~ Adeline ~

The ride back to the mansion is silent, my fingers gripping my purse so tightly my knuckles blanch. Outside, the city lights blur past-a haze of gold and violet that matches the residual chaos of the auction. My mind keeps circling back to that black gemstone pendant: the glint in the glass, the sudden escalation of the bids, the voice from the VIP room I can't quite forget. And beneath it all, steady and insistent-the thought I try to push away: Cassian. I tell myself all he wants ...