(Evelina's POV — Streets of Aurelis City—Continuation)
The moment my heels touched the pavement, the world slowed down.
Sunlight bounced off shattered glass and silver metal. The faint scent of smoke clung to the air—sharp, sterile, and expensive. And in the middle of it stood him.
Theo Vinter.
Even in chaos, he looked like it had been tailored for him. Hands in his pockets, head tilted slightly as he grabbed the terrified driver, who stumbled backward. His expression was unreadable—a calm kind of fury, the kind that didn't need to shout to be heard.
When his gaze shifted to me, the air changed.
Molten gold. Cold. Calculating. Curious.
"Ah."
Theo Vinter's voice was low—unhurried, dangerous in the kind of way that didn't need volume to command fear.
"The passenger finally decides to show herself."
He scanned me slowly, his gaze moving from the hem of my black dress to my face like he was cataloguing a problem he intended to solve. His lips curved faintly.
