Vera Wave stood on the staircase, her gaze sweeping across the crowd looking up at her from downstairs. Despite their attention, there was no hint of stage fright or confusion on her face.
Having been born and raised in a very privileged family, she had attended countless such banquets and, of course, had long grown accustomed to them.
Her gaze returned, settling on Kris Cooper at the foot of the stairs. From afar, she blinked at him, her lips curving into a smile.
Her demeanor was just as it had been six years prior, when she first met him.
Kris Cooper smiled back. She, in turn, grasped the banister and began to descend step by step.
The opulent lamps on one side of the staircase illuminated the tiny diamonds on her dress. The girl, holding onto the banister, descended the curved staircase, each step radiant, as if a princess were making her grand entrance.
