The charity ball afterparty was being held in one of Ashwick’s smaller event spaces, creating an intimate atmosphere for the academy’s most elite students and their families. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over clusters of people engaged in the kind of sophisticated conversation that passed for entertainment among the wealthy.
I’d changed out of my formal gown into something more comfortable for the casual gathering—a midnight blue dress that Roni had insisted would complement my great-grandmother’s necklace perfectly. The diamonds still felt heavy around my throat, a constant reminder of the evening’s revelations and Alexander’s intense interrogation.
“Isabella!” Julian appeared beside me with his usual theatrical flair, looking perfectly at ease despite the previous night’s dramat
