eri

ough force to send her stumb

f my dress, brushing away a speck of dust that was not

n, Serena threw h

m with trembling fingers and beg

lling her silk shawl tighter around her shoulders, as

spat, cursing Serena for p

had done nothing but

a looked to Is

y quickly, treating

ace, Isabella suddenly turne

y pregnancy, her voice dripping

ing as I dodged Isabella's han

led her hand away, her cheeks flus

of power finally

side, hovering li

with a renewed,

orn child was now the Fa

ween them and delivered a vicio

whore, his voice echo

ng to seduce his son a

ut of my Estate!" he roare

g to the floor and clut

ted that the child po

have a son, when I have been in the m

he entrance of the parlor, and the

doorway, a dark and imposing fi

nkled from travel, but his presen

ng everyone else, and pulled me

ding as iron, suddenly gave way when the familiar scent of tobacco from hi

al and told him how his family ha

nto my hair, pressing a l

from South Africa had

d all his operations back

ever leave me and our

ed up, his eyes we

as if she were something foul stuc

ild and threatened to hand her over t

over Serena

out a desperat

he cried. "He mis

ar!" I cursed,

hat Dante is severel

leepless vigilance against assassination,"

ry smirk crosse

dialed his highest-ranking c

agile victim again,

n her face as she

ly had the heart to aband

ompletely, the phon

artifice of her victimhood collapsed, not in a single break, but

everything, her words tu

yndicate-mandated medical exams, s

ic material to artificially insemin

ened into pure, u

by her, taking a half-step b

fended herself, her

s a barren queen takin

ll for the inheritance, as if h

er breathtakin

gust that I had ever

t Serena speak anot

sharp, percussive sound

grasp with a practiced motion that was swift and dispassionate, handing the child to a

condemning her to rot behind bars