SEDUCTION AND STRATEGY
The aftermath of the masquerade hung over the Moretti estate like a storm cloud, heavy and suffocating. Chandeliers glimmered in the vast ballroom, but the glittering lights could not dispel the tension, the whispers, or the realization that the night had been a trap. Isabella Voss stood near the balcony, her crimson gown slightly rumpled from the chaos, her mask half askew. Her chest heaved as adrenaline still coursed through her veins, and her sharp eyes scanned the room. Every face, every gesture, every sound was a potential threat.