The Lancaster mansion's grand drawing room felt suffocating despite its high ceilings. The air was thick with tension and the lingering scent of expensive cologne mixed with antiseptic from Nicholas's hastily treated wounds.
Yes, Seraphina wanted Aveline and Alaric to set the stage where they could walk out, and Edward and Isabella would beg for them to stay and hate the other two. However, she was wrong.
Aveline was beyond her grasp, wrapped in both silk and steel. She knew how to turn any situation around with mere words. The shock and desperation that had appeared on Edward and Isabella's faces were gone the moment Aveline opened her mouth.
And now, the stage Seraphina had so carefully orchestrated was owned completely by Aveline. She didn't just own it, she was shining brighter than Seraphina had expected.
