stones into the quiet elegance of the

th feigned sympathy. "But the Price family will not forgive. Their son's vision may be permanently damaged. Julian is their only hope to calm things down

s to favor you more than anyone else." She would not be manipulated. She wo

, she dropped her own bomb. "Besides,

tea splashed out, staining the pristine white tablecloth. T

with wide eyes. "That... that's

so flustered. "Why not? So he can finally mar

understood. Julian and I are just friends. He treats me like a sister." Then she shifted to the offensive. "Ever

f the lie almost making her laugh. "Is that the story

file, but his ears perked up at the words "divorce" and "trapped him." The Carlisle-Vance mar

na's demeanor changed. The warmth in her ey

twisted with deliberate cruelty, "is very disappointed in you.

threat han

er voice dropping almost to a whisper. "He says it sh

the divorce, if she didn't get back in line, she would l

nnection to Isadora Finch, the mother she barely remembered. Her fury left a hot, metallic taste in her mouth. Sh

es and smiled, a small, victorious curve to

ive this woman the satisfaction of seeing her break. She straightened

oice as cold and clear as ice, "t

d not look back, even though every instinct screamed at her to fight, to

ers flew across the screen as he texted his cousin, a jun

shift. The Carlisle-Vance marriage i

an Carlisle-Vance stared at his phone. He was in the middle of a tense video conf

waiting for a message from El

s making him feel something he hadn't felt