************
Scarlette's crimson hair stood out vividly, even beneath the subdued lighting of the guild halls. The veil covering the lower half of her face concealed her features, yet it did nothing to diminish her presence. Ryan was certain—absolutely certain—that beneath it hid an ethereal beauty few had the fortune to witness.
Her crimson-lilac eyes were unmistakable.
They drew his gaze almost against his will, and an invasive thought crept into his mind.
Had the Marquis seen her real face when they were left alone?
The realization unsettled him more than he expected.
'Am I… attracted to her?'
The thought lingered longer than he wanted it to. He barely knew her, yet his reactions betrayed him at every turn. Worse still, Scarlette was the key—the most vital piece—in finding the person he had been searching for all this time.
'Why am I letting myself be distracted like this?'
