Chapter 47

I should've known it would be another strange morning the moment I saw Chloe step out of Adam Elvador's car like she owned the entire damn parking lot.

She was glowing-smiling from ear to ear, her perfectly styled blonde curls bouncing as she walked. The same scarf-lace, delicate, and suspiciously hiding the side of her neck-was wrapped tightly around her throat again. Adam didn't even wait for her to say goodbye. His car drove off before she'd fully shut the door.

She didn't glance in our direction.

No wave. No smile. Not even a "Hey, guys!" which used to be her thing. She always had some dramatic, chirpy way of announcing herself, but lately... nothing.

Vanessa and I just stood there, watching her float off toward the east wing of campus.

"She didn't even see us," I said under my breath, even though I knew she had.

"She saw us," Vanessa replied simply. "She just didn't care."

I bit my lip, my chest tightening. Chloe was never the type to ignore us. Not like this. Sure, she could be a little dramatic, but she loved us. And now it was like... we didn't exist unless we were talking about him. Adam.

"She's different," I murmured. "She's not acting like herself anymore."

Vanessa turned to me, nodding like she'd been waiting for me to say it. "That's because she's not. And I don't know what the hell that vampire has done to her, but we need to talk to her. Like, properly. No more beating around the bush."

We made our way to our first lecture. My head was already pounding. And it wasn't from lack of sleep this time-it was the million thoughts racing in my head.

In class, Chloe sat three rows ahead of us, typing rapidly on her iPad, headphones in. She wasn't even pretending to be interested in the lecture.

Vanessa nudged me as soon as we slid into our seats. "Let's talk to her now. Before she runs off again."

"Yeah," I nodded, exhaling slowly. "We have to."

The second the professor ended the class, Vanessa and I were on our feet. We cornered Chloe before she could escape.

"Hey," I called out, gently grabbing her arm. "Can we talk?"

She looked at us, lips parted like she'd just remembered we existed. "Um, yeah, what's up? Can we walk and talk? I have cheer practice soon and so much to do."

Vanessa stepped forward, a slight edge to her voice. "It won't take long. We're just worried about you."

Chloe blinked, surprised. "Worried? About what?"

"You," I said softly. "You've been... off. Distant. And we haven't hung out in days. Not properly."

Chloe chuckled-too brightly. "Oh my gosh, you guys! Don't be dramatic. I'm just busy! The council party is coming up and my mom asked me to help plan it. And Adam's going to be there-he's been helping me with so many ideas. I want it to be perfect."

She looked between us like that explanation should've satisfied everything. It didn't.

"Chloe..." Vanessa started, but Chloe had already started walking. "I promise we'll hang out soon, okay? After the party maybe. You guys are just overthinking."

No. We weren't. We weren't thinking enough.

She disappeared around the corner before we could say more. I stood frozen, staring after her, her words echoing in my head. Adam this, Adam that. Everything was about him now. She was completely obsessed and she didn't even see it.

The rest of the lecture was a blur. I didn't hear a single word the professor said. My thoughts were bouncing around like wildfire-was he Feeding on her? Using her? It felt like watching someone walk blindfolded toward a cliff.

After the lecture, Vanessa grabbed my hand. "We're going to that council party."

I blinked. "What?"

"We're going," she repeated. "We'll find out what's going on with Chloe. We'll watch how he talks to her, how she reacts. Something's off, Liz."

"I know," I whispered.

Vanessa's eyes were fierce. "Then let's do something about it."

We walked toward the gym, where cheer practice had already started. Chloe was in the middle of the field, flipping into the air like the star athlete she was, that scarf still securely tied around her neck. It fluttered as she spun through the air.

"I still don't get why she wears that during training," I muttered.

Vanessa gave me a pointed look. "I do."

We waited until the girls took a water break. Chloe jogged toward the benches, towel draped around her shoulders, all flushed cheeks and adrenaline. When she spotted us, her smile flickered.

"Heyyy," she said, dragging the word out. "I thought you guys had class."

"Ended early," Vanessa replied. "We just wanted to ask you something."

Chloe arched an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Vanessa tilted her head, voice light but firm. "We were wondering why you didn't invite us to the council party."

Chloe blinked. "Oh. Well... it's kind of official, you know? My mom's event. Very adulty. Boring, honestly."

"Come on," I said, folding my arms. "When has alcohol ever been boring to us?"

Chloe laughed. "Okay, fair. But still, it's not really a party party. It's just politicians and city council people in suits talking about fundraising. You guys would hate it."

Vanessa gave her the innocent eyes. "Still. We're your best friends. Not inviting us feels a little unfair."

Chloe hesitated. Just for a second. "Fine. I'll get you guys in. But don't blame me when you're bored out of your minds."

I reached for her arm, squeezing gently. "Thanks. It means a lot."

She smiled, but something in her expression was... distant. Like she was smiling through glass.

Practice resumed, and we stood at the edge of the field watching her. She flipped and twisted like a pro, but it wasn't the Chloe I knew. Not fully.

"I'm scared," I murmured to Vanessa. "I don't know what we'll find at that party."

Vanessa crossed her arms. "Then we better be ready for anything."

I nodded, eyes fixed on Chloe, my heart sinking. "She's not herself."

"No," Vanessa agreed quietly. "She's not"

The morning of the council party, the house was buzzing with activity, tension, and more hairspray than a high school prom night.

Vanessa's mom was in full-on command mode-pressing dresses, shouting orders, curling her already perfect hair, and occasionally muttering things like "I swear if you two embarrass me tonight..." under her breath.

"You two better behave yourselves," she warned as she stood in the hallway, looking us both up and down like a general preparing soldiers for war. "If I see even a single champagne flute in either of your hands-or God forbid you're caught sneaking into the wine cellar-I will personally drag you home by the hair."

Vanessa rolled her eyes behind her mom's back and gave me a subtle wink. "Yes, Mom," she said, all sweetness and innocence.

"Promise," I added with a smile, holding my hands up like I was swearing in court.

Of course, we weren't going there for the champagne or the caviar. But we couldn't exactly say, Hey, we think Chloe's been brainwashed by a vampire and we're trying to spy on her and his creepy family. No. Vanessa's mom wouldn't believe us. She'd probably confiscate our phones, lock us in our rooms, and burn every vampire book we owned.

Better to let her think we were just hormonal college girls wanting a peek into the glamorous world of New Orleans high society.

Once we were all dressed and ready-Vanessa in emerald green, me in midnight blue, and her mom in a fierce black velvet gown-we headed out, leaving Joe yelling at his game console with two equally loud friends. The house smelled like pizza rolls and body spray as we closed the door behind us.

"Pray he doesn't burn the place down," Vanessa muttered under her breath as we climbed into her mom's SUV.

The venue was breathtaking-held at the historic Saint Claire Estate, where gold-trimmed columns, crystal chandeliers, and oil paintings of long-dead council members screamed old money and old secrets. The kind of place where everything looked expensive and fragile, like one wrong step would bankrupt you.

Inside, it was exactly what I expected and somehow still overwhelming. The men wore tailored tuxedos and crisp smiles, the women shimmered in gowns that probably cost more than our semester tuition. Waiters moved like shadows, carrying trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres that looked too pretty to eat.

Politics buzzed in the air like static. Every conversation felt calculated, every laugh just a little too polished. But what really caught my eye was the corner of the ballroom-far from the chattering crowd-where a small group stood with their heads bowed in quiet conversation.

And Adam was with them.

"Elijah too," I whispered to Vanessa, subtly nodding in their direction.

She turned slightly, eyes scanning the group, and then shrugged. "That's just the mayor and the high rollers. Nothing unusual."

I frowned. "But they look... tense. Like they're planning something."

Vanessa gave me a look. "Liz, they're politicians. They always look like that."

Maybe she was right. Maybe I was just paranoid. But something about the way Elijah's hand moved as he gestured, the way Adam leaned in to speak, his expression cool and unreadable-it all made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

The Elvadors didn't just belong here-they commanded this space. People greeted them with reverence, offered them drinks and smiles, but there was a hesitation beneath the surface. Like the way people flinch at the edge of a flame. You admire it, but you don't dare touch it.

And Chloe...

I spotted her just behind Adam, practically glued to his side. She wasn't mingling. She wasn't laughing or fluttering around the room like she usually did. No, she was watching Adam's every move, her expression soft and focused-like he was the only person in the room that mattered.

Then she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, and she turned to fetch him a drink without being asked.

"What the hell..." I muttered, stomach twisting.

Vanessa followed my gaze and her lips parted slightly. "She just... got him a drink."

"She never gets people drinks."

"She makes people get her drinks," Vanessa said, jaw tightening.

I swallowed hard. "Something's wrong. That's not Chloe."

"She's like his... assistant or something. A lovesick assistant."

I stared harder at her. The way she held the drink carefully, like she was afraid to spill even a drop. The way her smile stretched just a bit too wide when she handed it to him. The way she never once looked at us-even though we were standing right there, staring.

"She's not acting," I said slowly. "She really thinks this is normal"

We watched in silence as Adam took the drink from her with a faint smile. He leaned down, whispered something to her, and she beamed. Then she giggled-giggled-and took his hand.

Vanessa hissed a curse under her breath. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Get in line," I said.

But we couldn't cause a scene. Not here. Not with Vanessa's mom watching us like a hawk from across the room. We needed answers. But we needed to be careful.

We spent the next hour pretending to mingle. Smiling. Laughing at jokes we didn't hear. Taking tiny sips of our drinks-non-alcoholic, thank God, or we would've lost it already.

All the while, Chloe stayed close to Adam. And we stayed close enough to watch.

At one point, a man-older, bald, with sharp eyes and a council pin on his lapel-approached Adam and whispered something. Adam nodded, handed his drink to Chloe without even looking at her, and disappeared into a side hallway with the man.

Chloe stood there holding the glass like it was sacred.

"What now?" I whispered to Vanessa.

She glanced around. "We wait. And when he comes back-we follow."

I nodded, fingers clenching around my clutch. The music changed. Another round of drinks floated by. Laughter filled the room. But all I could think about was my friend-my best friend-who was now acting like she belonged to someone else.

Like someone had reached inside her and stolen something vital. Something Chloe.

"She doesn't even seem scared," I whispered.

Vanessa looked at me. "That's what scares me."