Chapter 134

OLIVIA’S POV It was happening again. The hollow ache in my chest. The slow, familiar unraveling of my hope. The dizzying dance between belief and heartbreak that Dominic always seemed to trap me in. His eyes, his voice, the way he looked at me tonight—it was all pulling me in, only to abandon me in the same breath. Why did he still have this effect on me? The music swirled around the ballroom, but it barely reached me. My thoughts were louder than any melody, my heart heavier than any conversation. My mind replayed the events like a cruel reel: Evelyn’s pathetic display, Dominic’s silence, then his half-hearted defense of me, followed by their dance. A dance I had no business watching—but couldn’t tear my eyes away from. His hand on her waist. Her face lifted toward his, triumphant and cruel. I was a fool to think things would ever be different. Still, I stood my ground, dodging the scornful stares of the high-ranking Lunas who had once spat on my name and spat even more venom into the