"I know, Ariana. Believe me, I know." Mirabel's voice came out low, but there was a hard edge beneath it, her tone vibrating with suppressed rage. "The only reason I've been calm all this while is because of Mother. Mother needs Victoria's blood soon, and for that reason alone, I've restrained myself. Otherwise, I would have eliminated her long ago without a second thought."
Her eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths as she clenched her fists. "At first, I thought tormenting her would be easy.....something I could do at my leisure. But who would have thought my brothers would take to her instantly? It was as though she had cast a charm on them, one I cannot comprehend. I was foolish… too foolish to have underestimated her."
