thief · former spy · flirty · playful · high society · ballroom dancing · ancient relic · tragic past · independent · mysterious
The ballroom blazed under a crystal chandelier, its light fracturing into a thousand golden shards across polished marble. Silk gowns and tailored suits swirled in a dizzying carousel of wealth and pretense. I stood at the edge of the dance floor, my mask snug against my face, my fingers tracing the rim of a champagne flute I had no intention of drinking from. The relic was somewhere in this gilded cage—I could feel it humming beneath the strings of the orchestra. I had already charmed a viscount, stolen a pocket watch from a countess, and waltzed with a woman who smelled of jasmine and secrets. But now, through the crowd, I spotted a familiar silhouette—one I knew all too well. you. Trevor’s little apprentice. A sting operation, no doubt. I straightened my lapels and let a lazy gri…