I leaned back in my seat, the low hum of chatter from the hall wrapping around us like a velvet curtain. Glasses clinked, cameras flashed, and the orchestra at the far end of the ballroom played something slow and expensive-sounding.
Val was still beside me, perfectly composed as always, her posture straight. She looked calm — radiant, even — like the argument that had been sitting between us for weeks didn't exist.
I turned to her. "So… what exactly is this thing about?"
She blinked, surprised. "The Gala?"
"Yeah," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "I just realized I have no clue what I walked into."
