Page 158 of Glutton for Punishment

A pulse of energy slams through my skull, and her illusion shatters like glass.

The balcony snaps back into focus too late, and I hit the stone floor hard instead, pain exploding through my knees as silk tears along the front of my dress.

For one disoriented heartbeat, I can’t breathe. Atticus is suddenly there, and realization hits me all at once. His power wraps around my mind like steel walls locking into place, cool and steady and furious.

That bitch.

“You—” I surge to my feet.

Then punch Daphne directly in the face. The crack echoes across the balcony. Daphne stumbles backward with a shriek, clutching her nose as tears spring to her eyes.

“What the fuck? You hit me! You can’t hit me!”

“Yes, I can,” I snap. “And I’m considering making it a hobby.”

“You psycho—”

“Enough.” Atticus steps between us, eyes blazing at Daphne. “You used your power on her? Again?”

She turns toward him with watery, outraged eyes. “It was a joke. Are you really going to let her assault me like that? She’s trash, Atticus. I’m your fucking date!”

Atticus doesn’t even hesitate. “You deserved worse.”

Her mouth falls open.

“Get out of here, Daphne.”

“You can’t be serious—”

“Leave now.”

Something in his voice breaks through her outrage, because she glares at both of us before storming back into the ballroom, blood leaking through the hand clutching her nose.

Atticus turns toward me, all his anger dissolving into concern. He crouches down to look at my scraped knees through the busted fabric.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lie, furious at myself that I wasn’t paying attention and let her, of all people, get past my mental shields.

The balcony doors open again and Maddox steps outside. He takes in the scene, and his expression looks like he seconds away from violence.

“I have it from here, Willshire.”

Atticus’s face hardens. “I was helping her.”

“And now I’m here.”

The tension between them slams into the balcony like a physical force. Atticus doesn’t move.

Maddox steps closer. “You should go play the role of obedient little heir before you bring more trouble down on her.”

“Maddox,” I snap.

But Atticus just huffs once under his breath. Bitter. He shakes his head, but something painful flashes across his face before he looks at me one last time. Then he leaves without another word.

I exhale hard. “You don’t have to treat him like that. He was on my side.”

Maddox arches a brow. “Please. He can survive a bruised ego after what he put you through last year.”