Chapter 126

• The party had stretched late into the night, but I didn’t mind. The energy in the room was electric—laughter, clinking glasses, and the faint hum of classical music blending with conversations. I had spent most of my evening drifting between small talk and dodging unnecessary encounters, but a part of me was surprisingly at ease.
• That was when Damian returned, and I immediately noticed something different about him.
• He had a bright smile on his face, a contrast to the usual serious expression he carried. He approached with a drink in hand and casually leaned against the bar beside me.