The Shadow King

little choice. Her father's erstwhile associates have grown more and more evasive since her coming. Some would not answer her calls. Others had excuses handy for not meeting her. If she

led the ballroom. Waiters moved among the diners, carrying silver trays of champagne, their movements subtle and practiced. Soft music played under the never ending bustle of conversation. Every smile was intentional, every handshake deliberate,

the sea of foreign faces. She'd selected it deliberately, combining its timeless style with modest earrings and a chilly face that conveyed very little of her mood. She strolled about the ballroom with studied politeness, taking praises and exchanging pleasant

Gomez with studied pity, selecting their words as if scared of saying too much, others veered off topic whenever the conversation turned awkward. Their hesitancy was hard to miss, especially from those who had previously held places of trust in her father's life. Se

eyes has

in a superbly made black suit walked beside Liam Stone. He carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone who was used to commanding attention without demanding it. Even amongst the esteemed people in the room, his calm countenance and relaxed posture set him apa

connection with Liam Stone didn't hurt his position with the guests either. He listened when people talked, he answered pleasantly, and went among the company as if he were one of them. He was

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t name to a real person, much less to anyone standing in front of her that evening. Nevertheless, something about Ethan's presence stirred her curiosity, although she could not have explained precisely why. Perhaps it was his composure, or perhaps it was the ease with which he

attention, Ethan

, determined not to allow the surprise meeting upset her, while Ethan stared back at her with an inscrutable face. His eyes seemed to linger on her as much as anyone's yet there was something

ting their welcomes delay him for long. Serene stayed where she was, her expression still as he came close. In close he looked even more confident, his fitted suit emphasising his tall body, his placid demeanour making it

we've met," he sa

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clearly heard of her before, though she could not tell how much he knew or where that knowledge had come from. She studied his face, looking for a more obvious reaction, but he offered

n Gomez's

Liam Stone's

other t

of their courteous exchange. There was something calculating beneath his pleasant demeanor, a quality she could not quite define but found difficult to ignore. He seemed perfectly comfortable speaking with her, as though the circumsta

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with an interest that seemed to deepen rather than diminish at her blunt response, his expression retaining its easy confidence. Serene had expected him to respond with the same carefully measured courtesy

get to know me before d

he knew little about was the last thing she needed. Ethan was charming, undeniably so, but charm alone had never been a reliable measure of character. She had spent too much time searching for answers to

emained fixed on the man standing before her. She wanted to see whether his composure would change when the subject shifted away from the harmless pleasantries expected at a charity gala. If he knew anything about the mysterious figure mentioned i

Have you ever heard

appeared for the

shift before he regained his composure. His face settled back into its previous calm, his features once again revealing little of what might be passing through his mind. The easy confidence he had displaye

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brief disappearance of his smile had not escaped her, leaving her with a reason to pay closer attention to the man standing before her. She could not determine whether his reaction meant that he knew something about the Shadow King

come to the gala with questions she intended to answer, and her interest in the Shadow King was clearly more than idle curiosity. She had approached him with a purpose,