Chapter 26 – The Crack Beneath the Glass
The applause thundered as Professor Callahan ended his speech, but Damien didn't clap. He only watched, his expression carved in stone.
Aria tried to focus on the music, the glittering lights, the feel of his hand at her back. But the air in the ballroom felt too sharp, too heavy, as if everyone's eyes were on them.
"Damien," she whispered, "what is happening?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he guided her off the dance floor, his steps quick, purposeful. They passed through clusters of whispering guests, their murmurs snaking after them like smoke.
"Black's empire is slipping."
"Not as untouchable as he looks."
"Who's the girl?"
Aria's heart thudded. She tugged at his sleeve. "Damien, stop. Talk to me."
Finally, in a shadowed alcove away from the chandeliers, he faced her. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with something between fury and fear.
"You shouldn't be here."
Her breath caught. "You brought me—"
"I thought I could shield you." His voice was low, strained. "But the wolves smell blood tonight."
Before she could ask what he meant, a man approached. Older, silver hair slicked back, his presence radiating old money and old grudges. He smiled at Damien without warmth.
"Mr. Black." His gaze flicked to Aria. "And… company. Lovely."
Damien stiffened. "Not now, Hargrove."
"Oh, but now is perfect." Hargrove sipped his champagne lazily. "Your enemies are multiplying, your allies are thinning, and your father's sins are finally catching up to you. The question is—will you fall alone?"
Aria's blood ran cold. Father's sins? She turned to Damien, searching his face, but he was unreadable.
"Leave," Damien said flatly.
Hargrove only chuckled and melted back into the crowd.
Aria's hand trembled as she touched Damien's arm. "What did he mean?"
He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, then opened them, steel replacing the flicker of vulnerability. "It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does." Her voice cracked. "You keep telling me to trust you, but how can I if you shut me out? What is everyone talking about?"
Before he could respond, the lights dimmed — a signal for the next announcement. Professor Callahan stepped back onto the stage.
His gaze swept the room… and landed squarely on Aria.
"This city," he began, his voice echoing through the hall, "was built on legacies. Some noble, some corrupt. And tonight, as we celebrate the future, let us not forget the ghosts that walk among us."
Damien's grip on Aria's hand tightened like iron.
"Time to go," he muttered, pulling her toward the exit.
But Aria wasn't sure if he was protecting her from the room… or if the room needed protection from him.