Ethan exhaled quietly after a moment, before he turned toward Hayley. "We’ll figure it out later," he said in a low voice. "Stay calm for now."

Hayley’s eyes were still glowing. She didn’t respond immediately, but after a second or so, she gave a reluctant nod.

At that moment, the atmosphere of the hall began to change.

Conversations tapered off as Heads turned towards the descending figure of Lady Audrey Desdemona.

She walked down the grand staircase at the far end of the hall, with her hand sliding down on the polished banister railing. Each step was measure and unhurried.

Her gown was an elegant shade of green, flowing down her frame. The neckline was high, the sleeves long and fitted, and a delicate silver brooch rested just above her heart.

Her hair was swept back into an intricate arrangement, pinned in place with care. There was not a single strand out of place.

She wore no mask, allowing everyone a clear look at one of the youngest and most striking faces in the gathering, making it hard to believe she was even two centuries old.

Behind her, one step back and to the right, was Esmeray.

The younger woman moved in perfect synchronization with her mistress. She wore a simple black gown, tasteful but unremarkable, designed to let Audrey remain the focus.

As Audrey reached the base of the staircase, the room fell mostly silent.

She paused there, letting her gaze sweep across the elites. A smile curved her lips as she began. "Good evening."

Her voice was calm, and carried effortlessly across the hall.

"I am grateful to each of you for honoring my invitation tonight. I know your time is precious, and yet you chose to be here."

She paused, letting the word settle.

"In recent days, there has been much said about this family. Much speculation and much judgment." Her smile didn’t falter. "And perhaps some of it is deserved. But let me be clear about one thing."

Her gaze hardened just slightly.

"The name Desdemona has stood for generations. It has weathered storms before, and it will weather them again. What has happened to my grandson is unfortunate. But it does not define us. It does not diminish what we have built, nor does it erase the alliances we have forged."

A few heads nodded. Others remained still, watching.

"So let us enjoy the evening. Let’s set aside the noise. Enjoy good conversation, good company, and an evening well spent."

She inclined her head slightly.

"Thank you."

And with that, she stepped forward into the crowd.

A polite applause followed and conversations resumed, though more quietly now, as though the room itself had been reminded of its place.

Audrey moved through the gathered guests. She stopped before a silver-haired nobleman, exchanging a few words. He laughed softly at something she said, bowing his head respectfully as she moved on.

Next, she greeted a woman in a purple gown, a prominent trade mogul whose family controlled most of the grain supply. The woman smiled warmly, leaning in as Audrey whispered something that made her nod with understanding.

Then a politician, a a judge, then a guild master.

Each interaction was brief and reinforced the same unspoken truth: Lady Audrey Desdemona was not someone who had lost influence. She was someone who still held it, firmly, in both hands.

Many of the attendees had come specifically because Lady Audrey herself was hosting.

Had it been any other member of the Desdemona family, the attendance would have been far lower. Perhaps half, perhaps less.

But Audrey was different. She was widely respected, feared, and known across generations.

She was recognized as the oldest living human in Grayfort City. Some even placed her age at over two hundred years. Her name had been spoken in noble circles long before most of the people in this room had even been born.

Some guests had even been present purely out of curiosity. They had heard of her their entire lives, heard the stories and legends. But they had never seen her in person.

Tonight was their chance, and they watched her now with a mixture of reverence, caution, and awe.

Ethan and Isabella stood off to the side, observing the room.

Bella leaned slightly toward him, and spoke in lower voices.

"The man in the gray suit beside the pillar," she said quietly. "That’s Cleavon. He’s one of Audrey’s sons. He oversees most of the family’s financial holdings."

Ethan’s gaze followed hers, landing on the man in question. He was speaking with another noble.

"And the woman beside him?" Ethan asked.

"His wife," Bella replied. "I don’t know much about her, but she’s from a lesser noble family. Married in for status."

Ethan nodded.

Bella continued, her eyes moving across the room. "The younger man by the window, the one with the dark hair... that’s one of Audrey’s grandsons. I don’t know his name or what he does for them to be exact."

Ethan took it all in, cataloging faces, names, and their relevance.

Then Hayley stepped closer. "I need to excuse myself," she said quietly.

Ethan turned toward her, and whispered, "Remember, stay calm."

Hayley held his gaze for a moment, then a smile formed as she nodded. "I know."

And with that, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Ethan watched her go, then exhaled slowly before turning to continue his observations with Bella.

Some time passed, and at this point in time, even Wilson and Maya Heydrich had joined the gathering.

They had come as representatives of their family, and though the exchange was briefly awkward, especially when Maya greeted Ethan despite having once kept him tied in her basement, the moment passed quickly.

Soon enough, they settled around Ethan and Bella.

There was one more person at the gathering, and like her Father whom she arrived with, she bore striking orange hair.

Beatrice Morgenstein.

Due to Ethan being the crowd long before she and her father arrived, he had not noticed. However, Beatrice did.

She had not seen him specifically, atleast not yet, but vampires possessed a heightened awareness that allowed them to sense those they were well acquainted with.

And somewhere within the gathering, she could feel him, which is why she occasionally turned her head in different directions.

A part of her hoped to spot him.

Conversations continued as the evening carried on perfectly.

Not long after, a figure approached Ethan through the subtle parting of the crowd.

And when he turned to see who, it was Lady Audrey Desdemona stood before him, with a polite smile on her face.

"Mr. Ethan Stark."

—-

A/N: I will have their pictures posted in the next Chapter. Discord Users will get it first.