Each minute that passes feels like it's pulling tighter at the fraying edges of my nerves. The anticipation claws at me, making it harder to sit still, to breathe steadily. I glance around the room, but all I see is the same sea of faces I've been seeing since we arrived. He's not one of them.
I can't take it anymore. I need to get away, even if just for a moment. I excuse myself quietly, telling my mother that I'll use the restroom. She nods without much interest, too focused on whatever conversation my father is having.
As I stand, I feel the weight of a hundred eyes, but no one seems to care. I make my way toward the back of the room, spotting a worker holding a champagne tray.
He points me in the direction with a polite smile, and I follow his instructions, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I head to the stairs.
I glance around once I reach the bottom, finding a long hall with several doors, none of which seem to be the restroom. There's a large sitting area, empty for now, with floor-to-ceiling windows that lead outside. My gaze shifts to the restroom sign on one of the doors at the far end of the hall.
I head straight for it, eager to take a breath and regain some semblance of calm. My hand reaches for the handle, pushing down, but I freeze at the sound of voices nearby.
Footsteps approach behind me, the sound sharp and deliberate. I stop, feeling the presence before I hear the voice.
"You're blocking my path," the voice behind me is sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.
I freeze, my heart nearly stopping at the tone. I don't recognize it, but something tells me who it is before I even turn around.
YOU ARE READING
Dark Promises
RomanceElena DeLuca, daughter of a powerful New York mafia boss, has always followed the rules and stayed out of the family business, hoping for a future far from the violence and hoped for a marriage of her own choosing. Her hopes are crushed when her fat...
