Aegora Rivers, dressed in a sleek yellow gown embroidered with her personal sigil, watched the festivities from the shadows of the hall. The lights danced across the polished marble floor as the guests laughed and mingled, but her eyes were fixed on the one person who truly caught her attention, her half-brother Shieron Seastar.

She had tried to win his favor before, but he always seemed to slip away, his attention drawn elsewhere, often to Bryndanne Rivers, the fiery woman who had once been her greatest rival. Tonight, though, she knew something was different. The whispers of jealousy between the two women had been growing, and Aegora had every intention of fanning those flames.

Shieron's gaze flicked toward her as she stepped forward, the soft click of her heels echoing through the grand hall. She offered a confident smile, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Seastar," she purred, her voice as smooth as silk. "It seems you've found your way into my thoughts once again. I heard you and Bryndenne were on a break. Why dont you let me help you make her burn with envy?"