The Cain Legacy Tangled Fates (Book Three)

The Darkness Unravels

The gala carried on, but Charlotte felt unmoored. The connection she had felt with Rowan lingered in her mind, a bittersweet reminder of the fleeting moments they had shared. As the night wore on, she found herself searching for him, her heart racing with anticipation and dread.

When she finally spotted him, he was standing at the edge of the crowd, his expression distant. She approached him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Rowan," she called, her voice cutting through the noise. He looked up, surprise flickering across his face before he masked it with indifference.

"Hey," he replied, his tone guarded.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked, concern flooding her senses.

Rowan's gaze flickered away. "It's nothing. Just... family drama."

The way he spoke, the tension in his shoulders, sent a jolt of apprehension through her. "Is it your father?"

Rowan stiffened, a shadow crossing his features. "Let's just say he's not the easiest person to deal with."

Charlotte's heart ached for him. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But I'm here for you."

He hesitated, his eyes searching hers as if weighing his options. "I know. It's just... I don't want to drag you into my mess."

"Mess or not, I want to be here," Charlotte insisted, her voice steady. "You're not alone, Rowan."

For a brief moment, the vulnerability in his gaze flickered to the surface before it was masked by a wall he had built around himself. "You have no idea what you're asking for."

"Then let me in," Charlotte urged, desperate to break through the barriers he had erected. "Please."

Rowan's gaze darkened, and he stepped back, tearing his eyes from hers. "I can't. Not now."

Before Charlotte could respond, Rylee appeared at her side, her face alight with excitement. "Charlotte, come on! We're doing the dance-off!"

"Go," Rowan said, his voice firm. "I'll see you later."

Charlotte looked between her friend and Rowan, torn between the chaos of the party and the intensity of the moment. But Rylee's eager tug on her arm was impossible to resist.

"Let's go! It'll be fun!" Rylee exclaimed, pulling Charlotte into the crowd.

As they danced, Charlotte couldn't shake the feeling that Rowan was slipping through her fingers, just as the night was slipping away. She wanted to reach out, to hold onto him, but the distance between them felt insurmountable.