The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28 The Trophy On Display

The Valdris estate was transformed. It looked like a movie set. Lights blazed from every window, valets in white gloves whisked away luxury cars, and the sound of a string quartet spilled out into the frosty night air. The air smelled of expensive perfume and money.

Inside, the spectacle was overwhelming. Crystal chandeliers glittered, casting rainbows on the marble floors. The cream of society milled about, jewels flashing, laughter sharp and brittle. And there, at the center of it all, was Xan.

He was resplendent in a classic tuxedo, his dark hair perfect, his smile blinding. He saw her and his eyes lit up with genuine, predatory triumph. He cut through the crowd, taking her hands.

“Elera,” he breathed, his gaze sweeping over her dress with a hint of surprise that quickly turned to approval. “You look… stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. Everyone is looking at you.”

That was the point.

He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, a claim staked. “Come. There are so many people I want you to meet.”

The next hour was a slow, surreal parade. She met senators, celebrities, foreign dignitaries. Xan presented her like a trophy, his hand always on her back, his voice always in her ear. “My beautiful fiancée, Elyrian.” She smiled, she nodded, she said all the right empty things. She was the perfect mannequin.

But beneath the surface, she was cataloging. She noted the greedy, assessing looks from Xan’s business rivals. The pitying glances from older women who saw a lamb led to slaughter. The hungry eyes of men who wondered what it would be like to have something so beautiful on their arm.

She felt utterly, completely alone in the sea of people.

Then, across the crowded ballroom, she saw a flash of familiar gray. Her heart stopped.

Elera felt a white–hot flash of anger. She kept her smile in place. “How sad for him,” she murmured her voice devoid of feeling.

Xan led her away, but she could feel Drakonius’s gaze like a touch on the back of her neck. An anchor in the raging sea.

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