Chapter 47 Her Sweet Scent

• Caspian
• I scanned the crowded room, my gaze drifting over the sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces. The charity gala was a blur of monotony, the endless chatter and clinking glasses a cacophony that threatened to consume me whole. I reached for the wine glass on my table, the cool liquid slipping down my throat as I downed it in one swift motion. The waiter, attentive as ever, refilled my glass without a word.
• My eyes searched for an even more familiar figure – Ava, my wife. Where could she be? I hadn't seen her in what felt like an eternity. A flicker of concern sparked within me, and I pulled out my phone to send her a message. "Where are you?" I typed, my thumbs flying across the screen.