Alina's POV
If I had known they would both be here, I would have stayed locked behind my bedroom door. My palms felt clammy, and my heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I had come for a lifeline, not a confrontation. I scanned the crowd, desperate to find the one person who could help me, but instead, I felt a heavy hand on my arm.
Aiden.
He pulled me closer, his grip firm, ignoring the woman standing inches away. He looked at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl—as if his wife, the woman who had taken my place, didn't even exist. I looked over at Emily. Her eyes were like chips of ice, her gaze boring into me with a mixture of hatred and insecurity. She clutched his other arm so tightly her knuckles were white, looking like she might shatter if he moved an inch away from her.
"I'll excuse myself," I managed to say, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "Today is your night, Luna Emily. I wouldn't want to ruin it."
