Stepping onto the pavement, Valessia's blood boiled at the sight before her. To keep from losing control, she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned pale white.
Across the open green field, Drayton stood beneath the shade of a tall tree, taking cover from the blistering afternoon sun, while little Seraphine sat exposed under its full fury, not even a leaf's shadow to shield her.
'You made the right choice turning down their offer, Val. It was for the best,' she told herself, trying to suppress the storm rising within her as she strode toward Seraphine. Each step felt heavier than the last, dragged down by rage.
For a fleeting moment, the image of charging at Drayton and slamming his head into the tree's trunk flashed through her mind, but she forced it away just as quickly as it came.
