Fen.
I motioned to Vanessa Lightfoot as she stood near the bar, her laugh ringing out above the crowd. She caught my eye and gave a small nod, then excused herself from the group of people she'd been talking to. As she moved toward me, I felt the weight of the night pushing against me again. There were still so many conversations to have, but this one felt important. Vanessa was one of the key players—loyal to Braxton, but her own kind of person. Loud, extroverted, and always quick to speak her mind.
Once we were outside on the balcony, I made sure to shut the door softly behind us, leaving the noise of the ballroom behind. Thankfully, the balcony was empty, just the soft drizzle of rain falling from the sky, turning the air cool and refreshing against my skin.
