Maya's POV
Each step toward the glass doors felt like walking through quicksand. My pulse hammered against my ribs as anticipation and anxiety twisted together beneath my skin. The ornate handle gleamed under the chandelier light, and cool air whispered through the door frame, beckoning me forward.
I raised my hand toward the golden metal, drawing in a steadying breath.
"Well, well, well."
Cassandra's razor-sharp voice cut through the elegant murmur of the party behind me. Every syllable dripped with the kind of poison I had come to expect from her perfectly painted lips.
"Planning to strut back out there and act like nothing happened? I have to admit, you've got nerve. But let's see how long that confidence lasts when the entire Sterling company starts whispering about your little arrangement."
