Chapter 13

“Nara,” she breathes softly, her voice carefully modulated with sweetness. “I was wondering where you'd disappeared to.”

“Rosalina,” I reply, my voice cool, carefully controlled. My gaze sharpens, openly unwelcoming.

She comes closer, pausing just a little way from me, tilting her head innocently. “I couldn’t help but notice you've been quite busy tonight. Dancing, whispering into ears…making friends.” Her eyes, wide and falsely curious, watch me closely. "I hope you've enjoyed yourself."

“It's called socializing,” I reply evenly. “I'm sure you're familiar with the concept.”

Rosalina’s mouth curves into a gentle, amused smile, her eyes briefly sharpening with something darker. “Of course. Though it’s curious, isn’t it? The way everyone seems to look at me tonight—like I've done something terribly wrong.” She steps closer, lifting a hand to delicately toy with a lock of her golden hair. “One might think someone had poisoned them against me.”

“If they have formed an opinion, it's entirely their own,” I counter lightly, the corner of my mouth lifting in subtle mockery. “Perhaps your charms aren't as irresistible as you'd like.”

Her smile flickers slightly, a brief crack in her porcelain mask. She recovers swiftly, eyes narrowing subtly. “Oh, my charms are quite intact, thank you. Although I must say, yours seem especially effective on Alpha Dereck. He seemed… very taken.”

A cold wave of revulsion ripples through me, remembering Dereck's unwelcome touch. I straighten, the fabric of my crimson gown rustling gently. “You seem awfully invested in my interactions.”

She steps closer still, her golden gown brushing softly against the staircase walls. Her voice drops to a gentle whisper, dripping false sympathy. “It’s just, Nara, you should be careful. I know you're trying very hard to protect what's yours, but desperation can lead people to very unwise decisions. Aligning yourself with men like Dereck—well, it might give others the wrong impression.”

My eyes narrow, irritation seeping into my cool composure. “Careful, Rosalina. One might think you're worried.”

“Worried?” She laughs softly, a delicate, melodic sound edged with frost. “Oh, I'm not worried, Nara. I'm chosen by the moon herself. This—” she gestures elegantly toward the ballroom on the other side of the door, “—is my destiny. My chance at happiness. And frankly, I don't particularly care if I must step on a few bugs along the way.”

Her gaze is direct now, her true intentions momentarily slipping past the innocent facade. I stare back, a cold shock tightening my chest. She is showing her hand far earlier than expected, her desperation clearer than ever before.

“You seem certain,” I say quietly, carefully maintaining my mask of indifference. “Yet you're awfully concerned with my opinion.”

“Not concerned,” Rosalina corrects gently, her voice sweet again, but her eyes glitter with thinly veiled threat. “Just observant. I see the games you’re playing, the seeds you’ve been planting. If I didn't know better, I'd think you planned to exile me before the week is out. But you won’t get the chance. I'm afraid you've underestimated me this time.”

A tension fills the space between us, thick and oppressive. Rosalina shifts slightly, crowding my personal space. Instinctively, I step back, the edge of the stair pressing sharply into my heel.

“Careful,” she whispers, eyes widening theatrically, pretending concern. Her hand reaches out, hovering as if to steady me. “Wouldn't want you to fall.”

I open my mouth to retort, but her hand suddenly presses hard against my chest, quick and precise—a shove masked perfectly as an accident. My heart leaps painfully as I lose balance, the world tilting sharply. My hands scrabble wildly at nothing, fingers desperate for purchase as gravity drags me backward.

Time slows cruelly, and my heart fills with dread and furious panic. Is this it? Have I wasted my second chance so soon?

I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the impact, my breath caught in a terrified, silent scream.

But strong hands suddenly grip me tight, halting my fall abruptly, pulling me back from the brink. My eyes fly open in shock and relief, the figure holding me blurred by my tears.

And as my heart pounds wildly, the world narrows to a single desperate question:

Who caught me?