Savage Gentleman: 14. Masquerade of Shadows

Lucas moved beside her, a quiet sentinel in tailored black, mask in place. “Remember,” he murmured, “everything here is a performance. Every smile, every glance, a potential trap. Keep your instincts sharp.”

Evelyn adjusted her own mask, feeling its cold weight press against her cheek. Masks were dangerous — they allowed people to hide, but they also revealed. She’d learned that the hard way. And tonight, she would reveal just enough to bait Charlotte without letting herself be caught.

The ballroom was a cathedral of shadows and light. Guests spun in waltz formations, their costumes elaborate, almost grotesque in their elegance. Gold and crimson, feathers and lace, masks that hid everything yet suggested everything. Evelyn’s eyes immediately found Charlotte, perched at the top of the staircase like a queen surveying her domain. Silver shards glittered in her hair, reflecting the candelabras’ flames, and her smile was the same dangerous curve Evelyn had seen a hundred tim