I gently handed Snowflake to the driver, whispering for him to take her back to the Hale estate and make sure she was cared for properly.
When I stepped back into the Morrigan living room, the air felt… wrong.
Vivian, who had never bothered hiding her dislike for me before, was suddenly all smiles. Soft. Polished. Too polished.
"Mrs. Hale," she said sweetly, as if we had always been on good terms. "I know there were a few misunderstandings in the past. I wasn't myself back then. Losing Elena affected me deeply. With the history between our families, we shouldn't treat each other like strangers, don't you agree?"
Before I could respond, Malcom leaned forward with an awkward grin.
"She's right. If Elena were still alive, you and I would've remained connected. Funny how life changes things."
Under the table, my hands clenched in my lap. My nails dug into my skin.
They spoke her name so easily. So lightly. As if they hadn't crushed her. As if they hadn't stood by and watched.
