The Grand Ballroom of the Everett Spire was a cathedral of light and glass, but for Elena, it felt like a gilded cage. Every pillar was draped in white orchids, and every guest was a shark in a tuxedo, waiting to see if the "Empress" would stumble.She stood in the center of the room, the music box’s haunting melody still ringing in her ears. She wore a gown of liquid silver that clung to her like armor, the Everett sapphire resting against her throat like a cold, blue eye."You're holding your breath again," Alexander’s voice was a low vibration near her ear. He stood beside her, his presence a dark, grounding force against the frantic energy of the room. "The cameras are watching, Elena. If you look like you’re haunted, they’ll smell the blood.""I am haunted, Alexander," she whispered, her gaze fixed on a distant corner of the room. "That song... it wasn't just a lullaby. It was a warning. My mother told me that if I ever heard it when she wasn't there, it meant the shadows had cau
Zuletzt aktualisiert : 2026-03-31 Mehr lesen