a tense atmosphere hun

ask of professional neutrality. She had worked for the Hawthornes for years, but the scene unfolding be

ant silk dress, her hair pulled back in a sleek chignon. A faint, unreadable smile played

ed her polished appearance as a sign that the sto

hloe had never seen before. It was clearly a recent gift from Julian, and she wore it like a

head of the table. Seraphina and Mason were on his right, a tight

to bridge the chasm. He placed a perfectly cooked piec

ice laced with forced warmt

avering. "Thank you, Julian, but I do

ing out to spear the piece of meat. "Well, if Chloe doesn't want it, I'll have it," she c

of apology and exasperation, then gave Ser

other, doting on Julian, cutting Mason's food into tiny pieces, filling th

said, her voice carrying a new note of authority. "The so

She simply continued to cut the small piece of fish on her plate into smaller and smaller piec

d to Seraphina, his voice casual. "You know, this house is far too large for just the two of us.

e final prize. She turned her gaze to Chloe, her expression a poorly v

lain plate was the only sound in the suddenly

he serene smile was st

soft and melodic. "It would be nice to have mor

as a grenade w

ck and confusion. This was not the reaction they had anticipated

d have preferred a fight. He knew how to handle

n froze. She felt like she had swung with

followed was thic

adults with a child's keen sense of emotional currents, pushed

Chloe, his movements a little too c

landing squarely on the front of Chloe's pale silk dress

e immediately scrambled back to his mother, b

g no real reprimand. She stroked his hair, her eyes, over the top

a dress. Chloe, don't make a fuss over this. Go change into something else

n at the sticky, vibrant stain spreading

liberate, unhurried movements, wiped her fingertips. She

e lifted

calm or unreadable. They were chips of ice. The smile was

two years of suppressed anger, humiliation, and