The reception was already in full swing.
Guests moved like glittering ornaments under the chandeliers. Laughter, champagne, and gossip blended together into a perfect portrait of wealth and power. Musicians played soft classical music, and waiters circled with trays of wine and gold-lined hors d'oeuvres.
Damian and Ava were silent next to each other. Ava could feel his gaze occasionally on her like he wanted to say something but he didn't each time. This silence became disrupted, ther was a sudden ripple, then a pause.
A soft murmur started to spread from one end of the hall to the other.
Ava and damian followed the subtle tilt of several heads then saw him.
Scott.
His tie hung loose, his shirt collar slightly open, a glass of whiskey clutched in one hand. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes red-rimmed. He was drunk. Not tipsy, gone.
Melissa was whispering sharply at him and Taylor kept tugging at his sleeve, but he brushed them off with a sloppy wave.
