ra

n with such force it sl

ntorted in a mask of fury. Behind him, I could see Catherine, her silk rob

od dripping from my arm onto the white dress. Zoe, standing in the middle of the room like a

ame is going on

t was her! She did it to herself! She attacked us and th

and shook my head, my whole body trembling violently. "No... I didn't... I

the terrified victim, too traumatiz

, darling, this must be a misunderstanding," she cooed, checking Zoe for injuries

leverage and consequences. His gaze flickered from the sciss

e into your sister's room in the middle of the night w

h fear. "I... we... we were just

ng in the air, da

She shot her daughter a lo

hind Paige and Zoe. I watched the anger in his face shift, sharpening into something colder. He was not lookin

, cleanly, with no scandal attached to the Hayes name. If I appeared before the Montgomerys bruised, bleeding, and terrified, there would be questions. Why had

If this became ugly, they could demand explanations, compensation, new terms. They could make Arthur look careless, weak

ed a target.

ge across the face. The sound was

he bellowed. "Who g

flying to her red cheek, tears

. "What are you doing? You'r

ing in their direction. "I told you both to beha

. "Sir, please... it's not their fault... It must be s

n the fire of his anger. My meekness made his daught

docile, mistreated lamb. T

!" He turned back to his daughters, his face grim. "You two are grounded f

ssed into a thin line. For once, she did not get the last word. I lowered my eyes before anyone cou

with shock and humiliation. Paige's eyes burned with tears and hatred. Zoe's fingers st

e my arm. I kept my head bowed, my shoulders slumped in a postu