Annalise's heart slammed against her chest as her gaze locked with the man whose very presence sent tremors through the air. Caden Valtore. The devil himself, wrapped in a designer suit and arrogance so thick it could suffocate.
What the hell was she doing in his arms?
Her breath caught, and she stumbled back instinctively, detaching herself from his touch as if it burned her. "I'm sorry," she muttered, panic laced in her voice. "I didn't mean to..."
Caden arched a brow, his expression morphing into amused disbelief. As far as he could remember—and he remembered everything—no woman had ever pulled away from him first. It was always the other way around, and even then, rarely.
"Huh," he said slowly, folding his arms and tilting his head. "Did the universe shift on its axis just now, or did you seriously pull away from me?"
Annalise ignored his jab, willing her heartbeat to slow. But it betrayed her, thudding erratically in her chest. She bit her lip looking at Caden, of course, noticed.
"You're practically vibrating," he murmured, his gaze flicking toward the corridor she'd come from. He cocked his head, listening. Muffled sounds echoed from the bathroom nearby—two vampires, clearly preoccupied.
Something clicked.
"What did you see?" he asked, voice smooth but sharp, like velvet sheathing a blade.
Annalise hesitated, biting her bottom lip. Telling someone that you saw something you shouldn't have was a quick ticket to vanishing—permanently , especially if that person turns to be a vampire . And with Caden, there were worse things than death.
"Nothing," she replied quickly and bit her lip when she remembered that she had already told him what she had seen, eyes wide with false innocence.
Caden's eyes narrowed slightly, reading the lie, tasting the fear and the stubbornness layered beneath. It intrigued him more than he'd admit. Still, he let go of her arm.
She turned on her heel, relief surging—only to halt when he caught her wrist again.
"Where are you coming from?"
She blinked. Think fast.
"Bathroom."
His hand didn't loosen."Why were you running?"She squared her shoulders. "I wasn't. Now let go."
Caden smirked. "Why would I do that?". "Because I said so."
He blinked once, then laughed—a rich, devil-may-care sound that should have been illegal.
"Seriously?" he said. "You amuse me, princess. I must say, I'm impressed. You're the first woman to bark back instead of swooning."
Annalise bit her lip again, visibly annoyed. She didn't care how powerful or charming he was. She needed to leave. Now. Before the vampires in the bathroom come after her or anyone noticed her with Caden . Before the situation escalated.
She looked up at him, voice saccharine. "I'm sorry if I've offended you, Mr. Caden Valtore. Please forgive me."
The apology was empty. She knew it. He knew it."Hmm," he mused, still holding her. "How old are you?"
She frowned. Wtf! "Twenty."
"Interesting." His gaze lingered. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
She almost gagged but glared .
"Yes," she blurted. It was a lie. She didn't even have a crush. But if it made him let go faster, she'd claim to be married to Lucifer himself.
His expression darkened, just for a flicker of a second. But then, as quickly as it came, it vanished.
He released her wrist.
"Run along, then," he said, stepping back with a mock bow. "Wouldn't want to keep your imaginary boyfriend waiting."
She didn't need to be told twice. She spun on her heel and bolted back toward the ballroom like her life depended on it.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Why are you panting like you just ran from a werewolf?" Anastasia's voice greeted her as she rejoined the press circle.
Annalise forced a smile, trying to smooth down her hair. "I didn't want to miss anything."
Anastasia sighed dramatically. "Too late. You already missed the best part. Caden left the dance floor a few minutes ago, and I didn't even get to engrave his godlike face into my memory."
But Annalise wasn't listening. Her eyes darted back toward the hallway, her thoughts spiraling.
Please let this night end.
"Please come forward. We need to get a clear picture," a woman in silver called to the press team.
Annalise grabbed Jason's sleeve. Together, they moved closer.
She checked her watch. 8:50 PM. Ten more minutes. Just ten more and she could disappear from this cursed gala.
She was still mentally counting down when a familiar voice shattered her focus.
"Annalise Moreau."
Her blood turned to ice.
She turned. Austin Moreau, her father, stood at the edge of the crowd, eyes fixed on her as if he were staring at a ghost. Surprise flickered in his gaze, quickly followed by that infuriatingly smug smile.
He approached with the confidence of a man who thought the world owed him something.
"Well, well," he murmured. "My daughter. It's been a while."Annalise straightened, her face blank. Emotionless. But he saw right through it.
"Oh, come on now," he said, drawing closer. "Don't look so shocked. Didn't expect me to recognize you among the press crowd, did you?"
"What do you want?" she asked coldly. People were beginning to glance over, curious."Come with me. There's a lot I want to say."
Annalise nodded stiffly and led the way to a more private corner, away from prying eyes."Spit it out," she said, checking her watch again.
Austin chuckled. "You've changed. Look at you. Beautiful. Confident. Not the mousy little thing I remember."
"Get to the point."
"Fine. I wanted to apologize—for what happened three years ago. With your mother and I. I know you encouraged her to divorce me, but I'm not angry anymore. I forgive you."
She stared at him. The audacity.
"I want to make amends," he continued smoothly. "To treat you like the princess you are. You and your mother. I've changed. I just need you to trust me."
She barked a laugh."You think I'm that stupid?". He didn't flinch. His smile only widened.
"You've grown up, clearly. But don't test my patience." He pulled out a small card, pressing it into her palm.
"Come here tomorrow. Six AM. I'll wait."
Then, without another word, he walked away, leaving her with the taste of bile in her throat.She stared at the card for a long moment. Then crumpled it in her fist.
She wasn't going.
Not now.
Not ever.