Daelan's POV
The ride back to the estate feels longer than it should, weighed down by exhaustion and irritation. The auction was a performance, a battleground of whispers and veiled threats, but nothing was more infuriating than meeting him.
Evan Hwan.
Strong. Confident. The kind of man people call a prodigy. The kind of man who stands at the top, looking down at others.
He's also infuriatingly good-looking.
I can't do anything about his face, but I can sure as hell make sure I surpass him. He might be formidable now, but I have something he never will.
Emmaline.
The thought of her alone is enough to temper my frustration. I glance to the side, watching her in the dim lighting of the car, the soft glow of passing streetlights illuminating her golden dress. She looks ethereal, a goddess sculpted in moonlight and silk, her face unreadable as she stares out of the window.
She hasn't spoken to me since we left.