Elena's eyes then moved to the little boy who had been brought in earlier. Clearly, he had no connection to Hank—not by blood. And now that Hank had been taken into custody, the child was left alone.
A wave of emotion passed through her. Elena thought of her own child—the one she had given birth to but never held.
She turned to one of the servants and said softly, "Take him to the dining room. Give him something to eat and make sure he's comfortable."
Then, needing a moment of calm, she stepped away to change her dress. The dance would begin soon, and she wanted to be ready.
In the quiet of the dressing room, Elena exhaled slowly and closed her eyes. The chaos had passed, but the tension still hung in the air like a ghost.
She smoothed down her gown and took a seat, allowing herself a moment to breathe.
But that calm didn't last.
As she rounded the corner to leave the room, she was suddenly pulled into a strong embrace—her body drawn firmly into a broad, warm chest.
