[Ace's POV]
I spotted Ann and Ray through the crowd. Relief punched through me—sharp, painful.
They were unharmed. Anchors in the swirling chaos.
But the relief drowned instantly beneath the raw, panicked pounding of my heart. A frantic drumbeat against my ribs that threatened to crack them open. The void where Ovelia should have been was a physical ache—a cold hollow in my chest that no amount of deep breaths could fill.
I closed the distance in three long strides. The festive music and laughter became a grotesque, mocking soundtrack to my terror.
"Ann. Ray." My voice came out ragged, torn from somewhere deep. "Have you seen Ovelia?" The question was a plea.
Ann's eyes, which had been scanning the crowd with a hunter's cool assessment, snapped to mine. Sharpened.
"What happened to Lady Ovelia, Sir Ace?" Her voice was tight, controlled—but I heard the edge beneath it. "Didn't I leave her in your care before I departed?"
