance of grace in this increasingly awkward situation.

My suspicion intensified when I noticed the meaningful looks she exchanged with Gael. There was something intimate about the way their eyes met with a silent conversation happening right in front of everyone.

When I studied his face, I found him staring back at her with equal intensity. Even his expression softened in a way I'd never seen before.

What was happening here? I narrowed my eyes at them, feeling like an outsider witnessing something I wasn't supposed to see.

The tense moment was broken by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Dettling, accompanied by my parents.

"Our beautiful bride!" Mrs. Dettling exclaimed, taking my hands in hers with maternal warmth. "You look absolutely radiant, dear Evangeline. That dress is perfection on you."

I reigned in my curiosity and returned their smiles, forcing myself to focus on their kindness rather than the strange undercurrents swirling around me. "Thank you, Mrs. Dettling. You look wonderful as well."

Maybe I was merely finding secrets where they didn't exist. Maybe my nerves were making me see conspiracies in innocent glances.

I decided to focus on my misfortune instead of matters that might not concern me at all.