NOR'

concealer could hide. Donavan and his mother were already at the breakfast

inances. Donavan grunted noncommittal replies. I stared in

the table. A number

of it being Cassandra or my

istie. I hope I'm

e my teeth ache. My hand tightened around my spoon. Across the table

hristie?" I asked, m

e we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I was hopin

where she could shove her lunch invitatio

brightly. "I just think the three of us

expression a complete blank. He wasn't surp

ke. "Go," she said, her tone leaving no room for de

the son, and the mistress. It wasn't a lunch invitation; it was

oice tight. "Text me

ne. "I'm finished," I announced to no one in parti

ate dining room of a ridiculous

velvet banquette. They looked so natural together, so perfectly matched,

le dazzling. She gestured to the chair opposite them and poured me

her face a mask of wide-eyed innocence. "But I want you to know, Donavan and I are just frien

he deceased sister. Dona

e. Blaire Stone was a wound that would never heal in his heart, a shadow that would never return to his thoughts. And Kristy knew exac

embling slightly. She even managed to make her eyes look w

nothing but a cold, weary disgust. It was a

ust stared at his water glass, lost in his memories of Bl

tle concern. "I heard... I heard there's been some trouble betw

lunch. She was fishing for information. She

ectly. "That," I said, my voice quiet

for a second. She hadn't

ded expression, her lower lip trembling. "Donavan, you

er, but to me. His voice was co

d, Eleanor. There's no nee

It felt like a fist clenching around my

, dabbed my lips, and placed

lite and distant. "I have a meet

alked out of the private room, leaving the perfect co