tones into the serene elegance of the

gned sympathy. "But the Price family will not forgive easily. Their son's eyesight may be permanently damaged. Julian is their only hope of calming thin

. He seems to favor you more than anyone else." She would not be manipulated. Sh

, she dropped her own bomb. "Besides,

a splashed out, staining the pure white tablecloth. The m

with wide eyes. "That... that's

atisfaction. "Why not? So he can finally marry

misunderstood. Julian and I are just friends. He treats me like a sister." Then she went on the offensive. "Eve

e lie almost making her laugh. "Is that the story y

ile, but at the words "divorce" and "trapped him," his ears perked up. The Carlisle-Vance marr

na's demeanor shifted. The warmth in her ey

eliberately cruel, "is very disappointed in you. He'

threat han

added almost sotto voce. "He says it should be

ith the divorce, if she didn't get back in line, she would l

nection to Isadora Finch, the mother she barely remembered. Her anger left a hot, metallic taste in her mouth. She

and smiled, the corner of her mouth lifting in

not let this woman see her crumble. She straightened up and rose,

, calm and clear, "that he

d not look back, even though every instinct screamed at her to fight, to

rs flew across the screen as he texted his cousin, a junio

n duty. The Carlisle-Vance marriage

arlisle-Vance stared at his phone. He was in the middle of a tense video con

Waiting for a message from El

made him feel an emotion he hadn't experi