Eliana's POV
The corridor felt longer than usual.
Or maybe it was just my thoughts stretching it.
My heels clicked softly against the polished floor as I walked toward my room, my pace steady, controlled like everything else about me had to be in this place.
Voices approached from the opposite direction.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was.
Cassandra.
Right on cue.
She walked past me with her usual entourage, two subordinates trailing closely behind her like shadows that didn't dare breathe without permission.
Envy.
It flickered across her face, sharp and ugly, before she masked it too late. Her eyes lingered a second longer than necessary, scanning me like I was something she couldn't quite figure out or maybe something she couldn't stand.
I didn't come here to read faces.
And I definitely didn't come here to feel petty.
So I ignored her completely.
