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The woman was tall and willowy, her long hair cascading down her back in ebony waves. Her sapphire wrap dress accentuated her long legs. She raised her perfectly arched eyebrows at the house, but had a smile for Sin. He led her up the stairs as another car pulled down the drive, the polished metal glinting in the noonday sun.
Farns walked past me as I stood motionless and unseen in the music room. He opened the door and greeted Sin and his guest with a “welcome.” The woman didn’t speak, only walked to the center of the foyer and turned her head back and forth, sizing up the elegance in every fine detail.
She swept her gaze into the music room and narrowed her eyes when they met mine. Something about her was familiar. Not her face, in particular, but her eyes. I’d seen them before, though I couldn’t place where.
Sin walked up beside her and placed his hand at the small of her back again. He followed her gaze and froze, his eyes locking on mine for a split second before he turned away.
“I believe I saw Teddy riding ahead of us. The dining room is this way. If you’d care to freshen up before the lunch, there’s a powder room down and to the left.”
“Thank you, Sin.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, shot a scowl in my direction, and strode down the hall, her hips swaying with each step.
The door opened again, and Farns gave a stiffer “welcome” than usual. I’d been so preoccupied with Sin and the woman that I’d forgotten about the other car.
A man strode forward, his hand extended. Sin shook, and my breath caught. It was Cal Oakman. I remained still and forced the surge of hate and rage just seeing him brought to the surface back down inside. It wasn’t time yet. Not until Teddy was safe.
“Sophia is freshening up. Shall we go in?” Sin kept his eyes on Cal.
“Sure.” He followed Sin down the hall. “I don’t believe I’ve been here in, what is it, ten years or so? Still looks the same.”
“We try to keep it up as best we can.”
“Well, not everywhere can be the Oakman Estate, especially given your family’s late arrival to the game. Still, it could be worse. You seem to have…”
Their voices faded. I was trapped in ice. The joy at Teddy’s birthday party had been quickly erased by unease. What was going on? Was this another test?
Lucius came down the stairs and turned toward the dining room.
“Lucius,” I hissed.
He changed course and walked to me, his face inscrutable.
“What’s happening?”
“A birthday party. You set it up, remember?” He took my elbow and pulled me along with him into the foyer.
“Why is Cal here?”
“The Sovereign can’t attend birthday parties?”
I stopped at the foot of the stairs, forcing him to stop with me. “Stop playing games. Tell me.”
He lowered his voice. “I just did. Cal wanted to attend Teddy’s birthday party.”
“The woman?”
He couldn’t hide his smirk, not that he would ever try. “That’s Sophia, Sin’s date for the lunch.”
My fingers grew cold, the tips of my ears hot as I digested the information. It was a punch in the gut. It shouldn’t have been. I had no claim on Sin. The entire rulebook these people lived by had as its first and foremost tenet that certain people—like me—were nothing more than chattel. Was she the reason he stayed away?
Our last night together was seared in my memory, but perhaps I had mistaken Sin’s words, his touch, for more than they really were. The thought rang hollow and false. I knew he meant all of it, that he’d given me everything he had. That knowledge was the only thing that had stopped me from seeking him out during his long absence. I trusted him. But he was here with another woman—one who gave me an unsettling sense of familiarity.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I glared at him and let the hurt ferment into anger.
He shrugged and snaked his arm around my waist. “I figured it was best for you to see for yourself.”
“This changes nothing between us.” I stepped away from him and eyed the stairs. A retreat seemed like a good idea. Then again, Teddy was more important than any of it.
“We’ll see. Come on. Cal will want to get a look at you.” He took my hand and pulled me with him down the hallway. “And don’t forget what I did to you in the woods.”
I closed my eyes and tried to stop the murky thoughts—the ones that lived in my nightmares—from rising up and taking my sanity away. The woods, the cabin, the screams. Brianne’s and Gavin’s rapes, and my supposed violation by Lucius. He dropped my hand as we entered the room.
“Stella, so nice to see you again.” Cal grinned and walked over, embracing me and running his hands down my back. My skin crawled, and I fought the nausea that rolled through me.
