orathy's heel ground brutally

antly recoiled her foot, throwing herself b

tightly, letting out a

t of nowhere! She tried to sna

g as always. She only saw her precious Dorathy weeping on the

oss her aged fa

king you away was far too merciful!

her mother-in-law, he

  what  the  truth is! Tell  Grandma  what  she  

her daughter's pleading face to her moth

h, and the ultimate

, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I just came

re painful than the heel that had ground into her arm, more

sound filled her ears. She couldn't e

over her!" Agatha's disgust was absolute. "I don

ut through the blur, she saw the faces of her family-her grandmother's righteous fury, her mother's cowering fear, and her sister

us fire in her chest. As Agatha began her tirade, ac

. I don't need you to." She

ossip rag in this city. I will tell them how the 'chaste' Dorathy Hayes stole her sis

nate. Agatha's face turned a mottled, ugly red, th

ure utterly shattered. "You insolent, un

ne with nothing left to lose. "I have nothing left to fear from you, Agatha. You

hreat of scandal, the sheer, naked defiance from the girl she ha

voice cracking. "You will not speak to me l

with fury. "The study! Now! Bring me the

, "Mother, plea

Agatha snapped at her

ed to fetch the cane, a sound cut through the chaos.

ze, their heads snapp

front doorway, having easily passed the ma

red dark suit, yet he looked compl

t injured girl, the crimson-faced enraged matriarch, the terrified

ng men in crisp black suits

ominic said, his deep voice cold and smooth .

a faint, almost imperceptible flicker o

to collect my fiancée. I never expected to