Olivia had been restless ever since the night before Adrianna and Ronald's failed wedding.
Her new ally, who promised to hand her Adrianna's weakness, had not sent word as they swore they would.
That night, when they first met, the confidence in the person's voice had been almost intoxicating. But it was not the calm kind of confidence. It was sharp, sharpened with something Olivia recognized.
Hatred.
The way their eyes burned when Adrianna's name left their lips, like the very syllables were foul.
Perhaps Adrianna really was a taboo for them.
Olivia had been eager. Waiting like a gambler who knew the cards were finally stacked in her favor.
But the promised message had not arrived.
Until today.
When Olivia returned to her chambers after breakfast, a maid placed a sealed letter into her hand. She had not even broken the wax.
Her mind was still on breakfast, Adrianna's too-satisfied face, and the knight her chaotic cousin brought into the manor.
