Beside him, Victor Vaughn stepped forward into the light, a triumphant smirk resting on his lips as he prepared to present his daughter to the world.
Elena slowly began her descent down the marble steps, her heels clicking rhythmically against the stone. Every camera in the room flashed simultaneously, illuminating her porcelain mask in a blinding white glare.
She didn't look at the media. She didn't look at her father.
Her hollow, unreadable gaze locked directly onto Alaric.
Elena didn't blink as the final step brought her directly into his space. The blinding glare of the cameras washed over them, but the heat radiating from Alaric was entirely different… sharp, intense, and heavily weighed down by a suspicion he couldn't quite resolve.
