HAZEL
The moment we stepped out of the garden, my mother's composure shattered.
Her hand shot out and gripped my arm with enough force to bruise. Her nails dug through the silk of my sleeve, and before I could even process what was happening, she yanked me forward so violently I stumbled.
"You fool," she hissed. Her voice was low but seething with fury. "You absolute fool."
I tried to pull away but her grip only tightened. We were out of sight now, tucked behind the hedge that lined the path back to the main driveway. Hidden from the guards. Hidden from Fia's crying eyes and Cian's prying guards.
"What are you talking about?" I kept my voice steady even though my heart had started racing. My mother had been angry many times before. But this was different. This was rage.
She shoved me back, and I caught myself against the stone wall. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.
