But habit made me scan the room one more time.
And that’s when I saw Naomi.
Standing toward the back of the ballroom, where the light didn’t quite reach.
She wasn’t dressed like the other women.
No diamonds.
No dramatic entrance.
Just quiet.
Watching.
Wearing a red dress.
Four months since I’d seen her, and Yuna had me occupied enough not to think of her.
Our eyes met for a brief second.
But I noticed something.
Her hand was resting low across her stomach.
Slowly rubbing it.
Like she was protecting something.
My brow raised slightly.
The gesture lingered in my mind longer than it should’ve.
Before I could step toward her?—
She turned.
And disappeared into the crowd.
Gone.
Just like that.
I exhaled slowly.
Something about that moment didn’t sit right.
But tonight wasn’t about Naomi.
Tonight was about power.
About alliances.
About the woman standing beside me.
I turned back toward Yuna.
Reached into my jacket and dropped to one knee.
