Chapter 297: A Breath of Stolen Air
Once Maribel was gone, Eve turned back, instantly feeling Ivan’s presence behind her. He was already holding two fresh glasses of wine. She raised a brow at him in silent question, and he leaned down, his voice a low whisper intended only for her ears.
"I picked these up from a different tray," he murmured.
She understood his meaning immediately, that these drinks were safe and untainted. She accepted the glass, but not without teasing him one more time.
"Thank you, darling."
Ivan sucked in a sharp breath and narrowed his eyes at her. He knew she was fully aware of the maddening effect that single word was having on him.
Meanwhile, Damien snagged another glass of wine from a passing tray and extended it toward the Minister. "Minister Silas, since the first serving didn’t go quite as planned, here you go....to complete your toast," he offered, his wide, shark-like grin making Silas visibly wary.
"T-thank you, Lord Damien," Silas stammered. He took the drink, though he was fuming internally. He knew that the previously wasted drinks had been laced with a substance intended to bring Ivan and Eve under their influence, and now his master plan lay in a red puddle on the floor.
Still, the night was young; Silas consoled himself with that fact. After the toast was concluded, the ball returned to full swing.
As time passed, guests intoxicated by wine and music began to lose themselves. Some, accompanied by their lumen or human partners, openly sank their fangs into willing flesh, drinking warm, fresh blood and transforming the elegant affair into something far closer to a vampire den than a formal ball.
Meanwhile, other couples slipped away into the darker corners of the estate to steal moments alone. Eve took in the scene with wide eyes, having never witnessed anything like it before. She felt Ivan’s hand rest against her back, the touch sensual and possessive, and she swallowed hard as that familiar warmth began to coil low within her.
Just then, one of Silas’s men leaned in to whisper something into his ear, prompting Silas to excuse himself politely before slipping away from the circle.
But Damien and Ivan heard the man’s words with perfect clarity: "They are here."
Their sharp, dark red gazes followed Silas, noting that he was not heading toward the main entrance, but rather toward the private corridors leading deeper into the estate. Their curiosity piqued at the realization.
Eve noticed the silent exchange between the brothers. "What did I miss?" she asked in a low whisper.
Just then, Edward and Cece stepped off the dance floor. Seeing the intense looks shared between the three of them, Cece tilted her head. "Oh, I know that look," she murmured, glancing at Damien. She knew immediately that they had caught onto something.
With a subtle nod, Ivan turned to meet Eve’s curious gaze. "How about we go and get some fresh air?" he suggested. His voice was a low rumble that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
"Alright," Eve replied at once, slipping her hand around his arm.
Ivan exchanged one last look with Damien before guiding her away under the watchful eyes of the crowd. He had spoken just loudly enough for others to hear where they were headed, making it clear that he desired privacy and ensuring that no one would be foolish enough to follow the Crown Prince.
They exited through the same corridor where Silas had disappeared moments earlier. The guards stationed at the threshold did not so much as flinch, maintaining their stony, vigilant watch over the remaining guests.
Moments later, Cece spoke up. "I think I need to visit the powder room."
"I will escort you," Edward offered immediately. With practiced grace, the two of them slipped away to follow Ivan and Eve’s trail.
Damien, being Damien, did not announce his intentions at all. Instead of taking the same route as the others, he headed towards the main entrance. Before he could step outside, however, one of the ministers stopped him.
"Lord Damien, are you leaving already?" the man asked nervously. Beside him, his wife and daughter hovered with thinly veiled anticipation, clearly searching for an opening to speak to him and make introductions.
"Not so soon, but I do have matters that require my attention. I shall return shortly." Without offering further explanation, Damien gave a playful wink to the daughter, who blushed a deep scarlet before he disappeared through the heavy doors.
Once outside and away from prying eyes, he glanced back at the sprawling estate. With a sudden, blurred movement, he leaped into the shadows and vanished back inside through an upper-level opening.
Inside the estate, Ivan and Eve continued walking, both aware of the guards stationed at regular intervals. None of them dared to stop the pair the moment they recognised the pure-blooded Prince.
Suddenly, Ivan’s ears picked up a faint sound. He paused abruptly, causing Eve to stop in her tracks.
She looked up at him, a question on her lips, but before she could speak, Ivan stepped in front of her. In full view of the guards, he leaned over and began to fidget with the back of her dress.
Confused by the sudden change in his behavior, Eve whispered, "What’s wrong?"
"Hm....it seems your dress needs adjusting from behind," he said, his brow furrowed in a slight frown. He glanced over his shoulder, only to find the guards gaping at Evelyn.
His eyes turned into icy shards as they pierced through the men. "Look away," he commanded, his voice a lethal rasp, "unless you wish to have your heads separated from your bodies."
The guards flinched instantly and bowed deeply, murmuring hurried apologies.
Looking back at Eve, his expression softened only a fraction. "Let’s get this fixed, shall we?"
Caught in his rhythm, Eve nodded. "Alright."
"Where are the guest rooms located?" Ivan asked the guards sternly.
"Just ahead to the right, Your Highness," one of the guards replied instantly, trembling with the urge to stay in the Prince’s good graces.
Without a word of thanks, Ivan guided Eve deeper into the inner sanctum of the palace.
Meanwhile, Cece and Edward stood outside the washrooms, sharing a brief, knowing look before they continued on. Noticing a heavy guard presence ahead, they decided to cut through the courtyard. It was significantly darker there, providing a shadowed path toward the area where Cece had picked up the faint echo of Ivan’s voice moments ago.
However, before they could make their move, a group of maids began crossing from the far side of the courtyard, while a guard approached from the opposite direction.
"This is not good," Edward whispered with slight worry lacing in his tone.
Sandwiched between the two approaching threats, Cece and Edward knew that if they were spotted standing idle in the shadows, suspicion would be immediate, and word would get back to Silas. Under the dark canopy of a tree, Cece could hear the quick, frantic pace of Edward’s heartbeat as the footsteps drew closer.
Having run out of options, Cece took Edward’s gorgeous face in her hands.
"Forgive me for this," she whispered. He opened his mouth to question her, but at that exact moment, Cece smashed her lips against his.
His heartbeat, which had been racing only seconds before, seemed to stop entirely the moment he felt her soft lips against his. For a heartbeat, he was so stunned that he felt as if he were no longer in his own body.
Then, the heated sensation of her touch began to register.....the warmth of her lips and the delicate pressure of her hands against his face.
His hands twitched at his sides, and as every other thought slipped from his mind, Edward wasted no time. He surrendered to the feeling and wrapped his arms around the woman who had slowly, quietly crept into his heart.
He pulled her flush against him, one hand cradling her delicate neck while the other anchored firmly around her waist. Cece felt as though she might melt into putty; she had never done anything so bold, so reckless. Her mind exploded with fireworks the instant their lips met.
She hadn’t known what came over her in that moment, but as she took that leap, she knew there was no turning back, regardless of how Edward might react.
Deep in her heart, she prayed he wouldn’t lose his temper for her crossing the line. When, for a few agonizing seconds, he had remained frozen like ice, and she feared she had made a mistake.
Just as she began to brace her heart for rejection, certain that she had overstepped, she felt his hands wrap around her back and pull her flush against him.
A heat ignited within her that she had never felt before. She felt as though she were being set on fire, the sensation of his warm, hard body pressed against hers consuming her entirely.
She was momentarily taken aback by the sudden development, but all rational thought flew out of the window when Edward finally began to move his mouth against hers.
