Chapter 81
The Engagement (Part 2)
(Maya’s POV)
The sound of the string quartet drifted through the grand ballroom, soft and elegant, but it did little to calm the unease in my chest. Every step I took on Laurent’s arm felt heavier than the last.
“Try to relax,” Laurent whispered, his voice calm as always. “It’s just another evening.”
“An evening hosted by Axel Hendrikson,” I muttered. “Nothing about that is ever just another evening.”
Laurent chuckled softly. “You worry too much.”
“Not enough, apparently,” I said under my breath.
The lights shimmered across the marble floor as we entered. Waiters glided between tables, carrying champagne and trays of desserts I had no appetite for. Conversations stopped for a fraction of a second when people noticed us, then picked up again in hu
