The gala glittered with chandeliers and the soft murmur of society's elite. Lena smoothed her gown nervously, clutching her glass of champagne a little too tightly. Adrian's hand rested lightly at the small of her back, steady and grounding.
"Remember," he murmured, his voice a low command. "Ignore the whispers. You're with me."
But the whispers were impossible to ignore. The way women's eyes lingered, the way men smirked knowingly. Even without the headlines, Lena could feel it — judgment hung in the air like perfume.
And then she appeared.
Clara.
A vision in crimson silk, her lips curved into a slow, venom-sweet smile. She crossed the floor like she owned it, each step deliberate, each gaze magnetized to her.
"Adrian," she purred, as though the weeks of chaos had been her personal stage play. "You're here. How… brave."
Lena stiffened beside him, but Adrian didn't flinch. His arm tightened around her waist. "Clara." His tone was cool steel. "You're interrupting."
"Oh, but I insist." Clara's eyes flicked to Lena, sharp as a blade cloaked in velvet. "I just wanted to welcome your… guest. It takes courage to attend tonight, after all. Most women would have hidden."
Lena's breath hitched. The words dripped sweetly enough for others to hear them as polite — but Lena caught the venom beneath.
"Careful, Clara." Adrian's voice dropped, soft enough to chill. "You're skating on thin ice."
She only laughed, tilting her glass. "Ice cracks eventually. Doesn't it, Lena?"
The question hung heavy, leaving Lena no room to reply. Clara leaned in, her perfume suffocating, her smile flawless. "I wonder, my dear… do you even realize the cost of standing beside him? Or will you wait until the world devours you whole?"
Then she pulled back, her laughter echoing as she slipped into the crowd — leaving whispers and speculation in her wake.
Lena's chest tightened painfully. Her fingers dug into Adrian's sleeve, but her voice was a whisper. "She's right, Adrian. Maybe I don't belong here…"
Adrian turned to her fully, his gaze fierce, unyielding. "Don't listen to her. You belong here more than anyone."
But even as he said it, Lena felt Clara's poison take root.
And Clara knew it.
From across the room, her smile was victorious.