Ella walked through the crowd alone, her mind a mess even though her face didn't show a trace of it. She was nervous. Tonight, she would be approached. Dale had been sure of it. And deep down, so was she.
After all, the groundwork had already been laid over the last few months. Everyone in this circle knew who she was—the estranged younger sister of Aiden Hawk. The one he'd once cared for, protected, and then thrown away because of his wife. That part of the story had spread easily. It was just the kind of drama people here liked to whisper about. So, even though he was protective of her, she had been barred from returning to her country.
