Belle's POV
The moment Talia sat down at the table, the air became heavy. It was obvious, the elephant in the room.
It wasn't just me who felt it. My parents had gone quieter, Jasper's hand never left mine, and even Ethan and Marcus men who barely knew her looked uneasy, as if they'd walked into a room with a ticking bomb.
I tried to force myself to eat, but every bite turned to dust in my mouth. I smiled when I needed to, nodded at small conversations, but all the while, I could feel Talia's eyes on me. Watching. Waiting.
I wanted to stand up and scream at her. I wanted to tell her she had no right being here, no right sitting at this table, no right breathing the same air as the family and friends who loved me.
But I didn't.
