Aveline slid into the car, her gaze trailing Alaric until he was safely inside. Just as relief settled, her eyes caught a man in the crowd and froze.
Damien Ashford!
Her eyes widened, not with fear, but disbelief. He was supposed to be in prison.
He didn't look anything like the young master of the Ashfords. He wasn't in a tailored suit or polished shoes. There was no air of privilege. Just a worn jacket, ordinary shoes, hair longer than usual, and a face with stubble. His weight had reduced, stripped of his charm, his radiance long gone.
'He can't be out of prison… Can he?'
Unsure if her mind was imagining him, she kept staring at him as the car moved. Then he moved, his eyes narrowed at her, and he smirked, a vile one.
"Sunshine?" Alaric's voice pulled her attention as she turned around.
She wasn't sure what to believe, her sight or her knowledge of him being in prison. "I…" She hesitated out of disbelief. "I saw Damien…" Her voice was low, shaken with shock.
