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My clutch burns red-hot under my arm. The answer to my fate sits inside, begging me to pull it out and confirm if my life is about to change forever.

“I just need to visit the ladi—”

“You’re not running from this,” Alex states, holding me tighter before he begins marching us closer to the bar.

We make it halfway across the vast room before we catch Isla’s eye.

She studies us—or more so me—for a beat. My skin prickles with awareness as she clearly decides right then and there if I’m good enough for her best friend.

The two of us have always got on okay, but we’ve never been friends exactly. We’ve always been too different. Or maybe, with the way I’ve been breaking through the shackles that have been around me all my life, we’re not so dissimilar after all. It just took me longer to find my inner strength and confidence.

After getting her fill, she finally nods her head, indicating for Daemon to turn around. My heart jumps in my throat as anticipation rushes through my veins.

The last time I looked into his eyes, he’d had his gives-no-shits mask on, and I’d been well and truly locked out. What side of this complicated man am I going to get today?

I swear time stops around us as he turns around.

I stop breathing, and everything around me ceases to exist as I just wait.

The second our eyes connect, it’s like someone has literally ripped the world from beneath my feet.

My knees buckle, and if it weren’t for Alex, then I’d have been in a heap in the middle of the room.

“Shit, Calli. You okay?” Alex asks as Daemon pushes away from the bar and strides over. His long legs eat up the space between us in only seconds.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, clearly having seen the way my legs gave out. Concern oozes from his dark, stormy eyes as tears fill my own.

Shaking my head, I fight to keep my emotions in check.

Tonight already has the makings of a total disaster. The last thing I need is to make a spectacle of myself and invite unwanted questions from my brother. Or anyone, really.

What I need to do is run away as fast as I can with Daemon right beside me. Fat chance of that.

“N-nothing. It’s good to see you,” I say politely, forcing a smile on my lips.

He frowns at me before his eyes flick to Alex in concern. He just shrugs as they embark on an irritating silent conversation that, obviously, I’m the centre of.

“How are you feeling?”

“Awful,” I say honestly, right as a waiter appears beside us with a tray of champagne and whisky.

Everyone reaches for a glass, Daemon instantly throwing his back and placing it back down.

“Miss?” the waiter asks politely.

“No, thank you. Could I get a glass of water please?”

“Of course, I’ll be right with you.” I smile sweetly at him.

“Wow, you must have had a really good night if you haven’t got back on the horse yet,” Isla announces.

“Yeah, it was something. Excuse me, I—”

But before I get to turn around and escape, voices get louder behind me and I quickly find myself in the middle of our group.

“This is nice, the whole gang together. Plus that cling-on,” Nico says, shooting Isla a teasing wink.

“Fuck you, Cirillo. I’m the best person in this huddle and you know it.”