The music continued softly, flowing like water through the open garden. Beneath the canopy of enchanted lights and flowering trees, Veyron and Livia moved across the white quartz dance floor with practiced grace.
Noel stood a short distance away, one hand resting loosely in his pocket, the other holding a half-empty glass. His gaze followed the two figures in the center—not with admiration, but with something quieter. Detached.
'This isn't for me.'
He watched as Livia allowed Veyron to guide her with ease, her expression soft, even peaceful. It was strange. She looked nothing like the cold, bitter girl he remembered when the engagement was announced. The tension in her shoulders was gone. The stiffness in her jaw had faded.
Then, movement beside him drew his eye.
