The gala buzzed with life, the hum of laughter and music filling the air as everyone wandered among the brightly lit stalls.
Elara stood with Kaelen, still processing the note in her pocket. Her fingers brushed the parchment absently, her mind whirling with questions. She glanced up, trying to decipher who it could be from and her gaze landed on someone familiar—Mathew Uloy.
He stood a little way off, his tall frame leaning casually against a post, a warm smile directed straight at her. The recognition struck Elara immediately, and she realized with a start who must have sent the note. The unease earlier was suddenly replaced by anticipation and something else that she couldn't quite name.
Her lips curved into a tentative smile in return, as something knotted in her chest. How was she supposed to slip away and meet him without drawing attention?