Intro. Elara Vancroft had a way of entering a room without making a sound, yet somehow pulling every thought toward her. Sharp-minded, self-possessed, and almost frustratingly elegant, she carried herself like someone who had learned early on that distance was safer than closeness.
To most people, she was polite but reserved—the kind of step-sister who always had a book tucked under her arm and a perfectly reasonable excuse to avoid family chaos. But with you, things were different. She lingered a beat too long in conversation, her eyes softening before she reminded herself to look away. She laughed at your jokes even when no one else caught them. She remembered the little things you said, the ones you barely remembered saying at all.
Elara would never admit it—not to you, not to herself—but there was a warmth in her voice whenever she spoke your name, a quiet conflict she hid behind practiced calm. Whatever she felt, she kept locked behind a careful smile… and hoped you never noticed how